Future Events

UKAA logo 2012 Summary of Key events

  1. March 10th 2012 - Stroud - UKA Day, hosted by Sue Edwards - full programme and booking form available below
  2. March 31st - April 1st - Four "Autoharp Come and Try" sessions will be led by Nadine White at the 2012 Edinburgh International Harp Festival on the Saturday and Sunday. These sessions (2 each day) are for absolute beginners, with autoharps provided. See details from January on: http://www.harpfestival.co.uk/
  3. April9th - 13th  2012 - Sore Fingers Week with John Hollandsworth
  4. May 26th 2012 - Cowarth-Flexlands School, Woking, Surrey - UKAA Day hosted by Jackie and Colin Aylott. A very successful event last year, more details of this will follow soon, keep the date free. Stop Press - Now with Added FISH! Bob Fish, that is!
  5. July 7th 2012 - The American Museum, Bath - extra special UKAA Day, as part of the Bath Americana Festival. More details will follow when we have them, but this very special event will be publicised by the Bath Americana Festival and may involve many more tutors and demonstrators than usual, hoping to involve the public visiting the Museum and the bluegrass fans visiting Bath for the festival. We are very grateful to the American Museum, for agreeing to host this event.
  6. August 10th - 12th - Moniaive, Scotland - the soon to become traditional Scottish Autoharp Weekend, hosted by Nadine and Ian White. More details to follow. Last year several of our English members made the journey North to this festival - and returned to tell the tale, of a wonderful weekend of autoharping. We are sure we can do even better this year.
  7. 28th - 30th September - The autoharp has been part of the Moniaive Michaelmas Bluegrass Festival since its inception in 2009. Once again, Nadine White is booked to lead an Autoharp Workshop and perform at the festival. See the website at http://www.moniaivebluegrass.co.uk for full details of the 2012 festival
    plus some photos from past festivals.
  8. Autumn 2012 - Somewhere near Derby! - UKAA Day hosted by John Orchard. This day is still, shall we say, at the planning stage!
    9.

UKAA logo  UK Autoharp Days

UK Autoharp Days are open to everyone - you don't have to be a UK Autoharps member. Every UK Autoharp Day includes workshops and other activities for players at all levels, from experienced players to absolute beginners. There is usually an 'autoharp doctor' maintenance service. Come and try the autoharp at a special reduced rate for 'first-timers' - we can even lend you an instrument for the day. 

UKAA logo UKAA Days Planned for 2012

The next UKAA Day will be on:

 Saturday 10th March 2012
At St Matthew’s C of E Primary School, Church Road, Cainscross, Stroud, Glos GL5 4JE

10.00 – 11.00.  Arrival  (Time to check your tuning and meet up with friends)

11.00 – 11.15.  Welcome and Playing demonstration

11.15 – 12.30.  Workshops

1. Beginners 1st session  (Beginners)  Guy Padfield will take  absolute beginners, with whatever harps they have. If you need to borrow a harp for the day, please tick on the booking form.

2. (Intermediate) – Heather Farrell-Roberts, Diatonic G/D or Chromatic.

3. (Advanced) – Mike Fenton

12.30 – 1.15.            Lunch (bring your own picnic, but tea, coffee, soft drinks are provided)

1.15 – 2.00.           

             1. Slow Jam session – Leader Bob Ebdon

2. One on one sessions with Mike Fenton. Please use the space on the booking form to let us know if you would like a slot with Mike, about 15 minutes each. These will continue during workshop 2.

2.00 – 3.00.     Workshops

                   1. Beginners 2nd session (Beginners) – Heather Farrell-Roberts

2. Singing with the autoharp (Intermediates) – Shan Graebe

This workshop will need a chromatic or G/D diatonic. 

3. Show and Tell (Advanced) The idea of this workshop is any advanced players not in another class will come together to share what they are working on. Please bring some music that you can share.           

3.00 – 3.15.     Tea break.  

3.15 – 4.15.     Group workshop for all with Mike Fenton. This session is for any player.

4.15 - 5.00     Break (cakes etc provided) and Raffle – contributions of cake and prizes will be most welcome.

5.00. – 6.00.    Open Stage. (Go on, you know you want to! You don’t have to play solo. Why not arrange to play in a group?)

6.00 – 7.00.     Clean up (help would be much appreciated) and farewells.

 

Autoharps can be borrowed for the day – please indicate this on the booking form.

Tea, coffee and soft drinks will be available at all times.

Don’t forget to bring your lunch, paper, pencil and a music stand if you have one.

A small recorder is also useful for recalling tunes after you get home.

You can download the programme for this day in Word format here, an accommodation list here, and a booking form here

 
Scottish Autoharp Weekend Scottish Autoharp Weekend 2012*
10th, 11th and 12th August in Moniaive, Scotland

Building on the successful event of 2011, the second Scottish AutoharpWeekend will once again happen this coming August in the musical villageof Moniaive in Dumfriesshire. A programme of workshops, music sessions and concerts is currently being arranged – with activities planned for all levels of player (from experienced autoharpers to absolute beginners). We intend to bring back some favourite performers and tutors from last year and also include some exciting new workshops and other events during the weekend.
So Watch This Space for more details to be posted in January! For more details contact (Programme Organiser):
Nadine White nadine AT ifwtech.co.uk
* a UK Autoharps event
 

Regular Autoharp Meetings

Apart from the above special events for 2012, there are also some regular meetings of autoharpers in some areas. One of these is the Wednesday Music Group run by Chris and Chris Younger in the Village Hall at Cold Higham, Northhamptonshire, on the first Wednesday of each month. Up to 7/8 autoharpers and some other instruments meet here usually. Telephone 01327 830 476 to confirm there is a meeting. Similarly, Sue Edwards runs a small group called Bird in Hand, which meets intermittently near Stroud. She will let us have details of any meetings planned after Christmas. Also up and running is the Isle of Man group, run by Jan Brodie - if you are ever on the island, she would be able to tell you where and when they meet. And, in the summer of 2009, a Southwest Scotland Autoharp Group began meeting once a month on a Saturday afternoon to enjoy playing and singing together, developing repertoire and techniques. Nadine White is leading the group, which currently meets in her home near Whithorn. Contact Nadine at nadineATifwtech.co.uk to confirm the date and details of the next meeting - and for travel directions. If you run any similar activity, please let me know and I will spread the word.
 Sore Fingers
John and Kathie Hollandsworth Sore Fingers is a unique event, run by two unique people, John and Moira Wirtz. Around 300 quite mad musicians get together in the Cotswolds at Kingham School and make Bluegrass music. Mostly. Some drinking may be involved. John and Moira organise - in the loosest sense of the word - two events each year, and we are priviliged to be able to insert an autoharp class into this mayhem. The upcoming events are:


Sore Fingers Easter Week - 9th - 13th Apr 2012

The Autoharp tutor for the Easter Week is the wonderful John Hollandsworth, from Virginia, USA. John is an accomplished luthier, under the name of Blue Ridge Autoharps, and a very fine musician as witnessed by his many recordings. Spending a whole week with such a master autoharper is not to be missed.

Sore Fingers October Weekend - dates and tutor to be announced