TUTOR Roland Gallery

This session will cover the skills and techniques required to prepare for a high standard of musical playing in performance.

Guidance will be given on preparing parts before the first rehearsal, leading and rehearsing a group of musicians, and balancing the parts to achieve a coherent interpretation of the music.

Advice will also be available on how to tackle complex and awkward sections to attain stability and confidence quickly, and how to achieve general coherence in regard to rhythm and tone quality.

Level: Intermediate/Advanced

Instruments: Any instrument

TUTOR Chris Egerton

Stringed-instrument conservator and restorer Chris Egerton

presents an illustrated talk on three remarkable historical

instruments: the BM Citole, the Ledbury Lute and the earliest

known English guitar. Drawing on his personal experience of

conserving the instruments, two of which he discovered, Chris

explores their origins, construction, historical significance and

restoration. The session offers an insight into how historic

instruments are examined, understood and preserved for future

generations. It is suitable for musicians, makers, historians and

anyone interested in the cultural and material history of musical

instruments.

LEVEL: All levels

INSTRUMENTS: None

Fretted instrument composition max. 5 mins duration. Composition to be unaided by any other person, reference or computer, with the sole exception that a computer may be used for typing and printing the score. While the contest will be adjudicated from the score prior to the Festival, the sound files will be played publicly during the Festival weekend.

Scores should be either:

1. [preferred option] Emailed as pdf document with accompanying mp3 (or similar) file of recorded performance or computer simulation

2. Sent as hard copy with accompanying CD/memory stick with recording of performance or computer-generated audio file

NB Contact details for submitting your entry will be emailed or telephoned to you.

If you wish to arrange for your composition to be played live during the Festival weekend, please tell us when you submit your entry.

Video performance for any number of players on fretted instruments. Non-fretted instruments are permissible in accompanying or supporting roles.

The performance must be presented as a single unbroken recording; camera angle can change, but no cutting and pasting of the audio is allowed.

Videos will be shown during the Festival weekend.

A player may enter twice as long as they are in different ensembles/orchestras or once as a soloist and once in an ensemble/orchestra.

Contact details for submitting a video will be emailed or telephoned to you.

(max 8 mins)

TUTOR Hugh Boyde

Recently picked up the mandolin and looking to take your next steps? Join us for a

hands-on workshop designed specifically for developing players. Whether you're

finding your way around the fretboard or getting comfortable with basic tunes, this

session focuses on building confidence in a relaxed, friendly setting. Open to all ages,

the exact session plan will be shaped around the players in the room. Bring your

instrument and let’s make some music!

TUTOR: Stelios Christodoulou

Does notation software get in the way between your ideas and a

finished score when you compose, arrange, or transcribe music?

This workshop will introduce the midi standard and various guitar

midi solutions, and will demonstrate using one with notation

software such as Musescore or Noteflight. We will discuss guitar to

midi challenges compared to using the keyboard, limitations of

midi input for notation, and alternative guitar tunings for

simulating banjo and mandolin. Participants can bring their own

midi controllers and devices running notation software or software

instruments.

Level: Intermediate/Advanced
Instruments: Any

TUTOR Matteus Collet

French guitarist Matthias Collet presents a discovery of the French repertoire of

tablature (1529–1773).

For three centuries, this notation method for lute and guitar evolved through the

Renaissance and Baroque periods.

It is associated with highly varied and original instrument tunings, diverse genres

(dances – pavane, courante, sarabande, minuet – polyphonic song, fancy, tombeau,

etc.), and composers of high caliber: Pierre Blondeau, Adrien Leroy, René Mézangeau,

Charles Mouton, François Campion, and others.

Level: All
Instruments: Any

TUTOR: Danielle Saxon Reeves

All banjo styles and tunings welcome- if your instrument is banjo shaped

please come and join us!

Music available in advance: melody, easy play along part and bass in

Standard notation

plus rhythm/chords provided.

(Please note tab will not be available as there are too many tuning

variables to accommodate this, but software is available for players to

convert the music for themselves in advance, happy to advise ).

In order to welcome a wide variety of players and backgrounds, music will

mainly be drawn from the Jazz, swing and blues traditions, with the

possibility of some folk or ragtime and even classical squeezed in here and

there.

Level: All
Instruments: Any Banjo

TUTOR: Iain Lennon

Improvisation isn’t nearly as daunting as it might seem! This workshop offers a

relaxed introduction to the world of improvisation. Using engaging musical

examples, every participant will be able to gain their first practical experience of

improvising. More advanced players will be able to learn some licks and adapt

their solos to the different styles of music.

