Workshops
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Thursday Workshop
Steeples
17.30 to 18.20 Jon Boden’s Colourchord Singing Workshop. This is a really exciting opportunity to take part from scratch in four-part harmony singing. Jon will teach you his unique system for empowering untrained singers to sight-sing in four-part harmony, using colour-coded lyric sheets, rather than musical notation, which he’s developed with funding support from Awards for All. (Material provided by Jon).
We'd like to get an idea of how many are attending so please email us if you want to take part: information@southwellfolkfestival.org.uk
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Saturday Workshops
Barleycorn Bar
11.00 to 12.00 Tuneworks Beginners’ Workshop
Steeples
10.30 to 11.20 Sunjay: Mastering the Art of Acoustic Guitar.
An advanced workshop exploring technique, tone, and musicality. Learn how to refine your playing, enhance dynamics, and develop your own expressive style. Whether it’s rhythm, lead, or improvisation, this session will help you take your acoustic guitar skills to the next level. Bring your guitar!
16.20 to 17.10 Rosie Hood Song Arrangement Workshop
Learn a song from The Rosie Hood Band. They will talk through how they built the arrangement, teaching as they go, then you can perform it together with them at the end. Singers and all instrumentalists welcome.
17.30 to 18.30 Tuneworks Improvers’ Session
Sunday Workshops
Steeples
11.00 to 12.50 Meet the Mandolinquents
Simon Mayor is ‘one of the world’s great mandolinists’ according to BBC Radio 3. Join the Mandolinquents in a light-hearted ‘meet and greet’. Tips, quips, questions and demos of styles of mandolin, banjo, fiddle, guitar, ukulele, mandola and mandobass. With Simon will be Hilary James, Velvet voiced wielder of the mighty mandobass; Richard Collins, 3-time UK Bluegrass Banjo champion; and Elias Sibley, a classical ukelele wizard, and pre-bluegrass banjo player.
15.40 to 16.30 Dave Wilson’s Songwriters’ Forum
16.40 to 17.30 Gren Bartley Guitar Workshop
Join songwriter and guitarist Gren for a dive into the rich world of fingerstyle guitar. He’ll explore right-hand patterns, dynamics, and techniques to bring your playing to life, plus how alternate tunings can open up new creative possibilities, even with simple shapes. All levels welcome, but some basic guitar experience will help you get the most out of the session. Bring your own guitar.
17.40 to 18.30 Tuneworks Improvers’ Session
Frontier Stage
10.15 to 11.15 Rye Sisters Singing Workshop
Sue Pomeroy & Ishani Siriwardena lead one of their renown singing workshops
Barleycorn Bar
11.00 to 12.00 Tuneworks Beginners’ Workshop
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