Here is a complete listing from the Somerset and Dorset Folk Diary. To receive regular updates to this listing, along with other news items, please subscribe.
Regular events, such as music sessions and dance clubs are listed separately here.
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An evening of much-loved favourites and celebrations with the pioneers of folk-rock.
1970 would prove to be a vintage year for music and the start of an era that would change the world. For Steeleye Span – formed the year before – it would mark a major milestone. The band released their debut album Hark The Village Wait, a record that would not only launch one of the most enduring stories in the folk world and beyond but also come to influence further generations of artists.
Five decades on and the band, led as ever by the iconic vocals of Maddy Prior and with a seven piece line-up featuring some of the most skilled musicians on the UK folk scene, their 50th anniversary tour will be a celebration of the key tracks from that famous album as well as favourites and gems from their long and famous career.
7:30PM
Ticket Prices Full Price from £27.50
https://www.thebrewhouse.net/?event=steeleye-span-the-50th-anniversary-of-hark-the-village-wait
The Gigspanner Big Band are a unique force in British folk music. Their high-energy, virtuosic performances appeal equally to traditionalists and to those looking for something more experimental, and they have garnered praise from publications as varied as fRoots, The Telegraph and The Wire, where they were described as ‘melodically folk-rooted yet open and innovative beyond the constraints of genre’
Beginning life as a trio - with Steeleye Span’s fiddle player Peter Knight being joined by percussionist Sacha Trochet and guitarist Roger Flack - the line-up has been expanded to form the Gigspanner Big Band, with acclaimed multi-instrumental duo Edgelarks (Phillip Henry and Hannah Martin - BBC Folk Awards 'Best Duo') and Bellowhead co-founder and melodeon player extraordinaire, John Spiers, joining the fray.
As collaborations go, it doesn't get much more mouth-watering than this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDJR_vPdoDw
While Peter Knight, as part of Steeleye Span’s classic 1970s line-up, helped invent a brand of folk rock that is still influential today, John Spiers, has had an equally profound impact on the landscape of traditional music over the last two decades.
Characterised by riotous inventiveness, technically gifted individual playing and subtle collaborative interaction, this coming together of several of the biggest names on the folk-roots scene, combines a deep knowledge of roots traditions with a ceaselessly boundary pushing approach.
£22.00
7.30 pm
https://tickets.cedarshallwells.co.uk/events/36773/gigspanner-big-band
The Gigspanner Big Band are a unique force in British folk music. Their high-energy, virtuosic performances appeal equally to traditionalists and to those looking for something more experimental, and they have garnered praise from publications as varied as fRoots, The Telegraph and The Wire, where they were described as ‘melodically folk-rooted yet open and innovative beyond the constraints of genre’
Beginning life as a trio - with Steeleye Span’s fiddle player Peter Knight being joined by percussionist Sacha Trochet and guitarist Roger Flack - the line-up has been expanded to form the Gigspanner Big Band, with acclaimed multi-instrumental duo Edgelarks (Phillip Henry and Hannah Martin - BBC Folk Awards 'Best Duo') and Bellowhead co-founder and melodeon player extraordinaire, John Spiers, joining the fray.
7.30 pm
UnreservedE-TICKET £22.00
+ £2.20 handling
https://tickets.cedarshallwells.co.uk/events/36773/gigspanner-big-band
One of the finest guitarists in the world is joined by a technically outstanding melodeon player for this very special concert of folk and more.
Martin Simpson
40 years after he recorded his first album, Golden Vanity, in 1976, Martin is known as a guitarist of formidable talent. Equally at home playing English traditional folk, American folk and blues and his own compositions, he is consistently named as one of the very finest fingerstyle guitar players in the world.
He is listed in Gibson Guitars’ Top 30 Acoustic Guitarists of all time, and Acoustic Guitar readers voted him number 12 guitarist in the world in 2005.
Universally acclaimed as one of the finest ever acoustic and slide guitar players, and a fine banjo-picker to boot, his solo shows bear witness to an artist at the very top of his game. Whether interpreting material from tradition or singing his own potent self-penned songs, Simpson is a remarkable storyteller: captivating and profoundly moving. His own songwriting produced the poignant ‘Never Any Good’, from Prodigal Son, 2007’s Folk Album of the Year.
Andy Cutting
A musician’s musician (BBC Radio 2 Folk Award Winner Best Musician 2008, 2011 & 2016), Andy Cutting is a soulful and technically outstanding melodeon practitioner with an ear for a fine tune. Many of his tunes have been purloined along the way: some considered contemporary classics on the folk scene. But then, Andy is also a warm and emotive performer, modestly engaging his audiences with his self-deprecating wit and then flooring them with downright staggering musicianship. There are few melodeon players who put so much feeling into their playing, whether it is a set of dance tunes, or accompaniment to a slow English ballad.
Andy has been consistent musical force since he came swiftly to prominence with the innovative Blowzabella. As well as a thorough grounding in the English tradition, Andy’s influences extend way beyond these isles, particularly to the music of Central France and to the storming Quebecois tradition. These influences will be well-known to all those familiar with Andy’s duo with English fiddle player, guitarist and singer, Chris Wood. Wood & Cutting became one of the most influential, and enduring, duos on the scene; paving the way for the explosion of many of today’s thrusting young newcomers.
With support act to be announced
Bar opens 7:00 P.M.
Starts 8:00 P.M.
Advance £19.00
On the door £25.00
10% off for members
Ticket includes £1 restoration levy
Unreserved Seating
Tickets available from the Marine (Mondays and Fridays only), Bridport Tourist Information centre, online here, & over the phone on 0333 666 3366
Booking fee may apply
https://www.marinetheatre.com/martin-simpson-and-andy-cutting/
Two amazing fiddle players, Tom Kitching and Ben Paley are coming to Halsway to lead an immersive study weekend aimed at experienced fiddle players who wish to expand on their skills and deepen their personal style. Rowan Rheingans is no longer able to come along to this weekend so we are delighted that Ben has agreed to join this years’ team. Together you’ll learn new repertoire together, exploring ways to further develop tone, technique, musicality and style.
We’ll be a select group, allowing for individual attention as well as full group and smaller ensemble work. You’ll have time to relax and play in the bar in the evenings, with an informal performance from Tom & Ben too.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/advanced-fiddle-weekend/
We’re delighted to welcome Becki Driscoll to lead this new weekend, aimed at helping beginner fiddle players who are getting started on their musical journey. You might have just got your instrument and be raring to go, or maybe you’ve been trying for years without getting very far… this weekend will help you get the basics right, and give you a plan for your continued learning. You’ll learn some simple tunes and exercises to help you develop technique and confidence, with plenty of advice and support from Becki along the way.
You’ll be sharing the manor with another, more established group of fiddle players who will be studying with Tom Kitching; you’ll get a chance to hear all the tutors perform in an informal Saturday night concert.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/folk-fiddle-for-beginners/
Barn dance
All welcome - no experience needed. You don't have to come with a partner. No bar, so bring your own drinks & nibbles.
£6 under 16s free
7.15 for 7.30 - 9.30
Contact Sally Condon: 01300 348250
riverpiddle2 AT btinternet.com
'Magellan Circumnavigation'
'We Sail to Prove the Earth is Round'
£12 under 18s £5
7.30 pm
Contact Jan Griffiths: 01305 889738
More details later
https://bridgwaterartscentre.co.uk
In 1995, Christine Collister, Melanie Harrold, Julie Matthews, Helen Watson and Chris While – acclaimed and appreciated for their individual talents as Folk, Blues, Rock and Soul singers – found themselves at the Cambridge Festival. They decided to sing some songs together….. Magic happened and Daphne’s Flight took off. A widely-acclaimed eponymous studio album and UK tour followed, with a prestigious date at London’s Union Chapel – all of which marked a turning point in the role of women within the English Folk movement.
Five of the finest singer-songwriters of their generation, Daphne’s Flight is a unique and magical blend of individual styles that captivates audiences with complex harmony arrangements, unbridled energy and the infectious joy of performing together.
Tickets: £19 Full. £18 Concessions.
8.00 pm
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/daphnes-flight/
3.00pm - 5.45 pm.
£5 per person.
Bring and share tea. No partner necessary.
For more information: Jan Harris 01202 427523. janharris16 AT hotmail.co.uk.
Guy Davis is a hugely talented, Grammy nominated Blues artist who has been touring and making records for over 40 years. He combines guitar, banjo and harmonica with gritty vocals and heartfelt lyrics. He is also an Emmy-winning actor, author and teacher.
£15 advance /£18 on door
https://www.wegottickets.com/event/537099
6:45 pm (doors) / 7:30 (performance)
Contact Helen Leary
hlleary AT hotmail.co.uk
www.caryfordhall.co.uk
The Gigspanner Big Band are a unique force in British folk music. Their high-energy, virtuosic performances appeal equally to traditionalists and to those looking for something more experimental, and they have garnered praise from publications as varied as fRoots, The Telegraph and The Wire, where they were described as ‘melodically folk-rooted yet open and innovative beyond the constraints of genre’
Beginning life as a trio - with Steeleye Span’s fiddle player Peter Knight being joined by percussionist Sacha Trochet and guitarist Roger Flack - the line-up has been expanded to form the Gigspanner Big Band, with acclaimed multi-instrumental duo Edgelarks (Phillip Henry and Hannah Martin - BBC Folk Awards 'Best Duo') and Bellowhead co-founder and melodeon player extraordinaire, John Spiers, joining the fray.
As collaborations go, it doesn't get much more mouth-watering than this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDJR_vPdoDw
While Peter Knight, as part of Steeleye Span’s classic 1970s line-up, helped invent a brand of folk rock that is still influential today, John Spiers, has had an equally profound impact on the landscape of traditional music over the last two decades.
Characterised by riotous inventiveness, technically gifted individual playing and subtle collaborative interaction, this coming together of several of the biggest names on the folk-roots scene, combines a deep knowledge of roots traditions with a ceaselessly boundary pushing approach.
£24/£22
8.00 pm
Phone: 01984 623308
jbond36086 AT aol.com
https://www.silverstreetsessions.co.uk/index.html
An informal concert by our three Spring Fiddle Weekend tutors: Tom Kitching, Ben Paley and Becki Driscoll.