We will be playing around with the music and not sticking strictly to what is on

the page. There are no wrong notes here!

Suitable for beginners and advanced players. A little knowledge of chords and

scales is useful, ability to read music is not necessary.

Level: All
Instruments: Any

TUTOR: Natalia Korsak

The workshop covers general aspects of right-hand technique.

A demonstration of techniques and methods for developing fluency and virtuosity.

Demonstration of exercises focusing on specific techniques. Tremolo

technique on one, two or three strings, and playing tremolo chords.

The classical mandolin repertoire, drawing on the traditions of R.Calace and

C.Munier, and exercises by G.Schradik and A.Dobigny.

LEVEL: All levels

INSTRUMENTS: Mandolin and Mandola

TUTOR Hugh Boyde

What can you do with a pick? Grab your guitar and join us

to explore some answers to this question. Whether you

are an experienced flatpicker or a fingerstyle guitarist

looking to expand, you will find something new. We’ll

start with a simple country song that we can all play

straight away, using it to explore what the plectrum does

best. We’ll then apply these ideas across a broad range of

music - and finally, we’ll start working up our own solo

arrangement of a melody, which you can take away and

develop further.

TUTOR: Nell Macleod

This workshop will get the party started and work on rhythmic and
ensemble skills for musicians of all ages and abilities! Samba music
brings together different rhythms on various percussion
instruments. The pieces we play, once the patterns have been
established, are crafted by the leader as they go along, making the
non-verbal communication skills so vital to practising musicians
absolutely paramount. We will work on understanding the
rhythmic basis of a piece before learning the patterns and breaks
to put it all together -and if anyone is brave enough they could
have a go at leading

!LEVEL: All

INSTRUMENTS: Provided

TUTOR Anna Langley

Ever wanted to create your own mandolin orchestra arrangement? In this
practical workshop, we’ll explore the role of each instrument in the
ensemble, learn some simple voice-leading techniques, and follow a
straightforward arrangement workflow from start to finish. Using an
existing piece of music, you’ll create a short arrangement and leave with
skills and confidence to develop your own ideas further.

Level: Beginners

Instruments: All

TUTOR: Craig Moran

This workshop is designed to help you develop your rhythmic reading, improve
your accuracy when playing, and understand how to interpret rhythms in different
musical styles. Anyone who has a grasp of basic rhythms (quavers, dotted
crotchets, semiquavers, etc.) should find something useful here. Through a
mixture of discussions, clapping games and practice on your instrument, we will
explore rhythmic challenges and exercises that you can incorporate into your own
practice to strengthen your rhythmic playing.

LEVEL: Intermediate/Advanced

INSTRUMENTS: Any fretted instrument

TUTOR: Iain Lennon

This workshop is an introduction to Brazilian Choro music. We will explore stylistic features of music from the
great mandolinist and composer Jacob do Bandolim, among others. You can play melody, harmony, chordal
accompaniment or bass. There is also always room for improvisation.

Level: Intermediate/Advanced
Instruments: Any fretted instrument or bass

BMG members, entrance to the full festival weekend.

Non BMG members, entrance to the full festival weekend.

BMG members entrance to festival for one day.

Non members entrance to festival for one day.

TUTOR Frances Taylor

Examine a mandolin concerto in the Italian Baroque style accompanied by

other orchestral instruments. This popular workshop, the eighth in the

concerto series, allows participants to experience the sonorities of bowed and

plucked strings together whilst exploring the conventions of 18th century

music. The music and information will be sent to participants in advance. We

shall be playing at baroque pitch (A 415 Hz) on period mandolins or modern

mandolins tuned down a semitone.

Level: Intermediate/Advanced

Instruments: Mandolin and Baroque mandolin

This higher price is to contribute to some of the cost of the professional musicians supporting this

session. Any additional donations would be most welcome.

For 2 - 9 players on any fretted instruments. Double bass or electric bass is allowed.

A player may enter twice as long as they are in different ensembles.

(max 6 mins)

For players 18 yrs and above on day of contests, on any fretted instrument.

Accompaniment on any one instrument permitted. A player may only enter once.

(max 4 mins)

For players under 18 yrs on day of contests, on any fretted instrument.

Accompaniment on any one instrument permitted. Age weighting will be applied to cover the range of contestant ages. Please state age when booking. A player may only enter once. (max 4 mins).