Stewart Hardy

March 2021  Workshops
Fiddle Workshop 2

The Barrowburn  (A. Harper)

A stonking reel in D major that lends itself well to the Georgia Shuffle bowing pattern. It has also been selected as a great introduction to playing chords on the fiddle – the shapes to use and some effective rhythms to apply. Aimed at intermediate to advanced level fiddle players. Full worksheets will be provided, with the tune, bowing and ornamentation, along with audio files of the tune, in advance. 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.

Zoom Workshop
Saturday 27th March: 14:00 – 16:00

For full details, please see the March Workshops page.
A single workshop is £20, attend two for £35 or all three for £50.

Book your place by purchasing through 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.

May Workshops 2021
Fiddle Workshop 1

Zoom Workshop
Saturday 22nd May: 10:00 am – 12:00 noon
Competent Beginner to Upper Intermediate level

Marino Casino (John Sheahan)

In this morning workshop there is an opportunity to learn John Sheahan’s beautiful, lyrical tune Marino Casino, which provides an excellent case study for using simple techniques to overcome awkward melodic passages – once you know the trick you’ll wonder what the problem ever was.

A single workshop is £20, attend two for £35 or all three for £50.
Bookings open now

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.

May Workshops 2021
Fiddle Workshop 2

Zoom Workshop
Saturday 27th March: 14:00 – 16:00
Intermediate to Advanced level

Saint Cuthbert Crossing the Rhine (Chris Ormston)

In this afternoon workshop we’ll look at a personal favourite from one of North East England’s finest tunesmith’s, the legendary piper Chris Ormston. Saint Cuthbert Crossing the Rhine is a terrific, punchy Northumbrian rant containing some wonderful hidden syncopation.

A single workshop is £20, attend two for £35 or all three for £50.
Bookings open now

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.

This workshop series will explore how to use harmonic relationships, melodic flow, lift and narrative development together with groove to create great sets of tunes for folk sessions and ceilidhs.

Tools: 4 x 1 hour weekly online workshops exploring different considerations when combining folk melodies with a view to creating your own sets of tunes. These will be followed by a single 2 hour evening online session (a separate event on Fri 18th June) where we will try out some of the tune combinations discussed in the workshops. Participation in the workshops is not a prerequisite for joining in with the session.

£10 per workshop / £35 for all 4 workshops.

Access to a copy of the HISS Tunebook is required for these sessions. If you do not already have one, you can buy a download from the HISS website

This workshop series will explore how to use harmonic relationships, melodic flow, lift and narrative development together with groove to create great sets of tunes for folk sessions and ceilidhs.

Tools: 4 x 1 hour weekly online workshops exploring different considerations when combining folk melodies with a view to creating your own sets of tunes. These will be followed by a single 2 hour evening online session (a separate event on Fri 18th June) where we will try out some of the tune combinations discussed in the workshops. Participation in the workshops is not a prerequisite for joining in with the session.

£10 per workshop / £35 for all 4 workshops.

Access to a copy of the HISS Tunebook is required for these sessions. If you do not already have one, you can buy a download from the HISS website

This workshop series will explore how to use harmonic relationships, melodic flow, lift and narrative development together with groove to create great sets of tunes for folk sessions and ceilidhs.

Tools: 4 x 1 hour weekly online workshops exploring different considerations when combining folk melodies with a view to creating your own sets of tunes. These will be followed by a single 2 hour evening online session (a separate event on Fri 18th June) where we will try out some of the tune combinations discussed in the workshops. Participation in the workshops is not a prerequisite for joining in with the session.

£10 per workshop / £35 for all 4 workshops.

Access to a copy of the HISS Tunebook is required for these sessions. If you do not already have one, you can buy a download from the HISS website

This workshop series will explore how to use harmonic relationships, melodic flow, lift and narrative development together with groove to create great sets of tunes for folk sessions and ceilidhs.

Tools: 4 x 1 hour weekly online workshops exploring different considerations when combining folk melodies with a view to creating your own sets of tunes. These will be followed by a single 2 hour evening online session (a separate event on Fri 18th June) where we will try out some of the tune combinations discussed in the workshops. Participation in the workshops is not a prerequisite for joining in with the session.

£10 per workshop / £35 for all 4 workshops.

Access to a copy of the HISS Tunebook is required for these sessions. If you do not already have one, you can buy a download from the HISS website

This one-off 2 hour session will allow participants to play a variety of folk tunes, led by Stewart Hardy and Mary Tyler and will also be an opportunity for attendees at Stewart’s ‘Folk Set’ series to try out tune combinations that were discussed in the workshops. Attendance at the previous workshops is not a prerequisite for joining this session.

Access to a copy of the HISS Tunebook is required for this sessions. If you do not already have one, you can buy a download from the HISS website.

September Workshops 2021
Fiddle Workshop 1

Zoom Workshop
Saturday 25th Sept: 10:00 am – 12:00 noon
Competent Beginner to Upper Intermediate level

The Peacock’s Feather

In this morning workshop there is an opportunity to learn a classic Irish hornpipe, The Peacock’s Feather, which Stewart fell in love with the moment he first heard it on Frankie Gavin and Alec Finn’s classic eponymous 1977 LP.

A single workshop is £20, attend two for £35 or all three for £50.
Bookings open now

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.

September Workshops 2021
Fiddle Workshop 2

Zoom Workshop
Saturday 25th Sept: 14:00 – 16:00
Intermediate to Advanced level

Farewell to Chernobyl (Michael Ferrie)

In this afternoon workshop we’ll be looking at a wonderful dark and driving reel by Michael Ferrie, Farewell to Chernobyl. This has some great syncopation and is a popular storming session tune.

A single workshop is £20, attend two for £35 or all three for £50.
Bookings open now

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.