£12 adult
8.00 pm
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/fiddle-gig/
The Salts are one of the most exciting and energetic concepts around performing original material alongside their own interpretations of traditional songs we all know and love. Their latest album ‘ Brave’ received rave reviews across the board with radio plays all over the UK and abroad. The band features five seasoned musicians collectively performing a mixture of instruments as well as great harmonies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXYfaZjp7Mk
8pm
Tickets: £15
https://www.bridgwaterartscentre.co.uk
Workshops are led by Julia Catovsky, who will teach tunes and harmonies by ear. The workshops are suitable for all levels and all acoustic instruments. Notation and audio supplied. Everyone is welcome!
1:30 - 4:30 pm
Admission: £10 on the door. Cheaper in advance via the website
info AT sherbornefolkband.org
Julia: 07527 508 277
www.sherbornefolkband.org
Concert in aid of refugees
A concert in a marquee (please bring a chair if possible and food/drink if you like). The first half will feature renowned sitar player Ricky Romain and the second half will feature the amazing multi-instrumental Folk Band 'Teasing The Cat' who will be playing music from England, Ireland, France and beyond and will be joined, as they were last year, by some absolutely excellent guests. Last year's Music In The Meadow was both a wonderful event and something that raised a substantial sum for refugee charities. Once in the village, follow signs for 'Art in the Secret Garden'!
£10 on the door or in advance
2.00 - 4.00 pm
Contact Amanda Khan-Davis: 01460 72553
atkhandavis AT gmail.com
https://teasingthecat.wixsite.com/teasingthecat
Judith Inman bids farewell as host to this, a long-running English dance weekend for experienced club dancers. (Rob Dawson and Jenny Leleux have volunteered to take over from next year.)
Judith has invited callers from the original Bucks weekend (Val and Ian McFarlane), present day (Diana Triplow), and Rob Dawson from the New Team! The guest caller is Ivan Aitken, who enjoys researching new dances but loves the old favourites! Music comes from Dampiers Round (Moira and Peter Gutteridge). They are regulars at Halsway and playing for dances and workshops around the country. Brian Heaton will also call-in to lead some longsword dancing!
Who’s it For?
The weekend is aimed at experienced dancers who enjoy traditional English style dancing, to improve on technique and working together.
Partnership Event
For more information and to book please contact Judith Inman:
Tel: 01628 486845
Email: judithinman AT btinternet.com
Daphne’s Flight was created 25 years ago by five of the leading singer songwriters of their generation - Chris While, Julie Matthews, Melanie Harrold, Helen Watson and Christine Collister.
Described as one of the most exciting vocal groups to emerge on the acoustic music scene, their energy on stage is matched only by their collective talents, Daphne’s Flight are unrivalled and sit firmly in a class of their own as singers, musicians and writers.
So it is with great anticipation that they will finally be touring the new album in the spring. For very personal reasons Christine Collister is unable to join them but Julie, Chris, Helen and Mel are delighted to welcome into the fold Miranda Sykes (Show of Hands) on vocals and double bass, adding yet another exciting new element to the band. Join them on what promises to be an unmissable return flight to the stage.
£18
Doors at 7pm for 7.30pm
Contact Eileen Bramley: 07816 832554
osmingtonmusic AT gmail.com
https://www.daphnesflight.com
For more than 50 years Martin Carthy has been one of folk music’s greatest innovators, one of its best loved, most enthusiastic and, at times, most quietly controversial of figures.
His skill, stage presence and natural charm have won him many admirers, not only from within the folk scene, but also far beyond it.
Trailblazing musical partnerships with, amongst others, Steeleye Span, Dave Swarbrick and his award-winning wife, Norma Waterson, and daughter Eliza Carthy have resulted in more than 40 albums, but Martin has only recorded 10 solo albums, of which the much anticipated Waiting for Angels (Topic TSCD527) was the latest.
Whether in the folk clubs (which he continues to champion), on the concert stage or making TV appearances (he was the subject of the acclaimed `Originals’ music documentary strand on BBC 2) – there are few roles that Martin Carthy hasn’t played. He’s a ballad singer, a ground-breaking acoustic and electric-guitarist and an authoritative interpreter of newly composed material.
He always prefers to follow an insatiable musical curiosity rather than cash in on his unrivalled position. Perhaps, most significant of all, are his settings of traditional songs with guitar, which have influenced a generation of artists, including Bob Dylan and Paul Simon, on both sides of the Atlantic.
8:00PM
Ticket Prices Standard from £15.00
https://www.thebrewhouse.net/?event=martin-carthy-2021
Weyland: Neil, Andy, Chris and Wendy, are a four-piece traditional folk band playing music from England and Ireland. Instrumentation includes Guitar, Bouzouki, Mandolin, Bass, Irish Flutes and Fiddles.
Owen Moore: A mix of country soft rock with catchy guitar melodies, drifting occasionally into something akin to '70s pop.
MC for the night is Paul Openshaw: Known for his poems and songs which can make you laugh or even cry.
8pm
Contact Pip: 07598 328479
pip_evans AT btinternet.com
www.bereregisfolk.com
Stringrays (USA) is an inimitable band of musicians fuelled by shared a love of the living tradition of New England fiddle music and its cousins. They’re three of the finest contradance musicians playing today, known for their dynamic, lyrical improvisation and fresh, dance-inspired interplay.
We’re delighted to welcome Rodney Miller (fiddle), Max Newman (guitar) and Stuart Kenney (banjo, bass), to lead this packed workshop weekend for musicians wanting to discover and explore New England fiddle music – and playing for dancing!
All instruments and levels welcome. You’ll learn some great repertoire, explore music and musicality as well as dance-focused accompaniment, with time for some instrument specific instrument support too. It will be fun while providing approachable challenges.
With Rachel Shapiro Wallace joining us for the weekend to give us a caller’s perspective, it would be rude not to include some dancing!
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/stringrays-musicians-weekend/
Kate Rusby, hailed as the ‘First Lady of Folk’ and a Mercury Music Prize to her name, has forged an impressive 30-year, headlining career.
2022 celebrates 30 years as a professional musician with a new album…
'30 : Many Happy Returns' to be released in May 2022
Audiences will be treated to Kate’s AT 30 interpretations of her songs. As ever, joined on stage by her band, each a virtuoso in their own right including her husband and producer Damien O’ Kane.
7.30 pm
Tickets: £20.50 - £28.50
A £1.50 ticket levy is included in all stated ticket prices.
https://www.westlandsyeovil.co.uk/whats-on/music/kate-rusby/8463
Oysterband, the five-times BBC Radio 2 Folk Award-winning outfit that brought passion, power and not a little poetry to Folk and Roots music, enter their fifth decade as vital and creative as ever, with some of the finest songs in the modern Folk canon to their name: Put Out The Lights; When I’m Up (I Can’t Get Down); Blood Wedding; Everywhere I Go; The Oxford Girl; Granite Years; Native Son; A River Runs…..these and many others from their vast back catalogue will feature as they embark on another year of international touring and festivals.
Tickets: £24. No concessions
8.00 pm
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/oysterband-chance-to-dance/
An un-tutored course for experienced singers and players of early instruments. Non-fixed ensembles of recorders and viols form the main part of the week with a variety of small singing groups depending on participants. Evening sessions for all are conducted and include music for instruments and voices. All of these sessions are at 440 pitch. We usually have harpsichords available and arrange chamber groups at 440 and 415 and are also able to welcome baroque oboe, flute, and violin as second instruments. Cornett, cornamuse, sackbut, curtal and crumhorn are also welcome as second instruments and we can usually arrange sessions for these. The repertoire is primarily renaissance and baroque.
Partnership Event
For more information and to book please contact:
Email: vvr-association AT hotmail.com
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/voices-viols-recorders/
A brand new weekend of dance at Halsway! Popular, energetic and great fun, we’re delighted to be introducing this Contra Weekend, hosted by Gareth Kiddier (of the English Contra Dance Band no less), and led by a team of some of the most outstanding new talent on the UK scene.
Charlie Turner and Jake Wood are two of the most exciting contra callers in the new wave. Musicians from Contrasaurus – some of the brightest players on the dance scene at the moment – will provide the music. Together they’ll give you a high-energy experience of contra dance to vibrant, inventive music.
Expect a weekend packed with workshops and dancing: an immersive, joyful contra experience!
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/contra-weekend/
Murphys Lore, The Wight Hot Pies, The LeftOvers, Amy and the Raven, David Gordon and more.
Free Folk Festival
Various sessions in Pubs on Friday 4th & Saturday 4th June. Morris Dancing around the Town Saturday and Sunday 5th June there will be Stage acts featuring various Bands and Musicians including, Murphys Lore, The Wight Hot Pies, The LeftOvers, Amy and the Raven, David Gordon and more. The Tree Fellas Ceilidh Band will finish with Dancing in the Square. The Survivors pub session at the Sailors Return after the Ceilidh in the square.
Contact Martin
info AT wessexfolkfestival.com
https://www.wessexfolkfestival.com
This dynamic three piece (whistles, guitars and more, percussion) have got audiences listening and dancing for over five years. With a repertoire from across Europe and beyond they bring a new slant to traditional and modern tunes.
Free
7.30 pm
Contact Rick Potter: 07479 532159
rick.potterguitar AT gmail.com
Back to the 1780’s! If it sounded good then, why not today?
WÖR (pronounced ‘were’) is a band of five musicians whose curiosity, passion and talent has led to a niche goldmine of melodies in stunning contemporary arrangements. With their finely textured arrangements, WÖR inject new energy into 18th-century melodies from the Flanders region of Belgium. Their music shines an inventive spotlight, with a modern twist, on the melodies in these manuscripts.
Tickets: £18 Full. £17 Concessions
8.00 pm
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/wor/
All visitors are expected to comply with our Covid Guidance, click here for details.
Join host Roger Phipps and friends at our informal Music and Song session. We usually meet on the first Sunday of each month at 8pm.
Open to all singers and musicians – or you are welcome to just come and have a drink and listen. We have a folk theme, but really all types of acoustic music, song and poetry are welcome. We generally combine some playing together with some individual spots. We don’t frown on you having your words or music in front of you and we encourage beginners.
