A few of this years 2024 Festival Workshops
Bal with Confluence
folk-duo
Confluence are an instrumental meeting of cello (Gill Redmond) and accordion (Alasdair Paton) based around the New Forest. They join traditional folk music from the UK with melodies from continental Europe, and self-penned tunes. They take influences from their diverse musical experiences in classical, jazz, baroque as well as folk – providing listeners with a fresh take on familiar material.
Steve Knightley
Nail That Floor Spot
A typical ‘open mic’ or floor singers set features three songs. Steve shows you how to assemble and build a set that will maximise all the musical and performing skills you can deploy. Stagecraft, choruses, intros and other tricks of the trade explained and illustrated by a master craftsman.
Steve Earwicker and
French Dance Workshop
Whether or not you have done any French dancing before, you are very welcome to our workshop, led by Steve Earwicker, looking at the wide variety of French dances – bourrées, schottisches, waltzes, mazurkas, and more! We will also look at some simple Breton dances . As well as teaching the basics, we will also look at style and variation in the dances – how to make a French dance feel French. All this to the wonderful music by Confluence, Alasdair Paton on accordion, Gill Redmond on ‘cello, who will also be playing for the Bal which follows on from the workshop. See above.
NICK’S VERY DANCEABLE TUNES – Hambledon Hopstep Band
For nearly 40 years Nick Crump was the charismatic leader of the Hambledon Hopstep Band. Nick was always making up tunes, often for family members, special occasions, and for his fellow members in the band. During that time, he composed an extensive and varied collection of music, from slow airs to beautiful waltzes, toe-tapping polkas and exhilarating jigs and reels.
Bring your instruments along to learn some of these irresistible tunes (any acoustic instrument welcome) in the company of current HHB members Angela and Tim Laycock, Paul Samson and Martine Hardy.
Emma and the Magic Bag
Emma House has been working with music in education, community, entertainment for the past 32 years. She is a trained music therapist no longer using her training for strict therapy but to explore various differentaspects of communication such as speech development,autism or social cohesion. Emma believes in having fun, improvising songs on the spot and the joy of nonsense. Rhyme, rhythm, song, movement and laughter all feature in her sessions currently working with 0-98 year olds.
DADGAD Tuning for Guitar with Paul Openshaw
Popular Dorset based singer/song-writing/guitarist, Paul Openshaw will be sharing his open tuning methods in this workshop. DADGAD tuning opens up ways to move around the fretboard by using passing chords and inversions enabling ‘key-hopping’ with relative ease. Get that guitar out, come and try something different or just come along and listen, you’ll have a wonderful hour absorbing the experience, stories and enjoying the company of this natural wordsmith.
Sea Art with Verity Ridout
Let creativity shine (especially if the sun doesn’t) at our kids’ sea-themed art workshops. There are two sessions where children will have the opportunity to participate in a whole host of fun arty activities – it’s an ideal place for them to explore their creativity with some messy fun! Verity Ridout is a local artist and musician with a special love of quirky, messy art activities. At Little Art (4 – 8 year old) we’ll create sea-scapes by ink blowing seaweed and finger painting waves. For Bigger Art (7 – 12 year old) we’ll continue the sea theme by making underwater scenes with bubble painting, hand printed sea creatures and ink blowing.
Learn to Play the Spoons with Graham Winter
Graham is a local folk enthusiast, former Morris dancer and self-taught spoons player is back by popular demand. Having been involved with folk music and dancing for many years but lacking the skills to play an instrument, seeking out a portable easy to learn percussion instrument seemed the best way forward – he claims that even after 40 years there’s still room for improvement and is looking forward to meeting budding spoon players. If you like to keep your musical talents hidden, then the spoons could be just the instrument you’re seeking. Don’t forget to bring your own metal dessert spoons (no wooden spoons!)
Dorset tunes workshop
with Ruth Thompson
When Ruth can be dragged on-shore she may be recognised as one of the leading stalwarts of the local traditional music and dance scene. In this workshop, for any acoustic instrument, she will share tunes which have been documented or recorded in Dorset with emphasis on the Hardy and Benjamin Rose collections. Workshop on Sunday,
Come with ideas of well known or less familiar tunes for all to share. If you wish to lead tunes be prepared to play at a sensible speed for learning by ear. No party pieces though, please!
Participants should be sufficiently confident in playing the music at dance speed. There will be no pressure to lead. It won’t be possible to provide printed music for everything but bring any copies you may have for those who prefer to use the dots.
Tim Laycock on Sunday
‘The Wonderful Crocodile’ – Dorset folk tales and local story songs for all the family.
Dorset actor, singer and storyteller Tim Laycock brings stories to life. Providing family audiences with a wonderful performance of spoken and sung stories, often accompanied on concertina, melodeon or guitar. There’ll be plenty of opportunities for audience participation – this is an hour you won’t want to miss on Sunday.
Chris Reid on Sunday
Introduction to the English concertina.
The English concertina was invented by Charles Wheatstone in the early 1830s. You can recognise one by the 4 parallel rows of buttons and by the supports for thumb and little finger on each end. Have you always been interested in getting your hands on an English concertina? Come and be introduced to one at this workshop.
Chris Reid has played piano accordion from his teens playing for country dancing and for Morris dancing, he was also a Morris dancer for 25 years, first with Mendip and then with Wessex Morris Men. Six years ago Chris and his wife Tess started playing the English concertina, joined the West Country Concertina Players (WCCP) and now play regularly in music sessions and at WCCP events. Chris is currently Chairman of WCCP.
Matt Tarling
Learn to play an Irish jig (properly!). A workshop for students up to 18 years of age.
Matt, classically trained former Purcell School of Music student, has been a professional musician since 1994. With musical taste that ranges from improvisers like Stephane Grappelli and Jimi Hendrix, the discovery of Irish traditional fiddle playing led to him living in County Clare to better understand playing Irish music. There followed extensive tours throughout Europe with a variety of bands and numerous television and radio appearances.
Would you like to have more confidence or challenge your musical ability? This workshop will show you that there is a different way of playing music – would you like to learn how to play a jig that you can keep in your head, not on paper?Matt’s enthusiasm and your time in this workshop will release a love of traditional music that you didn’t know you had and get you on the road to being confident and able to join in with traditional music and musicians.
For musicians up to 18 years of age, Grade 1 standard and above (you don’t need to have taken exams, just be familiar with your instrument).
