Nov
19
Sat
November Workshops 2022
Fiddle Workshop 2
Zoom Workshop
Saturday 19th November: 14:00 – 16:00
Intermediate to Advanced level
Trip to Pakistan (Niall Kenn)
– a fabulous tune which Niall tells me he wrote as an An Dro but which is often played as a slow reel.
A single workshop is £20, attend two for £35 or all three for £50.
Bookings opening soon.
For more information, please visit the November Workshops 2022 information page.
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.
Dec
2
Fri
NEFS Residential Weekend
Fri 2nd – Sun 4th December 2022
Shepherds Dene Retreat Centre
For full details, see the NEFS Residential Weekend web page on the NEFS website.
We will be holding our first in-person NEFS Residential Weekend at the beautiful Shepherds Dene Retreat Centre near Riding Mill on Friday 2nd – Sunday 4th December 2022.
This weekend will include our usual Saturday Workshop for the block, which will be on Saturday 3rd December 10.00 am – 5.00 pm. There will be three tune workshops and a session during the day, which will give us a chance to learn new tunes, work on the relevant techniques, and play some of our NEFS tunes together. Tea and coffee is provided, and there is the option to add lunch provided by the venue. Otherwise you are welcome to bring a packed lunch, or to drive down into Riding Mill for something to eat. The lunch break will be 1 hour long.
In addition, we will begin the weekend on Friday evening with dinner and an informal session, and there will be an option to book Bed & Breakfast, so you can stay over, ready for the workshop on Saturday.
After the workshop on Saturday, they is the option to stay for dinner, and to join us for the evening. We are planning a short informal concert to inspire and entertain you, and this will be followed by a session. The bar will be open to purchase drinks and there is again an option of bed and breakfast, so you can relax and enjoy the evening.
On Sunday morning, some short 1-1 sessions with Stewart will be available for those who are interested, and we will recap Saturday’s tunes, or learn a new one, depending on what people would like to do. We will finish the weekend with lunch provided by Shepherds Dene before we head home.
We have come up with some packages to allow you to book the events you wish to attend. These include the following options:
- Saturday Workshop (tea & coffee included, bring a packed lunch, or…)
- add Lunch provided by the venue during the Saturday workshop
- Evening meal and a session (Friday evening, and/or Saturday evening including the concert)
- Bed & Breakfast on Friday and/or Saturday night
- Sunday workshop and lunch
Some or all of these options can be booked as packages, with residential and non-residential options available. For full details, see the NEFS Residential Weekend web page.
Block 6 Online Option is also available to book separately.
Please email or use the contact form for with any queries. To book your place, please place your order in the NEFS Shop.
Feb
4
Sat
February Workshops 2023
Fiddle Workshop 2
Zoom Workshop
Saturday 4th February: 14:00 – 16:00
Intermediate to Advanced level
Windbroke (M. McGoldrick)
How do people who don’t even play the instrument write such good fiddle tunes? Andy Cutting is one and Michael McGoldrick is another. He has had an amazing and illustrious career with Flook, Lúnasa and Capercaillie being just three of the many hugely influential bands in which he has played. Of his many outstanding tunes, this is my personal favourite.
£20
February Workshops: £20 each.
Buy any two for £35 or all three for £50. The discount will be applied in your basket.
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.
Apr
1
Sat
March/April Workshops 2023
Fiddle Workshop 2
For more details, see the March/April Workshops 2023 page.
Zoom Workshop
Saturday 1st April: 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Intermediate to Advanced players
Tune details coming soon
Bookings open soon.
£20
March/April Workshops: £20 each.
Buy any two for £35 or all three for £50. The discount will be applied in your basket.
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
13
Sat
May Workshops 2023
Fiddle Workshop 2
More details and bookings coming soon!
Zoom Workshop
Saturday 13th April: 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Intermediate to Advanced players
April Waltz (Selma Kaplan)
I learnt this gorgeous waltz, composed by the contradance pianist, Selma Kaplan, from the legendary Alistair Anderson – a great man to whom so many folk musicians owe so much. It’s worth learning just for the sheer beauty of the melody but it also makes a great vehicle for looking at ornamentation.