There’s no admission fee; we generally ‘pass the hat’ for donation to Halsway.
Just come along, or give Roger a call on 01278 671685 if you’d like to know more.
8pm–10:30pm
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/halsway-sunday-club-8/
Rough Assembly & Other Live Bands
Bring your own picnic and rugs. Cake stall.
By Donation
2.00 - 4.30 pm
Contact Sue Wilkinson: 01308 425037
sue.traidcraft AT btinternet.com
www.bridportmillenniumgreen.co.uk
[[Note: I suspect that not all the 'other live bands' will fit into the SaDFolk remit! - Steve]]
By the time John Spiers and Jon Boden had hung up their highly regarded hats as the Spiers & Boden duo in 2014, they had earned a place in the hearts of the folk audience that few could rival.
Described by The Guardian as ‘the finest instrumental duo on the traditional scene’, Spiers & Boden first rocketed onto the music scene in 2001, quickly winning a clutch of BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and went on to become one of the best loved duos on the English folk scene and beyond.
John and Jon also founded and fronted the pioneering and hugely successful folk big band Bellowhead, whose stellar career increasingly came to dominate their time. But now, after exploring solo projects, the duo is back with the album ‘Fallow Ground’ (Hudson Records), plus festival appearances and a 23 date UK comeback tour.
7:30PM
Ticket Prices Standard from £20
https://www.thebrewhouse.net/?event=spiers-boden
The good Doctor Martin Carthy and his twice Mercury nominated daughter Eliza Carthy, join forces to perform songs. Martin is a legendary ballad singer and guitarist who influenced a generations of artists, including Bob Dylan and Paul Simon, while Eliza has been twice-nominated for the Mercury Music Prize and a multiple-award winner at the BBC Radio Two Folk awards.
For more than 50 years Martin Carthy has been one of folk music’s greatest innovators, one of its best loved, most enthusiastic and, at times, most quietly controversial of figures. His skill, stage presence and natural charm have won him many admirers, not only from within the folk scene, but also far beyond it. Trailblazing musical partnerships with, amongst others, Steeleye Span, Dave Swarbrick and his award-winning wife (Norma Waterson) and daughter Eliza Carthy have resulted in more than 40 albums, but Martin has only recorded 10 solo albums, of which the much anticipated Waiting for Angels (Topic TSCD527) was the latest.
Eliza Carthy is undoubtedly one of the most impressive and engaging performers of her generation. Twice nominated for the Mercury Prize and winner of innumerable other accolades over a 20 year career, Eliza has performed and recorded with a diverse array of artists including, Paul Weller, Rufus and Martha Wainwright, Patrick Wolf and Bob Neuwirth. More than most, Eliza Carthy has revitalised folk music and captured the most hardened of dissenters with intelligent, charismatic and boundary-crossing performance.
Eliza has been the subject of an hour long ITV documentary (‘Heaven & Earth’) and ‘My Music’ on Channel 5. Comedian and writer Stewart Lee describes Eliza as “Not the Messiah, but a very naughty girl”.
With support from Anna Ling
Singer-songwriter Anna Ling is an engaging performer with distinctive, poetic songs. Her early musical education came from the Scottish fiddle tunes and folk songs of her parents, and a passionate interest in Alt/Folk and World Music. She studied Bulgarian singing at SOAS, Classical Indian singing, and guitar in Cuba. She is currently living in Devon and recording her first full length album.
Bar opens 7:00 P.M.
Starts 8:00 P.M.
Advance £20.00
On the door £23.00
10% off for members
Unreserved Seating
Tickets available from the Marine (Mondays and Fridays only), Bridport Tourist Information centre, online here, & over the phone on 0333 666 3366
Booking fee may apply
https://www.marinetheatre.com/martin-and-eliza-carthy-postponed/
A relaxed evening of music and song from two of France’s finest musicians.
Emmanuel and Didier have played and sung together since 1975, and are both outstanding and entertaining performers. Emmanuel is one of France’s finest players of both the melodeon and concertina, while Didier is also a superb fiddler and also plays equally well mandolin, boha (Gascon) pipes and guitar. Both are wonderful singers.
The evening will include French traditional music with tunes from the south west, central massif and bretagne, together with original songs and compositions.
8pm–9:30pm
£12 - Adults
£6 - Concessions
Concessionary priced tickets are available to children and students - of any age - in full-time education.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/didier-oliver-emmanuel-pariselle/
As part of their Choral Song Weekend, Paul Sartin and Çiğdem Aslan invite you to join them for an informal sharing evening of song. Alongside performances by Paul & Çiğdem, the course participants will perform ensemble pieces they’ve worked on over the weekend, with spots also available for solo / duo singers from the group who want to share something. Expect a relaxed and enjoyable evening of song – then join us in the bar for a drink and a song or two!
Paul Sartin is a singer, oboist, fiddler, member of Belshazzar’s Feast, Faustus (Preis der Deustchen Schallplattenkritik 2017) and the late BBC award-winning Bellowhead. He was a Choral Scholar at Magdalen College, Oxford, then subsequently a Lay Clerk at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, and preferred Bass Deputy in Winchester Cathedral Choir. Paul directs the Andover Museum Loft Singers, and arranged Community Choirs Folk (Faber Music). A BASCA-nominated composer, recent commissions include work for the BBC, RSC, Aldeburgh Music, and the Southbank. He arranged and MD’d The Transports (Guardian *****), and Anthony and Cleopatra, As You Like It and Cymbeline for Central School of Speech and Drama. He is a recipient of a 75th Anniversary Award from the English Folk Dance and Song Society.
Çiğdem Aslan is an Istanbul-born singer who sings in many languages and regional styles, including Turkish, Kurdish, Greek, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Romany and Ladino. She studied English Literature at Istanbul University, before studying music at Goldsmiths College, London.
She has released two acclaimed albums; her debut album ‘Mortissa’ in October 2013 (shortlisted ‘Best Album’ of 2013 by fRoots and Songlines Magazine, ‘Best Artist’ for Songlines Music Awards 2014, and winner of the prestigious “Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik/ German Record Critics Award”). Second album ‘A Thousand Cranes’ followed in October 2016.
8pm
£12 - Adults
£6 - Concessions
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/paul-sartin-cidgem-cigdem-aslan-friends/
The 2022 festival (our 40th Birthday) will be our biggest and best yet.
Events will be announced soon.
Early bird tickets are now available at £65 for the weekend.
https://wimbornefolk.co.uk
We are delighted to be hosting the prestigious 2022 British Banjo, Mandolin and Guitar Federation Summer School. Choose from 3 courses – Classic Finger-style 5-string Banjo with Aaron Jonah Lewis; Mandolin & Guitar with Barbara Pommerenke-Steel; Mixed Instruments with Nick Wyke – and let us know your choice when booking.
Who’s it For?
Three courses are on offer; please let us know when booking which course you would like to enroll on.
Aaron Jonah Lewis: Classic 5-String Banjo – This class will focus on the improvement of technique and musicianship in classic banjo playing through the study of various pieces and exercises. We will concentrate on tone and clarity, rhythm and timing, phrasing and dynamics, and we will discuss various practice methods. We will explore both solo and ensemble playing and look into how to create your own arrangements for the banjo. Standard music notation will be used, and music will be available beforehand. This course is suitable for both the beginner (with a sound basic knowledge of the instrument) as well as the more advanced student and is open to all players of 5-string banjo regardless of the style normally played, bearing in mind that strings will be played using fingers, not plectrum or finger-picks.
Barbara Pommerenke-Steel: From Dots to Music – Making Music come Alive – This course will focus on three different pieces of music arranged or composed for mandolin and classical guitar. After playing the notes written on the page, we will spend time exploring the musical and technical aspects of the pieces to make them our own, and determine how to achieve the best possible performance. Music will be available beforehand and will be arranged in different parts to make it accessible to players of different standards. This course is open to mandolin family instruments and classical guitar and will be suitable for intermediate to advanced players. Bass (guitar/ukulele) players are also welcome.
Nick Wyke: Transatlantic Strings – Folk, Bluegrass & Old-time Music (for mixed stringed instruments)
This course will explore the wealth of traditional music from both sides of the Atlantic; from Irish jigs to Canadian reels; from English hornpipes to American waltzes. We’ll be investigating the style and feel of all this different music, looking at their similarities and differences, and learning about how they relate to other music styles, from classical to jazz. It is open to mixed strings from both the plucked and bowed families, including mandolin, banjo, guitar, violin and cello amongst others. Music will be provided in advance in the form of notation with chord names. Tablature can be provided if required. Parts will be provided for players of varying abilities, but a good grasp of music reading, tablature or confident ear-learning would be an advantage, along with the ability to play some scales, tunes, chords or pieces confidently on your instrument as a minimum skill level.
If you have further queries about course content and the ability level required for each group, please contact:
BMG Federation course co-ordinator Sandra Woodruff, email sandra.woodruff AT virgin.net
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/british-bmg-federation-summer-school-2/
+ Bob Carter
Award winning Somerset singer-songwriter Reg Meuross is a regular visitor to Wessex Acoustic and always delights with a selection of his own songs about the environment, life, love and protests!
Support is from Wimborne based guitarist Bob Carter with a selection of classical guitar music, mixed with contemporary tunes.
£15 ONLY pre purchased or reserved
8.00 pm (doors open 7.45)
Contact Kathy Dunn: 01202 732239
kathy.dunn AT btopenworld.com
www.wessex-acoustic.co.uk
Reg is touring with songs of history, protest, love, loss, and legend from 14 releases as well as some brand-new songs from three forthcoming projects.
The breadth and depth of Reg Meuross’s material is unparalleled in contemporary Folk: songs about forgotten heroes, famous names, folk legends, the climate emergency, tales from the kitchen sink and news from the world stage; if something needs to be sung about then Reg Meuross has a song for it.
Meuross has the gift of being able to touch people through his songs and performance, painting pictures that remain with the listener long after the song has been sung.
Masterfully accompanying himself on his ’44 Martin six-string guitar, harmonica, tenor guitar, banjo and dulcimer, and captivating audiences with his beautiful tenor voice, witnessing a Reg Meuross performance is to experience a journey into the heart, soul and songs of one of England’s finest writers.
