Sep
22
Sun
Stewart and Frank will be playing a Sunday afternoon concert in Gallery Forty5, Felton on Sunday 22nd September, 4.00 pm start (ending approximately 6.00 pm).
Tickets are available via to buy online in the Shop.
You can also purchase tickets in person from Gallery Forty5 (01670 783424 / feltongallery45@gmail.com)
£12.50 / £8 (U19)
Gallery Forty5, Main Street, Felton, Northumberland NE65 9PP
Venue website: Gallery Forty5
Music rooted in the traditions of Scotland,
the Borders and Northumberland
Fiddle virtuoso Stewart Hardy and superb Scottish guitarist Frank McLaughlin are a critically acclaimed duo who possess a rare musical kinship as they explore music rooted in the traditions of Scotland, the Borders and Northumberland while incorporating sensibilities from the worlds of classical, blues, klezmer and jazz.
As a duo they perform traditional and contemporary tunes stripped back to the bare essentials of fiddle and guitar.
With their long-term collaboration, they have achieved a deep and instinctive understanding of each other’s musical interpretations.
The unique and versatile approach Stewart and Frank bring to their music, combined with their ability to draw on a wide variety of styles, produces an uplifting and joyous performance.
Oct
4
Fri
Repertoire for Mixed Instruments
4th – 6th October 2024
Shepherds Dene, Riding Mill, Northumberland NE44 6AF
4.00 pm start and finish time.
For players of all instruments of intermediate level and above, focusing on great tunes and harmonies, building confidence in accessing repertoire and playing with style.
Join Stewart in the beautiful retreat venue of Shepherds Dene, for a weekend of learning tunes and harmonies. The workshop is aimed at intermediate players of any instrument (including transposing instruments), focusing on melody tuition, and will run from 4 pm on Friday until 4 pm on Sunday afternoon. The workshops will be taught “as if by ear”, with the phrases broken down into recognisable motifs, and with enough repetition for those learning by ear. Notation will be provided and can be used as a remider after the course, or at any point for reassurance.
All tuition, resources, accommodation, food and daytime refreshments are included in the course fee. Sheet music and mp3 files of the tunes covered are sent out in advance, full worksheets of the tunes taught are provided, and any recordings from the course are sent on to you afterwards.
For further information or to express your interest in this course, please email Ali (music@stewarthardy.co.uk)
Oct
13
Sun
Stewart will be offering a day-long workshop for Advanced fiddle players on Sunday 13th October, 10:00 to 17:00 with fabulous tunes to learn and useful techniques to improve your playing and to take away to apply to your other repertoire.
This will be a single-day workshop in line with the JSArts Advanced Fiddle course (and similar to Level 3/4 of North East Fiddle School, for reference). If you have been on an Advanced workshop before, or believe you are at the right level to benefit from the workshop, you are very welcome to apply to book – the final decision on suitability will rest with Stewart.
The cost will be £50 for the day, with tuition, basic notation and audio provided in advance, and full worksheets (and any follow-up materials) and teas & coffees included – please bring your own lunch.
Bookings are open now – please email Ali to request a booking link.
Oct
19
Sat
Oct 19 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
I’m really looking forward to this afternoon at The Lit and Phil Society in Newcastle with two great friends who I had the pleasure of working with at HISS for many years. In the first concert, I’ll be playing fiddle to Mary Tyer’s collection of recorders and flutes as well as backing some of her terrific renditions of traditional ballads. Mary is such a fine story teller in song! Straight after that, I’ll be providing musical examples on the fiddle for the wonderful Dr Amelie Addison during her fascinating talk on William Shield and his connections with folk music. It promises to be a lovely way to spend a Saturday afternoon, so if you can make it, come along and say hello.
