Songwriting vacation with Dean Friedman

The French House Party is recommended in the National Geographic book 'The 100 Best Worldwide Vacations to Enrich Your Life."

We operate a variety of arts and leisure courses throughout the year. These are the ultimate in holiday courses, from top-of-the-range accommodation and food, first-class instructors and an all-inclusive price - lodgings, all meals with wine and chauffeured transport, including airport transfers.

The legendary singer-songwriter Dean Friedman returns to the French House Party at the end of July to again operate his residential summer songwriting course with us – taking a break during his annual European concert tour. The Songwriting course may be joined by individuals, couples or groups. This is a rare and exclusive opportunity to spend four days at the French House Party learning the techniques of composing with a performer frequently compared to Billy Joel and Paul Simon – and described by one music critic as “A genius. An original. A musical craftsman of unrivalled expertise.”

The all-inclusive 4-day break will contain 3 days of group instruction workshops, jamming sessions, one-to-one tuition, writing, performances and the bonus of a privately-arranged Dean Friedman evening gig. Non-participating partners sharing a room with a participant are welcome at a reduced rate of £100 off the full price.

Dean Friedman is acknowledged as one of the best lyrics-and-melody composers in the music industry. With the perfect, instantly-recognisable soaring voice which gave him hit songs like Ariel, Well Well Said the Rocking Chair, Lydia – and, of course, the quirky and memorable British chart-topper Lucky Stars - Dean has remained a major inspiration to other songwriters for more than 20 years.

After his August 2010 shows at the Edinburgh Festival, Three Weeks reviewer Tom Bell declared: ”Dean Friedman is entirely unique and utterly brilliant” – a sentiment which was seconded by the group of singer-songwriters who joined Dean’s course in France. One of 2010's participants remarked after the course: "Dean Friedman is a national treasure. Or at least he should be. When I was a youngish songwriter back in the late 70s, I too was caught up in the frisson of the blockbuster international hit Lucky Stars ... I purchased his first album and it soon became evident that this young Friedman was a major talent, from whom I could learn much. Some 30 years later, my estimation of his talent has diminished in no way. "When French House Party advertised a few days of quality time with such a songwriter, the opportunity was too good to refuse ... And we were not disappointed. The stay in Carcassonne alone would have warranted the cost of this wonderful experience. "How could one expect to stay in such beautiful surroundings, such traditional comfort, exquisitely catered food and drink, the kind of leisurely hospitality one is often promised but rarely receives… and on top of it, the opportunity to learn from one of the world’s most underestimated songwriting talents? "Dean Friedman is much more than a wonderful writer, a magnificent singer, a consummate performer, and seasoned musician. He is also a nice guy. But to find out he is also a sensitive, encouraging and generous nurturer of talents much more modest than his was a delightful surprise. "His mastery of the learning process, which is much more difficult in the creative domain, reveals an uncanny understanding of the struggles of creativity- a struggle incidentally which he seems to overcome with consummate ease. "Nobody could come away from his workshop without feeling inspired, enriched, enlivened and most of all grateful for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity... it turned out to be much more; an unforgettable experience from which I have taken more than I could have asked, and which has helped me more than I could have hoped." - Stephen

£750 per person. £100 reduction for non-participating partner sharing participant's room. 5% discount for early booking (-20 weeks before course dates). 5% returning client discount. Single occupancy supplement: £75.

Just 15 minutes from Carcassonne in the Languedoc Roussillon region of South-West France, we provide exclusive, villa-based arts, cookery, corporate and leisure group breaks for people who are searching for a European holiday with a different approach; people who place a premium on superior quality of accommodation and personal service.

The spacious 8-bedroomed country house with beautiful views of the Pyrenees is close to the Canal du Midi – ideal for an invigorating cycle-ride or stroll. It has a large private swimming pool, a tennis court and a boules pitch. Smart, roomy bedrooms are double or triple-sized. All the ensuite bedrooms are individually-designed and air-conditioned. Towels and linen are provided and each room has a hairdryer, CD player and coffee-making facilities.

The house has a wireless internet connection (for which we make a small charge if you wish to make use of it). As well as our swimming pool, all-weather tennis court and boules-drome, we have a games room with pool-table and 1950s juke box. Guests may borrow our bicycles. A chauffeured private wine-tasting outing to a nearby vineyards is included in the price.

Help and advice can be given if guests are staying in the region and require information about places of interest - for example, the "Holy Grail" hillside town of Rennes le Chateau (inspiration for Dan Brown's "De Vinci Code" book) or the many hilltop stronghold castle sites of Cathar resistance in the 13th Century are less than an hour's drive.

You might want to spend your French House Party free time chilling-out. Explorers, on the other hand, will find plenty to see and do further afield. This beautiful part of the Languedoc, centred on the medieval castle stronghold city of Carcassonne, has a rich artistic, literary, culinary and historic heritage.

This is a geographical region of many personalities: plains and magnificent mountains, lakes and breathtaking gorges, elegant cities, numberless sprawling vineyards, hot-scented sunflowers in field after field. The Canal du Midi is very close to the house and we enjoy fantastic views of the Pyrenees, which can still be white-capped, even into May. This region is steeped in the bloody history of the Cathar genocide by the Pope's Crusaders in the 13th Century and there are numerous preserved hilltop castles within easy reach, the jewel in the crown being the astonishing Cité of Carcassonne.

We have splendid local wines (Minervois and Corbieres are said to be de rigueur for the Noughties). Wine-sampling during escorted private vineyard visits, is - naturally - a French House Party included highlight. We are only 20 minutes from Carcassonne Airport and an hour from the beaches of the Mediterranean. The nearest large town is Castelnaudary, the birthplace of "Cassoulet" (a sort of bean casserole). This busy old town has bars, restaurants, plenty of shops, a weekly market and regular festivals.

Even closer is the small town of Bram, site of a Cathar stronghold until 1210 when it fell to Papal Crusaders during the massacre of the Cathars. Toulouse is 45 minutes away to the west and Albi, birthplace of the artist Toulouse-Lautrec, about 90 minutes' drive north.

Fly to Carcassonne (Ryanair) from various UK airports - 15-minute journey from airport to house. Fly to Toulouse (various carriers) - 45-minute journey from airport to house. We also pick up from the railway stations in these two cities.