Tickets: £16 Full. £15 Concessions
8.00 pm
https://www.thedavidhall.com/event/reg-meuross/
English dances from the second half of the 1600s. Teaching & learning will include both easy dances and a bit of challenging French style. Then an hour of dancing for fun to excellent live music, finishing with a long tea-time.
All abilities welcome, and all ages including children if they can keep up with adult dances. Dancing is on first floor of Corn Exchange; there is a wheelchair-accessible lift.
Costume appreciated but not mandatory. Flexible, comfortable, well-fitting footwear is important.
Please bring your own refreshments including cold or hot drinks. Public parking: none at Town Hall, suggest you use pay-and-display near Waitrose, Library or Co-op and allow walking time.
£20. Enquire about concessions.
1.30 - 5.30 pm
Contact Ann Hinchliffe: 01935 472771
thedancingmaster AT outlook.com
https://historicaldance.org.uk/
A summer week of ballad singing with the fantastic Pete Coe, Brian Peters and Emily Portman. With practical singing workshops interspersed with presentations.
Pete Coe will explore the performance, sourcing and history of storytelling songs from the last four centuries. Pete, whose pedigree as a performer in the folk scene has few equals, will be joined by leading performer of traditional ballads Brian Peters, and BBC Folk Singer of the Year nominee Emily Portman.
We’ll explore the Child ballads, which include some of the most demanding and rewarding material for the performer in the folksong canon. We’ll sing some some of the ‘big songs’ that F. J. Child missed. We’ll also look at the broadside trade, once looked down on by collectors and archivists, but more recently acknowledged to be a source of many great ballads and wider song repertoire.
There will be classes on performance: how to approach the songs to best get the story across – including phrasing, diction, expression, etc. – and how to make the most of the melodies. Well hear some classic recordings to hear what can be learned from some of the great traditional singers of the past. and be offering advice on searching out new material to so you can develop your own interpretations and versions for performance. For those wanting to find out more about the background to the ballads and their collectors, we’ll have sessions describing Professor Child’s work, and the heyday of the broadside printers like Catnach and Harkness.
There will be a lot of singing! accompanied and unaccompanied. We’ll bring ballads and songs to add to your repertoire. For those who play an instrument there will be opportunity to prepare accompaniments that serve the song.
In addition to the classes they’ll be opportunity to raise your voice in song at evening sessions in the bar, to which we hope you might like to bring ballads of your own to share.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/ballads-and-voices/
After two years with no Petherton Folk Fest (due to Covid), this family day of fun and entertainment returns this year on Saturday 18th June – and it is totally free!
Folk musicians will perform in Petherton’s Market Square, The David Hall, The Brewer’s Arms, The Blake Hall and in St Peter and St Paul’s Church and its grounds. There will also be stalls and other attractions in and around Market Square.
The day will start at 10am with a parade by Morris dancers into the Square, where there will be music and dancing all day until 6.30pm.
Anquebus, a local contemporary Folk trio, will launch events on the stage in the Square and the duo, Mitchell & Vincent, are scheduled to begin a whole day of entertainment in The David Hall. The popular Dambuskers are also booked (again!) and will end the day with a gig in The Brewers Arms at 9pm.
There will be plenty of attractions for children – including Punch & Judy in the church grounds and entertainment by Tor Theatre and The BearCat Collective in The Blake Hall – as well as workshops for adults, given by Morris dancers.
The day will also feature some of South Petherton’s traditional events, such as The Ceremony of the Glove and Clipping the Church.
Full details of the programme can be found on the website: www.pethertonfolkfest.org.uk
3.00pm - 5.45 pm.
£5 per person.
Bring and share tea. No partner necessary.
For more information: Jan Harris 01202 427523. janharris16 AT hotmail.co.uk.
Leveret features three of England’s finest folk musicians – Andy Cutting, Rob Harbron, Sam Sweeney – in an acclaimed collaboration, and we’re delighted to welcome them back to Halsway.
Leveret’s music is firmly rooted in the English tradition but sounds fresh and new. With their albums New Anything and In The Round and over a long string of sell-out gigs, the trio have built a strong reputation as consummate musicians and captivating performers. Now they return with Inventions, a new album of original material that brings Leveret’s trademark groove, energy and intuitive playing to bear on a set of new tunes composed by the trio, three of today’s finest tunesmiths in the folk field.
8pm–10:30pm
£12 adult
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/leveret-gig-june-2022/
8:00 pm - 10:30 pm (Doors: 7:30pm)
Door Price: £12.00
Advance: £10.00
After a lifetime of becoming well-known for his virtuoso guitar skills, Kev turned to singing and songwriting at the age of 30. Before this, he had lacked the confidence to sing due to a stutter. Moving from his hometown of Northampton to Brighton gave him the inspiration to take his new musical path. The drastic change in musical direction was a risk, but he feels it was worthwhile because he knows that he wants to spend his life writing and performing his own music.
After years of hard work, fine-tuning, and carving out a name for himself doing what he loves, Kev was invited to New York to record his debut EP titled All You Need (2015). He performed on tour in the USA and the UK then returned to Brighton to pen the songs that formed his debut album Stories of the Sky (2017). Songs from the album were featured in Guitarist Magazine, Acoustic Magazine, and played on BBC Radio Sussex.
His second album, Modern Stories, was released February 28th 2020. Songs from this album have been played on BBC Radio 6 Music, BBC Radio Wales and many more national stations. Both of Kev’s albums were recorded with a Mercury-nominated producer in Brighton, UK and were supported by the Arts Council England.
www.kevminney.com
https://chapelarts.org/events/kev-minney/
+ Mel Langton
Taking chances on international travel, the delightful humourist, raconteur, singer-songwriter and all round lovely man that is Column Sands is back on our shores. It is a limited tour and we are privileged to be part of it.
Opening support is from East Anglia's Mel Langton.
£15 ONLY pre purchased or reserved
8.00 pm (doors open 7.45)
Contact Kathy Dunn: 01202 732239
kathy.dunn AT btopenworld.com
www.wessex-acoustic.co.uk
After a lengthy postponement we are absolutely delighted to announce the return of International folk legends Blowzabella to Halsway, for a second festival weekend.
If you can’t make the full weekend, you can come and enjoy a Saturday night Bal, featuring the mighty Blowzabella and special guests Les Poufs à Cordes (France).
The band prefer to play where people can dance, and we’ll have a big marquee on the Manor lawns for the occasion. Blowzabella play dance music composed and arranged by the band for a variety of English and European traditional dances. The dances are easy to pick up and you don’t have to be an expert to get involved, just have a go. Many people choose not to dance and come along to watch and listen – and that’s fine too. The variety of the arrangements and the mixture of unusual and more usual instruments provides plenty to enjoy whether you’re out there dancing or sitting on the side-lines and listening.
Accommodation in the Manor is full, and we are reserving campervan spaces for attendees of the full Blowzabella weekend – but we will have limited places for those wishing to bring tents and camp overnight and join us for breakfast in the morning.
7pm–11pm
Tickets will become available for this closer to the time - please check again in the New Year.
£15 - Adults
£6 - Under 18s
Limited places for camping will be available (tents only, campervan spaces are reserved for weekend participants).
£15 per person, inclusive of a big Halsway breakfast.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/bal-blowzabella-les-poufs-a-cordes-2022/
iFolk are a refreshingly good-humoured, talented, great-to-dance-to and above all FUN barn dance band.
Add in the occasional song and even a few morris jigs and a night with iFolk is one that people will talk about for years.
Doors 6.30 pm dancing 7.00-10.00
Tickets £15 standard £12 concession
https://www.pdsw.org.uk/whats-on/
Hosted by Meg Rose with guest Jackie Oates, a summer break at Halsway in which to share crafting skills, songs and stories.
The week presents a unique opportunity to develop your own textile projects in a supportive and convivial atmosphere, working with threads and yarns to stitch, weave, knot and knit whilst exploring related aspects of folk music, song and story telling. This is not an instructional course as such; presentations on various topics of interest and techniques are programmed throughout the week but the emphasis will be on learning from each other by show and tell.
Jackie will be with us for the week both as a performing artist and an enthusiastic crafter. She will give an informal evening concert for course participants and a day-time presentation of her Radio Ballad: ‘The Lacemakers; The Lost Art of Telling’.
There will be free time to walk and relax with evening sessions of music, singing and story telling. We appreciate that not everyone may wish to sing solo but will hopefully feel encouraged to join in the choruses.
Who’s it For?
The week is aimed at textile crafters and artists of any level of experience – complete beginners, happy hobbyists, dedicated professional and anyone in between – who would like a few days in a lovely setting to develop their craft project, share their skills and learn from others.
You do not have to be a singer, musician or storyteller, but if you are please bring your instruments, songs and stories to share – anything craft-related especially well received!
We would also like to make it absolutely clear that, while many of these crafts are associated with women and women’s work, ALL are welcome!
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/threads-and-yarns/
8:00 pm - 10:30 pm (Doors: 7:30pm)
£12.00
On stage, the group’s enthralling performances give audiences a sense of how much they love what they do; while on record, the band manages to explore their collective life experiences through songwriting and intricate instrumentation. While bluegrass is the undeniable foundation of the Prowlers music, the band manages to bend and squeeze the traditional form into a sound all their own.
With over 175 shows a year, the quartet has toured over 25 countries, often going to places traditional American music has never been.
The Prowlers nonprofit, Bluegrass Ambassadors, uses traditional American music as an educational foundation to talk about folk music and cultures all over the world.
The Henhouse Prowlers upcoming release, The Departure, features 13 original songs written and arranged by the quartet.
www.henhouseprowlers.com
https://chapelarts.org/events/henhouse-prowlers/
Bring your own instrument or borrow one from us courtesy of the The Reed Lounge.
The course will cover simple technique to ensure the best start to playing the accordion. The weekend will be taught by ear and with music. By the end of the weekend you should be able to play some simple tunes with both hands together, and have an idea of where to progress next.