Oct 19 @ 2:15 pm
William Shield and his Folk Music Connection
Talk by Dr Amelie Addison with Stewart Hardy~
I’m really looking forward to this afternoon at The Lit and Phil Society in Newcastle with two great friends who I had the pleasure of working with at HISS for many years. In the first concert, I’ll be playing fiddle to Mary Tyer’s collection of recorders and flutes as well as backing some of her terrific renditions of traditional ballads. Mary is such a fine story teller in song! Straight after that, I’ll be providing musical examples on the fiddle for the wonderful Dr Amelie Addison during her fascinating talk on William Shield and his connections with folk music. It promises to be a lovely way to spend a Saturday afternoon, so if you can make it, come along and say hello.
Nov
1
Fri
JSArts Fiddle Technique
1st – 3rd November 2024
Rydal Hall, Ambleside LA22 9LX
3.00 pm start and finish time.
£398 fully inclusive (except bar drinks)
Join Stewart in the beautiful surroundings of Rydal Hall in the Lake District for a weekend of intensive fiddle tuition. The workshop will take a maxiumum of around 14 participants and will run from 4 pm on Friday until 4 pm on Sunday afternoon.This course can accommodate a broad range of experience and ability, ranging from competent beginner to upper intermediate, but is not suitable for absolute or early beginners. All tuition, resources, accommodation, food and daytime refreshments are included. Accommodation is in single occupancy rooms, almost all of which is en suite. Sheet music and mp3 files of the tunes covered are sent out in advance, detailed worksheets are provided, and recordings of exercises from the course are sent on to you afterwards.
These courses are centred around the technical issues that come with playing fiddle music, with as much emphasis on the how, as there is on the what. Focusing on left-hand and bowing technique, with stylistic interpretation of the music a key feature, these workshops delve deep into the tunes, extracting exercises to improve technique and allow its application to a wider repertoire. Tunes are carefully selected for their technical or stylistic content whilst also baring in mind practical considerations such as their usefulness in folk music sessions or as dance repertoire. The tunes are taught ‘as if by ear’, meaning they are taught phrase by phrase at a tempo and with sufficient repetition to enable learning without recourse to reading notation, but with notation available at any point should that be desired or necessary. This encourages the development of aural pattern recognition and general musicality, enhancing musicianship and the enjoyment of playing music in social settings.
For information this or future courses, please email Ali (music@stewarthardy.co.uk)
**Covid-19 Update
This course will be run in accordance to our Covid-secure Music Workshop Guidelines, and is subject to any restrictions applicable at the time, and any coronavirus protocols from the venue. Please do not travel to the venue if you feel unwell or have cold-like symptoms.
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Standard Level courses are aimed at fiddle players with a broad range of experience and ability, from competent beginner to upper intermediate, but please note they are not suitable for absolute or early beginners. We would expect players to have most of the following skills:
- – playing simple dance tunes at steady to mid tempo (e.g. reels and jigs at 50-80 beats per minute)
- – able to clap in time to a tune
- – have basic control of the bow on the string
- – able to slur notes together
- – comfortable in the keys of G,D and A major and familiar with their note names
- – familiarity with C major
- – able to play basic scales without notation
- – able to play at least 2 tunes without notation
In addition fiddlers who attend these courses often have some of the following experience:
- – attend other fiddle workshops
- – play with a community folk music group
- – join in folk music sessions
- – receive tuition on the fiddle/violin
Nov
10
Sun
Nov 10 @ 7:30 pm
George and I will be heading to South Shields Folk Club for another relaxed Sunday evening on 10th November. Join us for some more of George’s moving songs and hilarious stories and, as always, I’ll be doing my best to keep up!
Doors 7.00 pm for a 7.30 pm start.
Once you have heard George perform his songs, accompanied by his guitar playing with Stewart’s fiddle, there is no doubt that the success of this highly entertaining duo is built on solid musical foundations
Nov
23
Sat
Tyneside Fiddle Alliance and Phoenix Chamber Folk Ensemble present Music in our Roots
A celebration of new and old folk melodies from the North East and beyond, by two of the region’s leading community folk ensembles.