You can have a listen to the tune on The Tune Vault.
£20
May Workshops: £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.
Oct
7
Sat
October Workshops 2023
Fiddle Workshop 2
More details and bookings coming soon!
Zoom Workshop
Saturday 7th October: 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Intermediate to Advanced players
Young Scottie (Charlie Sherrit)
This fabulous jig, along with his other masterpiece The Quarryman, is firmly embedded into the Northumbrian tradition and has made the name Charlie Sherrit a familiar one among traditional musicians in the North East of England. Both tunes were championed by The Shepherds and their friends and you will still be called on to play this one for dancing and in sessions. It makes a great vehicle for exploring ways to incorporate ‘lift’ and ‘lilt’ into your playing of jigs.
£20
October Workshops: £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.
Dec
1
Fri
NEFS Winter Residential Weekend
Full details from the NEFS website:
http://www.northeastfiddleschool.org.uk/classes/nefs-winter-res-2023/
- Saturday 2nd December: Block 6 Saturday workshop, in-person with tuition from Melissa and Stewart
- Extend your visit with Friday evening dinner and a session, dinner on Saturday followed by an informal concert and session, and a workshop with Stewart to finish with coffee on Sunday morning.
- Day guest and residential packages available
Saturday workshop is £50 including lunch and all refreshments, and the full weekend residential (2 nights B&B and all meals & refreshments except bar drinks) is £295.
*Just a couple of places left
Dec
16
Sat
December Workshops 2023
Fiddle Workshop 2
Ice on the Road (G. Townsend)
A Canadian classic by the wonderful Graham Townsend, Ice on the Road – hopefully in no way prophetic (but being on Zoom at least we don’t have to travel!)
Zoom Workshop
Saturday 16th December: 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Intermediate to Advanced players
£20
December Workshops: £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.
Feb
24
Sat
February Workshops 2024
Fiddle Workshop 2
Zoom Workshop
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 24th February: 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Sunshine Schottische (Grégory Jolivet)
This joyful tune was picked up in a JSArts session and it was an instant hit. It swings, it sings and there is so much that can be done with it.
Aimed at Intermediate to Advanced players
£20
February 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.
Apr
13
Sat
April Workshops 2024
Fiddle Workshop 2
Zoom Workshop
Shrewsbury Lasses
One of the classic country dance tunes of the English repertoire.
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 13th April: 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Aimed at Intermediate to Advanced players
£20
April 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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Less than a month to go to our Arrangement Techniques course for mixed instruments, which will be my 100th residential JSArts course!* 🥳There is just one place left if you would like to join us. Get in touch quickly, so we can book you in with the venue - the beautiful Shepherds Dene near Riding Mill in Northumberland.
We will be learning a lovely selection of tunes, and choosing which to work on - exploring options for introductions & endings, varying instrumentation, creating harmony lines and different ways of accompanying the tune to produce alternate soundscapes and narratives. With a limited number of participants, there will be plenty of time to explore ideas from everyone. All instruments are welcome, and if you require notation in different keys or clefs, that can be provided. Dots and audio files are provided in advance, and any recordings from the weekend are sent on afterwards.
*There will be cake! 🎂😊
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Finally, a new tune for The Tune Vault, and to pick up where we left off, here’s another sparkling tune by Tyneside fiddle supremo, James Hill in the key of "F for vescence" 🤣Tykeside (James Hill) | The Tune Vault
youtu.be
Tykeside (James Hill)- The Tune Vault by Stewart HardyThis enigmatically titled reel in F major is another gem by Tyneside fiddling legend James Hill. No tr...
Happy May Day!Looking back, April had some very lovely moments...
At the Morpeth Northumbrian Gathering illustrating Amélie Addison's wonderful talk on William Shield and with cracking performances by Tyneside Fiddle Alliance, our April Workshops on Zoom, a trip to see the amazing Dudok Quartet Amsterdam, a duo gig with Ali Say at the Phoenix Folk Ltd. Spring Thing, the start of Block 3 at North East Fiddle School, and our JSArts Advanced Fiddle course at Rydal Hall. Happy Spring everyone 🎻