There will be plenty of time for informal practice and time for individual assistance. The course runs alongside our course for players with Intermediate and above experience (details here). There will be informal evening sessions and a Saturday night tutors’ concert.
Who’s it For?
Those new to the accordion. Jane’s beginners’ accordion group is ideal for those who have little or no experience and would like a basic introduction to get started. We work from ear and from music. Non music readers may be able to learn by ear. If you’re unsure please get in touch. Music is not sent out in advance for Jane’s group.
If you are intermediate level or above we are running a separate workshop for you alongside this one (further information).
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/piano-accordion-course-2022-beginners/
An intensive weekend for piano accordion players of intermediate level and above. We are delighted to announce that “Accordion star” (The Guardian) Amy Thatcher has agreed to guest-tutor alongside our illustrious course-regulars Paul Hutchinson and Murray Grainger.
A packed programme of workshops will offer participants the opportunity to work with all three tutors, honing technique, repertoire and interpretation of folk tunes and accompaniment. There will be time for informal evening sessions and a Saturday night tutors’ concert.
The Reed Lounge will be providing a small trade stand with boxes to try as well as a range of spares and accessories.
Who’s it For?
This course is for intermediate and advanced players.
For this intermediate and above level course as a minimum requirement, you’ll need to know your way around the right hand and have an understanding of the left hand layout too. You’ll have a fair idea of rhythm, be able to follow at a reasonable pace, and be starting to think about musical style and how to control your sound. You’ll also need to be able to read music.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/piano-accordion-weekend-intermediate-advanced-2/
Old Baby Mackerel play high-energy, foot-stomping Bluegrass featuring a dizzying line-up of renowned musicians from some of the UK’s best folk, Americana and festival bands, including Artsreach favourites Flats & Sharps. The rhythmic sounds of fiddle, banjo, mandolin, guitar and double bass are sure to get knees bouncing and elbows swinging to the virtuosic sound of blistering solos and sweet harmonies. This summer let Old Baby Mackerel transport you back to the early 20th century and across the Atlantic to North America, where songs dramatised the small-town fascination with locomotion, the trials of murderous drunks and the veneration of whisky and bootleg liquor.
7:30pm
01258 880920.
£12, £5 u18s
www.artsreach.co.uk
An informal evening of music featuring the tutors from our Piano Accordion Weekend – Paul Hutchinson, Murray Grainger, Amy Thatcher and Jane Ward – plus some spots from course participants too. An entertaining celebration of all things accordion!
Paul Hutchinson studied piano and church organ before being persuaded at the age of 17 to take up the accordion and form a ceilidh band. Since then he’s become one of the best-known and in demand players on the folk scene – in the UK and beyond – as one half of duo Belshazzar’s Feast, with trio Hoover the Dog, Pagoda Project (with Karen Wimhurst), and PLF. Paul is a regular tutor and musician at Halsway Manor, and the accordion tutor for EFDSS at Cecil Sharp House.
Murray Grainger is one of Britain’s most influential and innovative accordionists. Whether working with the finest orchestras, pushing the boundaries with his traditional projects or teaching around the UK, Murray is at the forefront of the British accordion scene. Trained in the classical accordion at The Royal Academy of Music, Murray has been a tutor in both classical and folk accordion at Chetham’s School of Music, on Newcastle University’s Folk and Traditional Music course, and as the Director of Education for Young Musicians Stornoway. He is a regular tutor on Halsway Manor’s Accordion Weekend.
Amy Thatcher is a professional accordionist based in the North East of England. Her reputation as one of the UK’s leading folk accordionists, both as a performer and composer, is garnered from working with luminaries such as Kathryn Tickell, Sting and The Royal Northern Sinfonia, The Shee and Monster Ceilidh Band.
Jane Ward has been playing accordion for 50 years. She performed extensively around Europe as lead player in Jenny’s Accordionists, and played in Scottish, German and Polish bands before agreeing to play for a morris side 28 years ago and discovering folk music! Following in the footsteps of Karen Tweed and Paul Hutchinson, Jane Ward took up the baton to lead the irrepressible No.1 Ladies Accordion Orchestra in 2014.
8pm
£12 - Adults
£6 - Concessions
Concessionary priced tickets are available to children and students - of any age - in full-time education.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/gig-accordions-at-halsway/
Old Baby Mackerel play high-energy, foot-stomping Bluegrass featuring a dizzying line-up of renowned musicians from some of the UK’s best folk, Americana and festival bands, including Artsreach favourites Flats & Sharps. The rhythmic sounds of fiddle, banjo, mandolin, guitar and double bass are sure to get knees bouncing and elbows swinging to the virtuosic sound of blistering solos and sweet harmonies. This summer let Old Baby Mackerel transport you back to the early 20th century and across the Atlantic to North America, where songs dramatised the small-town fascination with locomotion, the trials of murderous drunks and the veneration of whisky and bootleg liquor.
7:30pm
01258 820458.
£10, £5 u18s
www.artsreach.co.uk
Ben Walker returns to Halsway Manor to lead a mid-week masterclass for intermediate and advanced level guitarists.
Together we will explore ways of arranging traditional folk tunes on the guitar, look at ways to arrange melodies and chords, and then put it all together to form a complete performance.
We’ll cover advanced guitar techniques, alternative tunings, whilst allowing for plenty of time to work at your own pace. There will also be the opportunity for 1-2-1 sessions with Ben who is one of the UK’s foremost acoustic guitarists.
Who’s it For?
Intermediate to advanced acoustic guitarists. It’s not suitable for beginners. Students should be familiar with fingerpicking: using the thumb and fingers to play the strings, rather than a plectrum. They should also be comfortable tuning the guitar, reading tablature and have an interest in learning instrumental arrangements.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/ben-walker-guitar-study-week/
Join Simon Mayor, one of the country’s finest mandolin players for this mid-week masterclass.
Simon’s January ‘Mandolin Workshop Weekends’ have been hugely successful and consistently prompt requests for more. This time it’s a smaller group, but a longer, mid-week gathering, suitable for intermediate and advanced players. There’ll still be some ensemble playing, but this will be a chance for students to share their performances and for Simon to offer personal critiques – as always, in an atmosphere of mutual support.
Simon will also cover all right & left hand techniques including position shifting, tremolo, decoration, tone production & more.
Who’s It For?
For Intermediate and Advanced level players – primarily mandolinists, but also mandola players, mandocellists and mandobassists (are there any out there?).
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/simon-mayor-mandolin-study-week/
This week runs alongside the Simon Mayor Mandolin Week and Ben Walker’s Guitar Study Week.
Singers of all abilities are invited to join Hilary & Janet to enjoy the pleasure of group singing as you discover the potential of your own voice. Explore the wealth of songs within the British folk tradition and take a peek beyond: ballads, sea shanties, lullabies, comic songs and more. You’ll be working largely ‘by ear’ with simple improvised vocal harmony but, for the more experienced, written parts for some songs will be available. As well as singing acappella the group will join Simon Mayor’s mandolinists for some joint pieces.
Hilary James and Simon Mayor are annual visitors to the idyllic Halsway Manor with popular weekends in January. This year we are adding a week long for those wanting a deeper dive into singing.
Hilary’s sister Janet Giraudo will be travelling from the South of France to join us for the week. Janet left for France over thirty years ago but the sisters still sing together, revisiting songs from early teenage forays into folk clubs. Janet will not be able to join us for the January 2023 weekend so this is a good opportunity to work with her.
Ben, Simon, Hilary and Janet will perform an informal concert on the Thursday evening.
Who’s It For?
Anyone with a desire to sing! You don’t have to have any previous experience for this course.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/two-sisters-song-week-2022/
Paul Sartin (Faustus, Belshazzar’s Feast) joins forces with Istanbul-born singer Çiğdem Aslan to lead a song workshop weekend exploring traditional song from different cultures.
Paul is well known in the UK as a singer, musician, composer and arranger; he will focus on songs of the British Isles, arranged for mixed voices. These will be taught by ear, so musical literacy is not a requirement. Listening skills, ensemble work, and performance matters will be addressed in Paul’s inimitable manner.
Drawing on her Middle-eastern background, Çiğdem will introduce songs with unfamiliar styles and rhythms (7/8, 9/8 or 10/8). She’ll teach lyrics in Turkish, Kurdish maybe even Greek, and talk about basic scales / maqam and maybe work on vocal improvisation and ornamentation.
Hosted by Meg Rose, expect a fascinating and enjoyable choral journey, with an informal sharing from tutors and participants on the Saturday evening.
Who’s it For?
Singers of all levels of experience are welcome. You do not need to be able to read music.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/choral-song-weekend/
A 3.30pm interview/Q & A session reflecting on aspects of Martin's 60 year career, followed by an 8.00pm concert. A unique opportunity to gain insights into a stellar career and the man behind it. Few performers have such a broad experience of folk music around the world as Martin, nor such a down to earth approach. Evening meal available by ordering in advance (01963 23301).
Interview £7, concert £15, combined £20
3.30 interview, 8.00 concert
Contact John Waltham: 01963 362890
jhnwaltham AT yahoo.co.uk
A Portrait of the South West Coast Path in Old Songs and New Words: an exciting collaboration between Raynor Winn and The Gigspanner Big Band, a collective of some of the most high-profile names on the British folk scene.
The Salt Path is Raynor Winn’s Sunday Times best-selling memoir of walking the South West Coast Path in its entirety…a walk that was an impulsive response to unexpected circumstances which left her and her husband, Moth, homeless.
It has won global praise for its ‘against all odds’ uplifting message, and its frank exploration of the reality of homelessness.
The Salt Path is one couple’s story, but such a well-trodden path must hold many more stories of loss, love and the natural world. Perhaps these stories could be found in the form of traditional songs and tunes that have been left behind and saved for us due to the diligence of song collectors such as Cecil Sharp (1859 to 1924) co-founder of the English Folk Dance & Song Society.
This seed of an idea has developed into an exciting collaboration between Raynor Winn and The Gigspanner Big Band, a collective of some of the most high-profile names on the British folk scene.
Together, Raynor and the Gigspanner Big Band will celebrate this “630 uninterrupted miles of coastline, crossing wild headlands with the calls of oystercatchers, and the smell of salt laden air ever present” (Raynor Winn ~ Ambassador of the South West Coast Path).