Saturday 23rd November 2024, 7.00 pm (doors 6.30 pm)
St George’s Church, St George’s Close, Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 2TF.
Tickets are £7 each (all seats)
https://phoenixfolk.co.uk/events/musicinourroots/
Refreshments available
Dec
6
Fri
December Workshops 2024
Play-along Session in Harmony for Mixed Instruments
This will be a Zoom call open to intermediate players (and above) of any instrument. Notation will be provided in advance for all the tunes, together with suggestions for basic chords and a harmony line, but feel free to join in by ear! You can play the tune along with Stewart, play an accompaniment with a bass line, chords or a harmony (your own or follow the suggestions) or enjoy playing the tune whilst Stewart plays a harmony. If you wish to join in on an instrument with a different range from the fiddle, or if you play a transposing instrument, please get in touch before booking.
Zoom Workshop
Friday 6th December, 19:00 – 21:00
£20
December Workshops 2024: £20 each.
Buy any two for £35 or all three for £50. The discount will be applied in your basket – visit the Shop.
If you haven’t attended a music workshop on Zoom before, here is a page of Zoom Workshop Tips to get the most out of your experience. A strong and reliable internet connection, plus headphones or an external speaker are recommended. A recording of the live call will be available for those who experience technical difficulties, or who find themselves unable to attend the live Zoom call.
Dec
7
Sat
December Workshops 2024
Fiddle Workshop 1
Zoom Workshop
The Shepherd and Shepherdess
A joyful and very popular English Country Dance tune.
Learn a tune steadily, taught phrase by phrase with detailed instruction for any useful techniques that can be taken away for use in all your fiddle playing.
Saturday 7th December: 10:00 am – 12:00 noon
Aimed at Competent Beginner to Upper Intermediate level
£20
December Workshops 2024: £20 each.
Buy any two for £35 or all three for £50. The discount will be applied in your basket – visit the Shop.
If you haven’t attended a music workshop on Zoom before, here is a page of Zoom Workshop Tips to get the most out of your experience. A strong and reliable internet connection, plus headphones or an external speaker are recommended.
Recordings
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Many thanks to Maurice and Marina at Phoenix Folk Ltd. for inviting me along last Sunday for one of their ‘An Evening With…” events. Many thanks as well to all the lovely people who came along to support and then have a few tunes all together. The final set in my solo spot started with a favourite James Hill hornpipe, The Omnibus. Here it is for The Tune Vault.The Omnibus [The Stage] (James Hill) | The Tune Vault
youtu.be
The Omnibus [The Stage] (James Hill)- The Tune Vault by Stewart HardyAnother cracking hornpipe from the ‘Paganini of Gateshead’, James Hill, and one that ha...
🎧🎻🎹 The next set of Zoom workshops will be on Friday 28th Feb and Saturday 1st March. Each workshop can be booked individually, and all will be available on-demand after the weekend. Book now on the website!There will be lots of favourite tunes with harmonies and chords provided for the Friday evening play-along session. All instruments are welcome, and alternate clefs or keys for transposing instruments can be provided on request.
Then we will have two great tunes for our fiddle workshops on The Saturday. On this occasion, I am focusing on two fabulous, contemporary tunesmiths of the North East. For a Northumbrian piper and multi-instrumentalist Andy May writes a wonderful fiddle tune! His beautiful march dedicated to Fred Picknell is quite rightly enjoying a great deal of attention. Before he became a guru of the border pipes, Matt Seattle was very active as a fiddler in the north east of England. In the afternoon we will tackle his excellent rant, Yeavering Bell, which is one of my all time favourite tunes.
All workshops include full resources and lifetime access to the Zoom call recording, so you can go over anything as many times as you wish. You can even sign up if you can't attend the workshops live! 😃
Really looking forward to being with Marina and Maurice in their studio on Sunday evening. Join us on Zoom for a short performance and lots of tunes! 🎻This content isn't available at the moment
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