Circle of Music
Sunday, August 16 - Saturday, August 22, 2026
Description
Workshops & Activities
Conference Leadership
Pricing
Description
Circle of Music
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Ferry Beach is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year (2026). Join us for an incredible year of celebration!
OUR 2026 MUSICIANS...
Emma's Revolution 
We are excited to be welcoming Emma’s Revolution to Circle of Music 2026! Pat Humphries & Sandy O have been singing together all over the country for more than 25 years and have become a strong and passionate voice for justice and freedom in the amazing tradition of musical activist greats like Pete Seeger and Phil Ochs among others. Singing out with original music in beautiful and stirring harmonies, Pat and Sandy will lead us in workshops centered on Hope and Resistance as we try to make our way through these troubled times. We will sing, learn, grow, sing, laugh, cry, rejoice, SING together! This magical week will culminate in a community concert to be held on Friday evening just 9 minutes away at the beautiful First Parish Congregational Church UCC in Saco, a concert that we at Ferry Beach will attend free of charge. Please see more about Emma’s Revolution on their website at emmasrevolution.com. Nancy Smith Circle of Music Scholarship
The Nancy Smith Circle of Music Scholarship fund has been established in memory of the late Nancy Smith, long-term Circle of Music Attendee. Nancy nurtured her spirituality and celebrated her love of music through Unitarian Universalist church choirs and the Ferry Beach Retreat and Conference Center Circle of Music Program. Through the scholarship started by her loving son Scott Smith and sister Lucinda Sanders, the memory of Nancy will live on in one of her most cherished places. To apply for the scholarship, please fill out the form below. Each year a scholarship recipient will be selected two months prior to the start of the Circle of Music Conference. |
Workshops & Activities
2026 WORKSHOPS & ACTIVITIES:
(No Need to Preregister for Workshops):
Workshops by Emma's Revolution! Featuring: Sandy O & Pat Humphries
Music: The Heartbeat of Justice
In these times, people are rediscovering the power of community and the essential truth that joys an act of resistance. Music is at the center of that joy and community-building. Learn, discuss & sing together.
Singing Resistance
Learn and share songs and practices of the Singing Resistance movement that was so powerfully activated in Minneapolis and is spreading across the country.
Be a Song Leader
Bring your love of music and justice to community events, gatherings and actions, wherever you
are! We’ll explore, develop and hone skills such as choosing a key, engaging an audience, teaching
a song, breath, projection, etc. No experience required.
Joyful Harmony Singing
Harmony singing is a practice of listening to yourself and others and trying new things—with joy
and without judgement! Join us for a playful exploration in sound to learn, develop or hone your
skills.
Songwriting for Everyone
We are all songwriters. Every human with the ability to hear and make sound, makes up songs.
Explore songwriting with warm-up and creativity exercises that cultivate an intuitive relationship
with words and melody, allowing you to create songs that sound like you and speak to what's in
your heart, whether it’s your first time or you’re ready to take your songwriting to a deeper level.
Bring a pen/pencil and paper and a recording device.
Putting It All Together (Last Session of the Week)
We’ll be drawing from the sessions’ discussions, song sharing and singing to create a culmination
of what we’ve been doing together all week!
Music: The Heartbeat of Justice
In these times, people are rediscovering the power of community and the essential truth that joys an act of resistance. Music is at the center of that joy and community-building. Learn, discuss & sing together.
Singing Resistance
Learn and share songs and practices of the Singing Resistance movement that was so powerfully activated in Minneapolis and is spreading across the country.
Be a Song Leader
Bring your love of music and justice to community events, gatherings and actions, wherever you
are! We’ll explore, develop and hone skills such as choosing a key, engaging an audience, teaching
a song, breath, projection, etc. No experience required.
Joyful Harmony Singing
Harmony singing is a practice of listening to yourself and others and trying new things—with joy
and without judgement! Join us for a playful exploration in sound to learn, develop or hone your
skills.
Songwriting for Everyone
We are all songwriters. Every human with the ability to hear and make sound, makes up songs.
Explore songwriting with warm-up and creativity exercises that cultivate an intuitive relationship
with words and melody, allowing you to create songs that sound like you and speak to what's in
your heart, whether it’s your first time or you’re ready to take your songwriting to a deeper level.
Bring a pen/pencil and paper and a recording device.
Putting It All Together (Last Session of the Week)
We’ll be drawing from the sessions’ discussions, song sharing and singing to create a culmination
of what we’ve been doing together all week!
