ONLINE WORKSHOPS

WOVEN VOICES

Ancient Songs from Southern Italy - Autumn Edition

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 your relationship with your own voice.

4th November – 9th December 2026

Wednesdays · 10:30 AM PST / 1:30 PM EST / 7:30 PM CET
(Recordings available)

6 live sessions · 75 minutes each · Recordings and learning materials included · All voices welcome

Join us

€ 145.00 €180.00

These ancient songs invite vocal freedom and emotional expression, offering a powerful way to connect more deeply with ourselves 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 traditional solo and polyphonic songs from Central and Southern Italy

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

Explore your natural voice and vocal freedom

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 PDF with song lyrics, translations and source information

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

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

Learning through listening

The songs are passed on through listening, repetition and direct vocal exchange, in keeping with oral tradition rather than relying on written scores.

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.

Watch a short clip from our previous course!

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, when a woman from Hawaii asked us to lead an online singing session for her community.

From that experience, we realised that it was possible to create a deep sense of connection that transcends both physical distance and the boundaries of the screen, 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 -

(Recordings available)

  • We will learn polyphonic and monophonic songs from different regions of Central and Southern Italy (from Sardinia to Puglia and everywhere in between!), exploring a variety of traditional repertoires: work songs rooted in rural and agricultural life, canti all’aria, love songs, olive-harvesting songs, sacred songs associated with religious celebrations, and more.

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

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

  • After each session, you will have access to a recording of the full session, a separate recording of the song with individual vocal parts isolated, and a PDF with lyrics, translations 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

  • The workshops are held in English. The songs are taught in their original languages and dialects.

  • All sessions take place live on Zoom. You'll receive the link by email before each workshop.

  • The full package of 6 sessions costs 145€.

  • Not at all! Everyone is welcome, whether you're an experienced singer or simply curious to explore your voice and discover traditional singing.

  • Yes! All sessions will be recorded, so you can join live or watch the recordings at your own pace. Recordings will remain available until the end of January 2027.