May
30
Fri
May Workshops 2025
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 30th May, 19:00 – 21:00
£20
Bookings open soon.
May Workshops 2025: £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.
Oct
3
Fri
Ensemble Playing for Mixed Instruments
3rd – 5th October 2025
Shepherds Dene, Riding Mill, Northumberland NE44 6AF
4.00 pm start and finish time.
Join Stewart in the beautiful retreat venue of Shepherds Dene, for a weekend of ensemble playing. This course are open to players of any instrument (including transposing instruments) and is aimed at a broad range of abilities from intermediate to advanced. Workshops focus on learning interesting tunes and harmonies to expand your repertoire, improve your skills in ensemble playing, and enjoy the delights of playing harmonies. Accompanying instruments are welcome and we will explore different way of accompanying the tunes using the instruments available on the course. 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. Accommodation is single occupancy bedrooms, with some en suite rooms available. 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. The course will run from 4 pm on Friday until 4 pm on Sunday afternoon.
For further information or to express your interest in this course, please email Ali (music@stewarthardy.co.uk)
Recordings
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🎧 The Tune VaultReally looking forward to heading to Rydal Hall next weekend for the JSArts Advanced Fiddle course. I learnt Foul Weather Call from the lovely Frankie Cleeve at an evening session on one of the very early courses we held in South Wales, so this is a good time for it to go into The Tune Vault.
Foul Weather Call
A cracking English country dance tune to be found in the Welch Manuscript of West Sussex and published in a very influential book for the southern English folk tradition, The Sussex Tunebook, edited by Anne Loughran and the very wonderful Vic Gammon.
Foul Weather Call | The Tune Vault
youtu.be
Foul Weather Call - The Tune Vault by Stewart HardyA cracking English country dance tune to be found in the Welch Manuscript of West Sussex and published in...
It will be great to get started again with NEFS on Wednesday after Easter! Great tunes and lots of scales and exercises coming your way!😆 Do join us on Zoom, with catch up on YouTube available for all calls, and video tutorials on-demand too.This content isn't available at the moment
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🎧 The Tune VaultKevin Burke played a couple of favourite Carolan tunes at the Watch House in Cullercoats as part of the Phoenix Folk Ltd. Spring Thing, which gives me an excuse to drop this pretty air into The Tune Vault. I first played it in public across the road from the Watch House at The Bay Hotel, sadly no longer there.
Fanny Dillon (Turlough O’Carolan)
A very pretty tune indeed from the writing of Turlough O’Carolan. There are a few tunes dedicated to Dillons among his compositions and this is a personal favourite.
Fanny Dillon (Carolan) | The Tune Vault
youtu.be
Fanny Dillon (Carolan)- The Tune Vault by Stewart HardyA very pretty tune indeed from the writing of Turlough O’Carolan. There are a few tunes dedicated to ...