Additional Workshop Offerings:
Sing Out:
This workshop is a fabulous opportunity to experience the joy of singing together, creating harmonies, blending voices and learning some simple songs and rounds. No experience necessary. Just bring your voice and wish to make music together. Presented by Diana Lavancher, a licensed Social Worker on Massachusetts’ North Shore who has presented various theatre and storytelling events at libraries in her area and singing workshops here at Circle of Music.
Ukulele I and II:
Once again, Musician of the Week Ed Priest will teach you to play ukulele in Uke I or help you to improve and sharpen your skills in Uke II! At the end of your very first class, you will be able to play a tune and you will grow from there. On Thursday night, the Uke classes will perform at Talent/No Talent. Prepare to have a joyful and fun time! You can contact Ed at [email protected] for advice on what kind of uke to buy or bring and to inquire about the availability of instruments at Ferry Beach.
Hammered Dulcimer Experiences!
Once again, Keith Prairie will bring his hammered dulcimers for introduction and for lessons. In an evening presentation – Making Magic with Multiple Strings – Keith will lead an assortment of songs and tunes involving, well, Multiple Strings!
On two afternoons, Keith will offer hammered dulcimer workshops that will help beginners with how to hold the hammers, play scales, and learn where to find the notes. You’ll be working on playing “Baby Beluga,” “Sky Boat Song, “and or “Frere Jacques” – so please be familiar with the tunes beforehand. For a preview, check: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lh-qfPsEJBTaQMHVTKhyZUYynrraYoya?usp=drive_link
In addition, for more advanced players, Keith will set up one-on-one sessions to guide you through some exercises working on playing “Star of the County Down” or tunes of your choosing to help you hone and advance your playing. Bring your own dulcimer if you have one, but Keith will also have several hammered dulcimers available for your use. If you need help tuning your dulcimer, contact Keith at [email protected]
Keith will also be available to help individuals with arrangements especially for the Coffee House and Talent/No Talent. Please email him or see him to schedule a time.
*Some of this may change slightly before our week, but it would help if you contacted Keith at the email above and let him know if you’re interested, and what interests you may have.
About Keith:
Keith started playing guitar in the late 1960's, deeply influenced by the burgeoning folk and protest song artists. Then in 1975 he discovered the hammered dulcimer at a coffee house in Bar Harbor and set out to build his own the following summer! You can find Keith singing with other artist friends in the Portland area where he’s lived since 1980. And, with a peak into the future, Keith will be our Musician of the Week as of Summer 2027 as Ed Priest steps away from this role after more than a decade of leading us in music and song.
This workshop is a fabulous opportunity to experience the joy of singing together, creating harmonies, blending voices and learning some simple songs and rounds. No experience necessary. Just bring your voice and wish to make music together. Presented by Diana Lavancher, a licensed Social Worker on Massachusetts’ North Shore who has presented various theatre and storytelling events at libraries in her area and singing workshops here at Circle of Music.
Ukulele I and II:
Once again, Musician of the Week Ed Priest will teach you to play ukulele in Uke I or help you to improve and sharpen your skills in Uke II! At the end of your very first class, you will be able to play a tune and you will grow from there. On Thursday night, the Uke classes will perform at Talent/No Talent. Prepare to have a joyful and fun time! You can contact Ed at [email protected] for advice on what kind of uke to buy or bring and to inquire about the availability of instruments at Ferry Beach.
Hammered Dulcimer Experiences!
Once again, Keith Prairie will bring his hammered dulcimers for introduction and for lessons. In an evening presentation – Making Magic with Multiple Strings – Keith will lead an assortment of songs and tunes involving, well, Multiple Strings!
On two afternoons, Keith will offer hammered dulcimer workshops that will help beginners with how to hold the hammers, play scales, and learn where to find the notes. You’ll be working on playing “Baby Beluga,” “Sky Boat Song, “and or “Frere Jacques” – so please be familiar with the tunes beforehand. For a preview, check: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lh-qfPsEJBTaQMHVTKhyZUYynrraYoya?usp=drive_link
In addition, for more advanced players, Keith will set up one-on-one sessions to guide you through some exercises working on playing “Star of the County Down” or tunes of your choosing to help you hone and advance your playing. Bring your own dulcimer if you have one, but Keith will also have several hammered dulcimers available for your use. If you need help tuning your dulcimer, contact Keith at [email protected]
Keith will also be available to help individuals with arrangements especially for the Coffee House and Talent/No Talent. Please email him or see him to schedule a time.
*Some of this may change slightly before our week, but it would help if you contacted Keith at the email above and let him know if you’re interested, and what interests you may have.
