ONLINE WORKSHOPS

WOVEN VOICES

Ancient Songs from Southern Italy - Autumn

Golden watercolor sun with radiating golden lines on a black background.

A six-week journey through the traditional songs of Central and Southern Italy — meeting once a week to sing together, reconnect with your roots, and deepen the relationship with your own voice.

We’ll explore a variety of traditional repertoires and singing practices, including work songs connected to rural and farming life, canti all’aria, love songs, sacred songs connected to religious festivals, and more.

4th November – 9th December 2026

Wednesdays @ 10:30am PDT / 1:30pm EDT / 7:30pm CEST
(recording available)

Join us

These ancient songs invite vocal freedom and emotional expression, offering a powerful way to connect deeply with oneself and others.

  • Thank you very much for the series. You are both wonderful teachers, I feel very lucky to study with you, as the opportunity to find classes for these beautiful songs outside Italy is so rare. I will definitely continue your classes for as long as you teach online!

    Monica B.

  • Thank you for bringing these songs to my heart. The thoughtful arrangement of material in accordance with the seasons was so wise. I just love learning in dialects and rhythmic schemes that push and tease the most out of my personal expression.

    Renee C.

  • I loved everything about this and can’t wait to continue with you.

    Nina S.

  • I have finally listened to all of the recordings of the spring classes and am listening to them on repeat. Each is so beautiful - thank you so much for sharing them with us.

    Tina O.

  • Thank you so much for such a wonderful class! I have been enjoying it so much. You both are incredible teachers. Thank you for sharing your gift as artists with us.

    Brooke P.

  • Maria and Francesco have created classes that are both accessible and inspiring, sharing popular Southern Italian songs that feel both timeless and timely. With the historical and regional context, lyrics, and source materials they provide, the learning continues long after the lesson is over.

    Monica Berini

  • Thank you for a beautiful session today. What an incredible song! The first time I heard you two singing it together, it literally brought tears to my eyes - so beautiful!

    Brooke G.

  • Avete dedicato così tanto impegno e pazienza all'insegnamento al nostro gruppo: ho imparato molto più di quanto immaginassi! Sono grata per l'opportunità di ascoltarvi e imparare da entrambi, è un vero piacere e non vedo l'ora che arrivi ogni settimana. È stato un workshop meraviglioso.

    Shay D.

  • Ero all’ultimo workshop che avete fatto qualche settimana fa. Volevo dirvi che mi è piaciuto tanto e sono molto felice di poter imparare da voi!

    Laura D.

  • Ciao ciao! Very glad to have found you. I live in Hawaii but I have Puglia roots via all my grandparents.

    Melissa R.

  • Such a fun class! Thank you so much.

    Sofia Y.

  • This first experience was amazing! Thank you so much! I look forward to more!

    Luce B.

What you’ll get

Golden watercolor sun with radiating rays on a black background.

Learn ancient songs in one or multiple voices from Central and Southern Italy

Gold watercolor sun with radiating gold lines on a black background.

Discover your free and natural voice

Gold sun with radiant rays on a black background.

Explore the cultural roots of these unique harmonies

Golden sun with radiating lines on a black background.

A short and effective warm-up to prepare your voice for safe and confident singing

Golden sun with radiating lines on a white background.

A free PDF including sources, lyrics, and translations of the songs

Illustration of a yellow sun with rays extending outward against a black background.

Access to the workshop recording, available if you miss it live or want to revisit the songs.

Watch a short clip from our previous course!

The songs are passed on through listening, repetition and direct vocal exchange, following an oral tradition rather than a written score.

We first listen to the melody several times, in small sections and as a whole, allowing it to settle naturally in the ear and in the body.

We then explore it through call and response, and, for those who wish, through individual work focused on each person’s timbre, vocal quality and way of producing sound.

A man and woman standing outdoors among trees, with the man holding a round, white drum while singing or speaking, and the woman listening attentively.
A man and woman standing outdoors among trees, with the man holding a round, white drum while singing or speaking, and the woman listening attentively.

Our work usually takes place in person, where we can physically feel the vibrations of the voices and the presence of bodies singing together.

Our journey into online workshops began unexpectedly, after a woman from Hawaii asked us to lead an online session for her community.

From that experience, we realised that it was possible to create a deep sense of connection that could transcend distance and the virtual space itself, through these songs and the powerful emotions they awaken in those who recognise something ancestral in their call.

What’s inside

6 live online workshops
- 75 minutes each -

(recording available)

  • We will learn polyphonic and monodic chants from different regions of Central and Southern Italy, work songs connected to rural and farming traditions, canti all’aria from Sicily and Abruzzo, olive-harvesting songs from Basilicata, and songs from Campania.

  • Each session will begin with a short vocal warm-up, followed by simple exercises in improvisation and vocal freedom.

  • At the heart of each meeting is the transmission of a traditional song.

  • After each meeting, you will have access to a recording of the full session, as well as a separate recording of the song with the individual vocal parts isolated, and a PDF with lyrics, translation and sources.

Join us

€ 145.00 €180.00

Ancient - Roots - Voice - Vibrations - Connection - Nature - Tradition - Freedom - Polyphony - Folk - Earth -

Ancient - Roots - Voice - Vibrations - Connection - Nature - Tradition - Freedom - Polyphony - Folk - Earth -

A woman with long brown hair and a man with dark hair and beard leaning against each other outdoors with greenery in the background.

Who is

The word 'Nìula' written in elegant cursive script.

Francesco Rina and Maria Sgro met in Rome in 2023 during workshops on traditional oral singing from Southern Italy, led by singer and multi-instrumentalist Davide Ambrogio.

With backgrounds in theatre, they came together to form Nìula — a duo that offers reinterpretations of the traditional oral music of Southern Italy and the wider Mediterranean basin.

Drawing from a repertoire of polyvocal songs, they compose original music that bridges the ancient and the contemporary, guiding audiences through ritual, festive, intimate, and cathartic soundscapes.

They lead concerts and singing workshops across Italy for both amateurs and professionals, focusing on the connective power of sound, the awareness of breath, and the rediscovery of each person’s unique voice.

Frequently asked questions

  • This offering is happening online through Zoom. The link to join will be sent the same day of the workshop.

  • The full package of 6 sessions costs 145€.

  • It’s open to anyone who’s curious about exploring this world — even if you think you can’t sing!

  • Yes, and the recordings will be available until the end of October 2026.

  • Yes! The Zoom recording will be available until the end of October 2026.