Mar
31
Sun
“Jimmy’s Fiddle” heads to the Midlands, to the Century Theatre in Coalville (start time to be confirmed)
Join us for a night of music, dance, songs and humour as we delve in to a story of Georgian/Victorian Tyneside through the eyes of James Hill, “The Geordie Paganini”.
James Hill was probably the most famous fiddler on Tyneside during the late Georgian and early Victorian period. He wrote more than 40 tunes, mainly for hornpipes, inspired and informed by the places and characters he came to know.
This story is a reflective account of his life, told through ‘Jimmy’s ghost’ and set in and around The Hawk public house, which was owned by his future father-in-law. The narrative unfolds to a back-drop of James Hill’s own compositions, clog dancing and songs from the time, incorporating some newly commissioned pieces.
Featuring two top virtuoso fiddle players Tom McConville (BBC Musician of the Year) and Stewart Hardy, this show provides fantastic entertainment for all the family. Tom and Stewart will be joined by two of the North East’s finest singers Alan Fitzsimmons and Jim Mageean and clog dancing champion Natalie Reid.
May
26
Sun
Stewart and Frank will be holding a full day’s Mixed Instrument workshop in Tulse Hill on Sunday 26th May.
Stewart & Frank are both experienced and popular workshop leaders. Individually they teach regularly in their local communities – Frank on guitar at the Scots Music Group in Edinburgh, and Stewart with the North East Fiddle School in Newcastle, the Tyneside Fiddle Alliance in Gateshead, and across the UK with JSArts Fiddle and Mixed Instruments workshops. Together they combine their skills on their respective instruments, and enhance this with their experience of arranging material for performance, covering accompanying techniques, harmonies and overall narrative of the piece. Their relaxed and engaging approach is always encouraging, and focuses on what each participant needs out of a particular workshop.
Please get in touch if you are interested in receiving more details and an invitation to the workshop. All instruments are welcome, including those ‘less common’ in the folk music world who play in different keys.
May
27
Mon
Private performance: advanced bookings only – please contact Morag.
Stewart and Frank will be offering workshops during the day at the same venue. Please get in touch for details and to book your space.
Please try not to park directly around the house unless disabled as parking is limited – you can come by bus (8 or 33 or Loop) or park on the sea front or in the Harold Road car park.
Rosslyn Court is an accessible venue.
May
28
Tue
Private House Concert: 8.00 pm
Please get in touch by email for details of how to receive your invitation to the concert.
There will also be an afternoon fiddle workshop with Stewart at the same venue. Please contact Fi for details.
May
31
Fri
Private House Concert: 8.00 pm (doors at 7.30 pm)
Donations are accepted on the night. Bring your own drink.
Please get in touch for details of how to be invited to the concert (music@stewarthardy.co.uk)
Jun
7
Fri
Fiddle Techniques with Stewart Hardy
Fully Booked
Tunes are carefully selected to work as exercises demonstrating particular techniques, whilst at the same time providing a melodic stimulus. Exercises are extracted from the tunes to facilitate applying the technique to other tunes. Many of the tunes are suitable for multi-level workshops, with the teaching of a variety of techniques, requiring greater or lesser technical experience, applied to them. Subject matter includes: bowing technique, left hand technique and general fiddle well-being. In the choice of repertoire emphasis is given to stylistic aspects of the music. A number of considerations are given to the selection of tunes, including their interest to Stewart in his studies, their interest to the general musical community, their demonstration of particular stylistic nuances, and as being representative of a composer’s style.
All sheet music and mp3 files of all the tunes covered are provided and included in the price. Plus recordings of exercises from the course where these are helpful.
The workshops typically take between 7 & 10 people for three days of instruction. The cost covers all food, tuition, refreshments and overnight accommodation.The course cost for the weekend (Friday Lunchtime through to Sunday evening) includes everything by way of meals and refreshments, so no need to spend another penny on anything once you are there. Vegan and vegetarian diets are catered for, as are lactose and gluten intolerance.
Over the weekend there are 10 * 75 minute workshops. Dinner is followed each evening by an informal session led by Stewart. These help reinforce the techniques learned during the day, give you a chance to hear and learn new tunes and teach others some of your own favourites.
Your tutor is available to you from breakfast until bed-time for questions and advice.
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 🎻