About Keith:
Keith started playing guitar in the late 1960's, deeply influenced by the burgeoning folk and protest song artists. Then in 1975 he discovered the hammered dulcimer at a coffee house in Bar Harbor and set out to build his own the following summer! You can find Keith singing with other artist friends in the Portland area where he’s lived since 1980. And, with a peak into the future, Keith will be our Musician of the Week as of Summer 2027 as Ed Priest steps away from this role after more than a decade of leading us in music and song.
Friday Night Concert
This magical week will culminate in a live concert performance by Emma's Revolution, which will be held on Friday evening just 9 minutes away at the beautiful First Parish Congregational Church UCC in Saco, a concert that we at Ferry Beach will attend free of charge.
Evenings at Circle of Music
Coffee House and Talent/No Talent
We’ll have great fun, as always, at our Tuesday night Coffee House and our Thursday Talent/No Talent show. All at Ferry Beach are welcome to participate – and they do!
Porch Sings
Enjoy porch sings on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings right after dinner and before any evening programs. The Ferry Beach Songbook is available on the website so bring your cell phones and follow along. Bring your own songs and songbooks – and be prepared to lead with help!
Bonfire & S'mores
Hopefully Wednesday night weather will allow us to have our traditional bonfire. Bring all those camp songs to sing and share! We’ll have s’mores makings!
Note: Additional offerings for afternoons and evenings are still being considered and are in the stages of development. A full schedule grid will be posted as soon as all offerings and time slots are finalized.
We’ll have great fun, as always, at our Tuesday night Coffee House and our Thursday Talent/No Talent show. All at Ferry Beach are welcome to participate – and they do!
Porch Sings
Enjoy porch sings on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings right after dinner and before any evening programs. The Ferry Beach Songbook is available on the website so bring your cell phones and follow along. Bring your own songs and songbooks – and be prepared to lead with help!
Bonfire & S'mores
Hopefully Wednesday night weather will allow us to have our traditional bonfire. Bring all those camp songs to sing and share! We’ll have s’mores makings!
Note: Additional offerings for afternoons and evenings are still being considered and are in the stages of development. A full schedule grid will be posted as soon as all offerings and time slots are finalized.
Conference Leadership
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Coordinator:
Dorine Levasseur Coordinating Circle of Music is one of the joys of my life. This is my fourth year in this role (my tenth as a participant!) and from the beginning it has been exciting to meet and speak with potential artists to find just the right fit for our wonderful group of participants. I love that everyone comes to Ferry Beach with a generous spirit of sharing their talents of all levels and types with the result that together we build in this one short week a community of love and a deep spirit of joy. We learn and grow together in ways that sustain me throughout the year in my town of Middleborough, Massachusetts. At home, I’m active in First UU Middleboro in the choir, membership growth and fundraising events, and in local politics and social change efforts, as well as countless personal projects. There’s so much work to be done! Join us this summer – we want to meet you and welcome you into this wonderful community that will be made richer because you are here! You can contact me at [email protected] |
Pricing
Conference Package (Pricing per Person) |
Conference Package for Lodgers: (Includes conference fee/access to all programming, plus all daily meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner for the entirety of the week). Adult: $614 Conference Package for Commuters: (Includes conference fee/access to all programming, plus daily lunch and dinner for the entirety of the week). Adult: $512 Meals are included, there is no way to separate meals from the package price. Note: Lodging is not included in the conference package price, it's added on, the price varies depending on your desired lodging accommodation, see below. |
Lodging |
View our Lodging Page HERE for more information/photos of lodging options. Cottages/Cabins Morris Cottage: $550 per night Kelley Cottage: $515 per night Claflin Cottage: $515 per night Metz Cabins: $250 per night Cross Rooms: $205 per night Dorms: Quillen Family: $170 per night Ocean Queen: $165 per night Ocean Twin: $155 per night Queen Dorms: $145 per night Standard Dorms: $130 per night Camping: $45-55 depending on site *NEW* - LINENS are now INCLUDED in your stay, for ALL lodging spaces in 2026! |
Membership |
Membership must be paid to attend any Ferry Beach program and is due annually. Individual Membership: $40 Family Membership: $65 See our Membership Page to learn more and to purchase or renew a membership. You can also renew your membership on your reservation. |
Register |
To register online click here, or call the office at 207-282-4489. You can also email [email protected]. |
Our mission at Ferry Beach is to awaken hearts to explore, grow and renew the spirit of universal love.
We work by creating programing and events in the areas of Arts & Culture, Education, Spirituality, Sustainability, Personal Growth and Justice & Action.
We work by creating programing and events in the areas of Arts & Culture, Education, Spirituality, Sustainability, Personal Growth and Justice & Action.
