WORKSHOPS

A fun and accessible introduction to foot percussion with Arthur & Kerran. Learn a few simple rhythms and how to build them into your playing. No experience needed - just bring yourself and a pair of shoes!
Suitable for all ages and abilities, and guaranteed to be good fun.

Having fun with some tunes, both traditional and more recent, that move outside the common reel, jig and hornpipe. 

Open to any melodic instrument - notation will be available

Frankie will give a rundown on the technical setup she uses in producing and performing music, and give attendees the opportunity to try this for themselves. 

Learn a traditional English tune and explore some ways we can bring the music to life as fiddle players, including options for groove and harmony ideas.

We'll be exploring traditional bell ringing practices, with an added twist of some more contemporary harmonies, and some (optional) choreography.

Belleplates are bonny sounding instruments that are very accessible to play with a gentle flick of the wrist, and have a lovely resonance.

No prior experience needed or expected, all ages and abilities welcome.

By the end of the session participants will have learned a folk song in three part harmony and be able to sing it all together. The workshop is open to all singing abilities, from the shower singers to the folk club singaround regulars!

By the end of the session participants will have learned a folk song in three part harmony and be able to sing it all together. The workshop is open to all singing abilities, from the shower singers to the folk club singaround regulars!

Steve Bentley is a bodhrán player with folk band Greenman Rising, and has run workshops at lots of festivals including Shrewsbury, New Forest and Beardy. He welcomes everyone including complete beginners, and will have a number of drums available for those who aren’t bringing their own. 

What makes a lullaby?  Is it the rythmn of a cradle being rocked to music and words;  are they meant to send a baby to sleep; or do they exist to comfort a despairing mother?  As old as Man, many cradle songs contain motifs of superstition, dread. battle, evil, and kidnapping, as well as love - some of these all at the same time - so, not as soothing as you might think.  

Ailsa will discuss lullabies of the British Isles, demonstrating their meanings and intent.  She would love you to join in.  Her impressive folk CV is too long to print here - suffice it to say, she is a member of Bryony, music director of The Ironopolis Singers, a member of Glaisdale Cloggers and plays harp and dulcimers. First and foremost, though, she a wonderful singer.  She is also the author of the best selling biography Shadows and Whispers - Graeme Miles Remembered.

In this workshop Archie will cover his approach to 'decorating a melody'. The session will explore how the bellows can be used to shape notes and phrases on the diatonic button accordion. Right hand ornamentation will be broken down and taught how and when to use. Suitable for all (except complete beginner)

Join The Furrow Collective (Lucy Farrell, Rachel Newton, Emily Portman and Alasdair Roberts) for a one-off workshop exploring folk songs from England, Scotland and beyond. This session is perfect for anyone who loves to sing together in harmony, and who’d like to expand their knowledge and repertoire of folk songs. Learning and exploring songs they've discovered over ten years of collaboration, there’ll be plenty of opportunity for group singing as well as for picking up tips on technique and style.

The group will also give an insight into how they work as a band—from uncovering and adapting traditional songs to arranging and performing together. By the end of the workshop, you’ll take away new songs, fresh ideas, and inspiration for your own singing.