The Gigspanner Big Band are a unique force in British folk music...
Their high-energy, virtuosic performances appeal equally to traditionalists and to those looking for something more experimental, and they have garnered praise from publications as varied as fRoots, The Telegraph and The Wire, where they were described as ‘melodically folk-rooted yet open and innovative beyond the constraints of genre’
Beginning life as a trio – with legendary Steeleye Span fiddle player Peter Knight being joined by percussionist Sacha Trochet and guitarist Roger Flack – the line-up has been expanded to form the Gigspanner Big Band, with acclaimed multi-instrumental duo Edgelarks (Phillip Henry and Hannah Martin – BBC Folk Awards ‘Best Duo‘) and Bellowhead co-founder and melodeon player extraordinaire, John Spiers, joining the fray.
As collaborations go, it doesn’t get much more mouth-watering than this.
Raynor Winn
Raynor Winn is a long-distance walker and writer; her first book The Salt Path was a Sunday Times bestseller in 2018.
The Salt Path was shortlisted for the 2018 Wainwright Prize, and the 2018 Costa Book Awards in the biography category. The judges described it as “An absolutely brilliant story that needs to be told about the human capacity to endure and keep putting one foot in front of another.”
In May 2019 The Salt Path won the inaugural RSL Christopher Bland Prize. In September 2019 it was the number one bestselling book in UK independent bookstores.
Winn also writes about nature, homelessness and wild camping. Her second book Wild Silence was published by Michael Joseph in September 2020, and also became a Sunday Times bestseller.
Bar opens 7:00 P.M.
Starts 8:00 P.M.
Advance £25.00
Unreserved Seating
Tickets available from the Marine (Mondays and Fridays only), Bridport Tourist Information centre, online here, & over the phone on 0333 666 3366
Booking fee may apply
https://www.marinetheatre.com/saltlines/
Banding Together summer weekends provide advanced and fluent English concertina players with the opportunity to join with others of similar proficiency to play as a big concertina band. The music is varied and challenging but help with preparation is provided. The result is an electrifying big band sound!
Participants will still be expected to come well prepared and “band ready”, having spent time working on the music. Dots and resource materials are all emailed in advance.
Who’s it For?
Players must be fluent and confident on their instrument and read notation accurately. Preparation is essential. Music, together with audio files and practice guidance, is provided in advance. It is open to any English system concertina player who meets these criteria.
The Team
Banding Together weekends are organised by Junction 25 Concertina Band.
Music for Banding Together is sourced, arranged and led by J25 director Claire Wren.
Partnership Event
For details and booking of this partnership event please contact:
Claire Wren: bandingtogetherwithj25 AT gmail.com
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/banding-together/
I have always wanted to bring these guys to Nailsea. Top notch musicians, hugely entertaining and a lot of fun. My wish has been granted. Put it in your diary!!
Saltfishforty are a fresh and dynamic duo hailing from the Orkney Islands in the north of Scotland. Douglas Montgomery (fiddle/viola) and Brian Cromarty (songs/guitar/mandola) combine the rich traditional music of Orkney with original compositions. The powerhouse partnership have won a devoted following throughout the UK and beyond.
3.00pm - 5.45 pm.
£5 per person.
Bring and share tea. No partner necessary.
For more information: Jan Harris 01202 427523. janharris16 AT hotmail.co.uk.
After a decade long hiatus The Imagined Village are back on stage premiering here at the Electric Palace.
This will be a special warm up gig with members of the original line-up joined by Billy Bragg, the much-loved English music celebrity.
Doors 7pm / starts 8pm
£29 adv / £30 door
https://www.electricpalace.org.uk/
with Bridport Folk Dance Club and friends
As part of the Bridport Folk Festival, Bridport Folk Dance Club will be running a drop in open day. So if you want to practice playing for dance, calling, dancing or just love folk dance, come along!! Light refreshments available.
Donation for festival
10.00 am - 4.00 pm
Contact Michael Selley: 01308 863552
mandgselley AT btinternet.com
As part of the Bridport Folk Festival Bridport Folk Dance Club are sponsoring an evening of dance. So get your dancing shoes on and be there! There will be an opportunity to practice your moves in the afternoon at the WI Hall in North Street Bridport DT6 3JQ.
£10.00
7.30 - 10.30 pm
Contact M Selley: 01308 863552
mandgselley AT btinternet.com
An opportunity for young musicians from the South West and beyond to work with leading folk artists, to develop skills, confidence and creativity, and create a new performance piece.
Musician, composer and educator Becki Driscoll is back as our Creative Lead for 2022. For this week she’ll be joined by professional musician-tutors Matt Norman, Hannah Cumming, and Kate Griffin, with Kerrie Seymour also returning as Pastoral Lead.
We’ll be providing an immersive week of music, creativity and fun, in the beautiful and secluded surroundings of Halsway Manor. It will be intensive and challenging, but also supportive and fun! Young musicians will spend the week working together to learn, arrange and rehearse new repertoire, developing musical skills and performance technique, and creating their own interpretations of traditional material. The group will live, work and play together, with opportunities for informal rehearsals and social gatherings to enrich their experience and understanding of the folk arts.
The week will end with performances at Sidmouth Folk Week!
Who’s is it for?
This is a fun but intensive course for young people aged 12-18. Our Summer course is designed as a progression from our Spring Halsway Young Folk: Intro Week. You’ll need to have prior experience as a musician – any instrument is welcome – we’d recommend you need to be of a playing level of about grade 4 and upwards to get the most from the course. We’ll be teaching predominantly by ear, so if you’re used to reading music you’ll need to be prepared to give it a go! It’s not necessary to have prior experience of folk experience; it’s more important that you want to be creative, work collaboratively with others, and have fun creating a performance that everybody can be proud of.
How to Apply
Call us, or send on online booking enquiry. You’ll need to pay a deposit of £60 to secure your place; the balance is due 6 weeks before the course. Places are limited, and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
Once we’ve been in touch to confirm your booking, please complete this online Student Information Form to tell us about your musical experience and residential requirements. If you wish to share a room with friends there’s a space to request this on the form.
We do all we can to offer bursary places to young people with exceptional talent or for whom the opportunity would be especially beneficial, but whose financial circumstances would otherwise exclude them from the programme. Email chiefexec AT halswaymanor.org.uk if this is something you would like to discuss.
Full board (accommodation and all meals), tuition and all activities:
£245
Please note that transport to Sidmouth is NOT included; parents will need to collect participants on Saturday morning and accompany them to the Festival for the day.
Places are limited, and will be allocated on a first-come, first -served basis.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/halsway-young-folk-intermediate-2022/
Please complete the Participant Info Form once you have booked your place, thank you! See the website.
Sophie Renshaw and Lucy Russell, members of Trio Mythos, and Paul Hutchinson from Belshazzar’s Feast, join forces to lead a weekend designed for musicians from both classical and folk/trad backgrounds who wish to explore playing and arranging together. We will go on a journey of re-invention, using a range of music as the starting point for fresh new ideas. 17th Century dance music, to include Nicola Matteis and Henry Purcell, English and Scandinavian folk tunes, John Adams and others will inspire us to create our own original compositions or re-work old ones in small groups. An ability to read music will be helpful but is not essential.
Paul an experienced leader of courses at Halsway Manor and Benslow Music says:
“I will demonstrate various methods to breathe new life into even the dullest tune. It is my belief that the notes of a melody should be no more than ‘serving suggestions’. Focusing on rhythm, harmony and time signatures, expect some surprising results.”
Sophie, leading violist, arranger and chamber music player says:
“I love to take tunes from the folk/classical repertoire and invent ways to change them. I hope to share some of the discoveries I have made, and find new ones, together. I come to music primarily through harmony and rhythm and hope to bring more confidence to string players who find it difficult to orientate themselves, harmonically.”
Lucy, Leader of the Fitzwilliam String Quartet and leading Baroque Violinist:
“I find inspiration from the happy marriage between baroque and folk music. So much dance music is interrelated. Gutsy, playful, dynamic, free-spirited – you could be describing either genre! I love nothing more than to bring life to a simple tune, allowing it to evolve through experimenting with any ideas that arise; adding ornaments, new rhythms, extra notes…whatever you fancy. “
Paul, Sophie and Lucy met as a result of lockdown and when they sat down to play, it was as if there were no ‘boundaries’ and the ‘path’ was in fact the same one! Their collective enthusiasm and passion for music, matched by a curiosity to learn from each other, results in a delightfully fizzy freshness of approach which they are keen to share!
Who’s it For?
We’re aiming this course at musicians of a lower-Intermediate level and above (Grade 3 and upwards if you do ABRSM exams). The ability to read music will be an asset. With this team, players of strings and accordions will be exceptionally well-catered for, but players of other instruments (woodwind, brass etc) are very welcome too. Get in touch if you’re unsure.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/classical-folk/
Continuing the tradition set by the Guildford Folk Dance Club, and carried on by Shirley Williams, this enjoyable folk holiday has dancing at its heart, but with some changes to the schedule to provide more optional fun elements for those who want. Hosted by Gareth Kiddier, the team brings together caller Jane Thomas, musicians Richard Jones and Chris Jewell, plus their partners, for an enjoyable summer holiday in the beautiful Halsway setting.
Each morning will include two workshops, one for dance, one for another folk activity, which might be dance, song-based, or musical, depending on audience. There will be a 6pm sing before dinner, and dances every evening. The team will ensure fun events throughout, making use of the Manor and its lovely gardens for both indoor and outdoor activities. All activities are optional. There’s free time after lunch each day (packed lunches available if preferred) plus one day completely free, giving you time to explore the area, or to relax at the Manor.
Both the dance workshops and the evening dances will be of a professional standard both in terms of calling and music, and will include dances from across the UK. Novice dancers are welcome, while at the same time there will be sufficient quality and variety to entertain the more experienced dancer too.
Who’s it For?
Anyone wishing to enjoy a summer folk break at Halsway. No previous experience is necessary, though an enthusiasm for folk dance and activities is an advantage!
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/halsway-folk-holiday/
Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first-served basis.
Once we've been in touch to confirm your booking, please complete the online Student Information Form on the website to tell us about your musical experience and residential requirements. If you wish to share a room with friends there's a space to request this on the form.
Halsway Young Folk – Advanced course aims to challenge and inspire the next generation of professional folk musicians – could this be you?!
Led by Becki Driscoll you’ll work to develop your musical and performance skills. This is the course to do if you have aspirations of being a professional musician or educator, or are planning to continue your musical education at University.
Now in its fifth year, participants on previous years’ courses have created videos of their own new arrangements, and run festival workshops. This year we’ll be challenging our group to create a performance at Halsway from scratch, in only 5 days! You’ll choose the repertoire – from material you bring with you, and also from material created during the week – and rehearse together to create exciting performances that you can be proud of. You’ll be in good hands with lead tutor Becki Driscoll and Archie Churchill-Moss to guide you though the creative process.
Who’s It For?
For ages 16 – 21. You’ll be a competent musician (and maybe a singer too, though this is not essential), keen to work at a higher level. This is the course to do if you have aspirations of being a professional musician or educator, or are planning to continue your musical education at University. Or if you’re simply a good and experienced young folk musician who wants to spend a few days with like-minded people being creative and having fun with music, that’s fine too!
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/halsway-young-folk-advanced-2022/
Now in its fifth year, our popular Halsway Young Folk – Juniors is a great introduction to folk music and song for ages 7 – 11. Led by an experienced creative team – Becki Driscoll, Ford Collier, Matt Norman plus Pastoral Lead Kerrie Seymour – this short residential will be filled with fun and imaginative folk activities, using local traditions and customs as inspiration. Children will explore music and song, and create and perform a show for family and friends.
Arrive Wednesday at 11:00am. Finishing with a performance on Friday, family and friends welcome.
Who’s it For?
For young musicians aged 7 – 11. Any instrument, and any level of proficiency welcome. The main thing is that you enjoy music, song and dance, and being creative!
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/halsway-young-folk-juniors-2022/
An intensive weekend of singing with Ali Burns (Scotland), Brendan Taaffe (USA) and John Harrison (USA).
The tutors will bring new compositions each showcasing their own particular style. Friday’s workshop will begin at 5pm with a gentle introduction to the songs. After dinner we’ll have a short sing, leaving time for socialising and getting to know each other. Saturday will have around 6 hours of workshop followed by dinner and more social time. On Sunday we’ll have time to work on all the songs again before closing the weekend at 4pm.
Who’s it For?
The event is open to anyone with a passion for harmony singing. Whether you sing in a choir or down the pub, if you’re not a complete beginner to holding a harmony, you are welcome. Songs will be taught at a pace that suits aural learners but written music will be available too.
The Team
Brendan Taaffe and John Harrison from the US are both well loved and respected contemporary Shape Note composers, steeped in the tradition but reinventing it for today’s singers. Between them they have a vast knowledge and love of the many traditions that make Americana.
Ali Burns is one of the UKs leading songwriters for the community choir sector and brings her own folky style to a contemporary world.
Together they have run several workshops in Scotland and the US, and have a devoted following of regular singers.
Partnership Event
For details and booking of this partnership event please contact Ali Burns:
info AT aliburns.co.uk
07801 244867
aliburns.co.uk/diary/
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/harmony-singing-weekend/
This will be the NINTH year of our folk music, dance and song summer school – for all ages and abilities – led by a crack team of tutors who have detailed knowledge and extensive experience of a wide spectrum of folk music. We’re confirming tutor availability at the moment and will add details very soon. Expect the usual mix of dance, song, fiddle, accordion, guitar and mixed-instrument, with a programme that’s fluid enough for you to move from group to group should you wish. Throughout the week, we will work towards a full-group ensemble piece, with the whole summer school, a powerful way of bringing everything we do, and all the participants together, in one shared experience, allowing you to learn about how to structure a performance, work together, use all levels of skills (in small and large groups) – and create something that’s amazing and all inclusive!
Who’s it For?
Singers, dancers and musicians of all ages and levels of experience; there’s something for everyone! Please let us know your preferred main group when booking – but be assured, you’ll be able to move between groups should you wish!
Choose from:
Dance
Voice
Guitar
Fiddle
Piano Accordion
Mixed instrument Band
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/folk-summer-school-5/
Friday night concert, the Sam Sweeny Band
Saturday Ranagri
Sunday Seth Lakeman
Plus more!
https://www.lymefolk.com
We are DELIGHTED to announce our FIFTH ‘Dances of Poldark’ weekend! This weekend is for dancers of all abilities to learn and enjoy some of the elegant and lively 18th Century dances featured in the BBC’s adaptation of Winston Graham’s ‘Poldark’ novels.
Led by dancing-master Stuart Marsden, choreographer of the BBC Poldark series. Further details will follow but as previous courses have sold out fast, do book your place asap to avoid disappointment.
Dancing and music in 18th Century England was at the centre of society and therefore essential to the plot of its novelists. Halsway Manor offers a weekend away to explore the dances and music of this ‘Georgeous’ period written about and captured on camera in BBC’s adaptation of the novels of Winston Graham’s ‘Poldark’.
We promise not recreate the 18th Century ‘baroque stage & court dances’ but do promise to bring the exquisite 18th century country dance steps, rhythms and sounds into our ballroom for all to enjoy – in the lovely setting of Halsway Manor!
This course is for all levels of experience and will be tailored to the abilities of each dancer. Costume of the period is welcome – and encouraged – but not necessary.
Stuart Marsden has worked as choreographer and dancing master for many historical TV dramas, documentaries & theatre productions including Poldark, ‘Pride & Prejudice Having a Ball’ (BBC2) and ‘The Georgians- Behind Closed Doors’ (BBC4). He is a respected researcher, caller and teacher of historical dance.
The house band – known as ‘The Warleggan Band’ – appeared in Series One and Two of ‘Poldark’. Matthew Coatsworth (violin) also plays in Boldwood. Chris Green (guitar) plays in The Playford Liberation Front and GreenMatthews. Richard Heacock (violin) recorded the dance music for ‘Poldark’, and is a regular tutor (with Paul Hutchinson and Karen Wimhurst) on the successful ‘Playing Playford’ courses at Halsway.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/dances-of-poldark-weekend-4/
Grant help may be available: The Sarah Morgan Foundation is offering Grants of £500 for the promotion of English / Traditional Song. More info...
A weekend of joyous singing led by Carolyn Robson, Paul Sartin and Lester Simpson. Drawing on modern as well as traditional material, we will be looking at arranging and performance for unaccompanied voices, helping you to get the best out of your voice, and to guide you to a better performance. We will be using songs from a variety of sources and styles, but the main focus would be on harmony singing and celebrating raising lots of voices together, and early Autumn is a lovely time to get outside and sing too!
So come and join us and ‘Let Music Be In All Our Hearts’
Who’s it For?
Singers of all levels of experience and ability are welcome. You won’t be needing to sing on your own during workshops, although those who want to lead songs in the evenings will be very welcome to do so. Bring instruments too for evening sessions
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/let-music-be-in-all-our-hearts/
An un-tutored course for experienced singers and players of early instruments. Non-fixed ensembles of recorders and viols form the main part of the week with a variety of small singing groups depending on participants. Evening sessions for all are conducted and include music for instruments and voices. All of these sessions are at 440 pitch. We usually have harpsichords available and arrange chamber groups at 440 and 415 and are also able to welcome baroque oboe, flute, and violin as second instruments. Cornett, cornamuse, sackbut, curtal and crumhorn are also welcome as second instruments and we can usually arrange sessions for these. The repertoire is primarily renaissance and baroque.
Who’s it For?
The association organises two meeting a year (end May and mid-September). Those who wish to join us must be experienced on viol and/or recorder, able to play one to a part, and be good sight readers. We welcome additional harpsichords (the owner will not be expected to play continuo exclusively all week).
The Team
This course is a partnership event, organised by The Voices, Viols and Recorders Association who can be contacted via Halsway Manor or directly through our email vvr-association AT hotmail.com
For more information and to book please contact:
Email: vvr-association AT hotmail.com
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/voices-viols-recorders-association/
A weekend of workshops, ensemble playing, sessions, a concert and more! Hosted by Vicki Swan, we’re delighted to confirm Johan Lång will be joining us from Sweden, and Kirsty Money from Canada. We’ll also have a maker on-hand to offer advice and assist with small fixes.
Come and explore a diverse range of repertoire, and meet, play and socialise with other players and enthusiasts!
Who’s it For?
The weekend is for players of all abilities except complete beginners to explore a range of repertoire, and to meet, play and socialise with other players!
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/harpas-at-halsway-nyckelharpa-festival-5/
3.00pm - 5.45 pm.
£5 per person.
Bring and share tea. No partner necessary.
For more information: Jan Harris 01202 427523. janharris16 AT hotmail.co.uk.
A Saturday evening gig from our International line-up of tutors for our Harpas Festival Weekend! See and hear the Nyckelharpa – a traditional Swedish ‘keyed fiddle’ – in the hands of three of Europe’s finest exponents of the instrument – Vicki Swan, Johan Lang and Kirsty Money.
Vicki Swan studied at the Royal College of Music on the double bass. She also plays the various types of bagpipes, flute, recorder, piano and nyckelharpa. On leaving music college Vicki started down the long path of folk music and was only seen on rare glimpses back in classical orchestras. You’ll find Vicki now inhabiting the troll ridden forests on the hunt for new and exciting tunes from the näcken. Vicki plays not only the standard 3-row modern chromatic, but also the 1408 sienaharpa, the 1526 moraharpa, the 1700s kontrabasharpa and the 1800s silverbasharpa. Over the pandemic Vicki has worked tirelessly on a Virtual Music Room to try to help isolated nyckelharpa players remain motivated and focussed on playing and learning. Chances are after all this time alone at home she won’t stop talking at the Halsway weekend….
Johan Lång was born and raised in Uppsala, Sweden, and at the age of 16 he became fascinated by the traditional Swedish instrument called ”nyckelharpa” and the soundscapes it is able to produce. As a ‘Riksspelmanʼ he is an acknowledged practician of traditional Swedish music and has earlier studied at the Royal Collage of Music in Stockholm. Today he’s active as both a musician and a teacher. In Eir, Johan uses the ethereal sound of the nyckelharpa to illustrate different ambiences, be it the wind caressing the top of a mountain or the frigidity of a winter’s morning. https://eirmusicduo.se
Kirsty Money: Coming from Canada, Kirsty is a violinist in Symphony Nova Scotia. Since taking up the nyckelharpa Kirsty has studied intensely and through grants from the Canada Council and Arts Nova Scotia she has been to nyckelharpa workshops and festivals in Sweden, the UK and Germany. Principal mentors include Olov Johansson, Josefina Paulson, Magnus Holmström and David Eriksson.
Kirsty is a member of the String Faculty at the Maritime Conservatory of Music and is an extremely experienced violin and viola teacher. She will be bringing her own flavour of inspirational teaching to Halsway this September.
https://kirstymoney.ca/
8pm–10pm
£12 adult
£6 concession for those in full time education.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/gig-harpas-concert/
Workshops are led by Julia Catovsky, who will teach tunes and harmonies by ear. The workshops are suitable for all levels and all acoustic instruments. Notation and audio supplied. Everyone is welcome!
1:30 - 4:30 pm
Admission: £10 on the door. Cheaper in advance via the website
info AT sherbornefolkband.org
Julia: 07527 508 277
www.sherbornefolkband.org
Our Guitar Study Week is an intensive and enjoyable guitar-school for steel-string acoustic guitarists, led by three fantastic tutors. Tristan Seume and Vera Van Heeringen as tutors this year, together with Dave Malkin who we are delighted to be welcoming to the Manor for the first time. You’ll have the opportunity to spend a day with each of the tutors in workshops aiming to develop your technique, skills and repertoire – and provide for an enjoyable week of guitar playing in the manor.
The week will help you to develop your skills and confidence, with options to explore finger style, flat-picking, alternative and open tunings, arranging tunes and song accompaniment, chord vocabulary, and useful theory too. Whole group, smaller group and one-to-one teaching, to leave you enthused and inspired! There will be down-time too, for you to practise, jam, socialise and spend quality time with your instrument.
The tutor team bring with them a wealth of knowledge and experience embracing a variety of styles. The programme for the week will be tailored to the experience and needs of the group. An indicating outline of what each tutor plans to offer is below:
Dave will focus on developing a solid technical foundation, where traditional music and Western-classical music diverge, thinking of the guitar as an orchestra, celebrating the idiosyncrasies of the instrument, diatonic harmony, clave, tone and interpreting English music for the 21st century, all in standard tuning and with a plectrum.
Tristan specialises in fingerstyle guitar, arranging traditional tunes and accompanying songs predominantly using CGDGCD tuning. This beautiful and versatile modal tuning remains curiously overlooked in favour of more commonly explored DADGAD, open D and open G tunings. Tristan will explore the tuning’s potential from the ground up whilst referencing and relating to other, more familiar tunings. We will work through the fundamentals, beginning with useful, go-to chord shapes and patterns and progress through developing left- and right-hand techniques, incorporating open strings, drones and harmony within the context of traditional repertoire.
Vera is a specialist on flatpicking and cross-picking techniques, playing mostly American guitar and fiddle tunes. With an emphasis on confidence and strength in both lead and backup playing, she’ll be exploring how to put the groove into tunes with rhythmic melodies. Vera will focus on creating smooth and clean solos, bass runs and fills with an emphasis on efficiency of movement, which will enrich both your solo and band playing. (For guitar in standard tuning, this course requires a plectrum).
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/guitar-week-2/
Join us for an informal concert by our guitar workshop week tutors, Vera Van Herringen, Tristan Seume and Dave Malkin. Course participants are also invited to perform.
Dave Malkin studied the classical guitar at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance with Graham Devine. He is one half of Dipper Malkin, alongside John Dipper and his 14-string viola d’amore. The duos debut album, Tricks Of The Trade was included in The Times’ ‘Top 100 Albums of 2017’. He has performed at some of the UK’s most illustrious venues, including St John’s Smith Square, Royal Festival Hall, Union Chapel and LSO St Luke’s. His screen credits include the hit comedy-drama Fleabag, the BBC’s Black Power: A British Story of Resistance, executive produced by Steve McQueen, Amazon’s recent four-part documentary The Curse of the Chippendales, ITV’s Vanity Fair and Channel 4’s BAFTA nominated Surviving Covid.
Tristan Seume is acclaimed as one of the UK’s leading acoustic guitarists, and has toured all over Europe both as a soloist and a sought-after accompanist. His two solo albums, You Just Know and Middle Child mix handcrafted originals with beautiful interpretations of traditional and contemporary tunes. He performs regularly with BBC Radio 2 Folk Award-winning artist Jackie Oates, and has recorded and played with many other artists on the UK folk scene.
Vera Van Heeringen is an accomplished and highly acclaimed multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. She was part of the brilliantly comedic New Rope String Band for five years and has toured with several Cajun and Old time greats such as Dirk Powell and Sheryl Cormier. In recent years Vera has been performing with her own trio and has just released her third album ‘Won’t be Broken’ which has been described by the press as her best yet. Vera has taught guitar for over 10 years and is known for her inclusive approach which aims to inspire in a laid back and enjoyable way.
8pm–9:30pm
£12
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/guitar-concert-van-herringen-seume-and-malkin/
The Violin making workshops are extremely popular at Halsway Manor, with many of the participants coming back year after year. The workshop gives maximum continuous time at the workbench supported by Neville Gardner, who has been teaching violin making for the last sixteen years. He is joined by Corrie Schrijver. The group size is necessarily small to ensure that each tutor can give participants plenty of patient and knowledgeable support.
Start 2pm Mon; depart after lunch on Fri.
Who’s it For?
This course is for all levels of ability and beginners are very welcome. As well as the violin family, support can also be given for making a rebec (an ancient ancestor of the violin). The class size is limited so that participants have plenty of support from the two tutors. Before enrolling please contact Neville Gardner – Neville AT nevillejgardner.co.uk – to discuss the suitability of the course for your needs.
The Team
Neville Gardner was a University Lecturer and has been teaching violin making for over twenty years.
Corrie Schrijver graduated from the Welsh School of Violin Making, with Merit in 1980. Since then she has worked at various workshops, making and restoring for professional players.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/violin-making-10/
North Devon duo Nick Wyke & Becki Driscoll share a love of traditional English fiddle music and also compose their own tunes. We are delighted to be welcoming Dave Shepherd, an extraordinarily talented musician and teacher, to join them as our guest tutor for 2022.
Workshops include technique, expression and repertoire (using our extensive folk library) and there will be plenty of time to play together and receive some individual help. This is an intensive weekend of workshops for fiddle players of all ages who can play folk dance tunes up to tempo either from the music provided, or by ear. Some music will be supplied in advance. Other tunes will be chosen at the event in response to participants’ requests – a Saturday afternoon ‘Open Space’ session offers a chance for workshops on areas requested by course participants, and for individual tuition.
https://halswaymanor.org.uk/event/autumn-fiddle-weekend/
Indomitable folk musician and ornate songstress, Lizzy Hardingham, is paving her way as a powerhouse performer with “beautifully delivered songs that sing straight to the heart”.
This paragon of vocal vigour and songwriting sorcery has supported the likes of Lady Maisery, Gilmore&Roberts and Bob Fox (to name a few) and is emerging gracefully into the world of headline shows. 2019 saw her storm the UK folk club and festival scene, including Cambridge Folk Festival, while in 2020 she captivated online audiences with “a voice that could fill a stadium and the sensitivity to bring a room to attentive silence”. During 2021 Lizzy worked closely with the English Folk Expo and Michael Hughes, focusing on “firmly nailing her place as one of the rising stars of the folk scene”.
7:45PM
Ticket Prices Standard from £12
https://www.thebrewhouse.net/?event=lizzy-hardingham
3.00pm - 5.45 pm.
£5 per person.
Bring and share tea. No partner necessary.
For more information: Jan Harris 01202 427523. janharris16 AT hotmail.co.uk.
Workshops are led by Julia Catovsky, who will teach tunes and harmonies by ear. The workshops are suitable for all levels and all acoustic instruments. Notation and audio supplied. Everyone is welcome!
1:30 - 4:30 pm
Admission: £10 on the door. Cheaper in advance via the website
info AT sherbornefolkband.org
Julia: 07527 508 277
www.sherbornefolkband.org
During lockdown in 2020 the 11 members of Bellowhead first re-connected online to remotely record ‘New York Girls - At Home’. That led to re-uniting in person for a one-off performance which was streamed to mark the anniversary of Hedonism. Thousands of fans watched the concert (one of the biggest online streams of 2020) confirming that Bellowhead are still one of the biggest and most in demand UK folk acts despite not performing for nearly 5 years.
The stream led to pleas from fans for more and now the stars have aligned and they are to reunite for a mammoth UK tour in November 2022 to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of their fourth album Broadside!
Support on all dates will come from Sam Sweeney with his band. Sam is a veteran of the mighty Bellowhead and former artistic director of the National Folk Youth Ensemble. He recently released his second solo album Unearth Repeat.
Box Office & Bars: 6:30pm / Doors: 7:00pm / Show: 7:30pm
Tickets: £25.00 / £32.50 / £39.50 (+ Booking Fees)
Please Note: Under 18's to be accompanied by an adult 18+
https://www.bathforum.co.uk/Publisher/Article.aspx?ID=624329
3.00pm - 5.45 pm.
£5 per person.
Bring and share tea. No partner necessary.
For more information: Jan Harris 01202 427523. janharris16 AT hotmail.co.uk.
Workshops are led by Julia Catovsky, who will teach tunes and harmonies by ear. The workshops are suitable for all levels and all acoustic instruments. Notation and audio supplied. Everyone is welcome!
1:30 - 4:30 pm
Admission: £10 on the door. Cheaper in advance via the website
info AT sherbornefolkband.org
Julia: 07527 508 277
www.sherbornefolkband.org
3.00pm - 5.45 pm.
£5 per person.
Bring and share tea. No partner necessary.
For more information: Jan Harris 01202 427523. janharris16 AT hotmail.co.uk.