Future Events

  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 always 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.
 

Next UK Autoharp Day

 

 

UK Autoharps – October Weekend 2008 at Sore Fingers Incorporating a ‘stand alone’ Saturday UK Autoharp Day

 

Friday 24th (from 5 pm), Saturday  25th & Sunday, 26th October (to 5 pm) 

Featuring Three Prize-Winning Tutors: Heather Farrell-Roberts, Nadine White,

and special Guest Tutor: Cindy Harris from the USA

 

In October, the Sore Fingers weekend event will run for its third year – and for a second time, UKA will be taking part!

  • If you are able to attend for the full weekend, there will be many opportunities for structured learning, sharing and music-making. In addition, this is a special chance to develop the personal connections which can only happen at an event that stretches over several days. The timing from Friday night through Sunday creates chances for you to ask questions, interact with other musicians and start consolidating your learning. The Saturday night Concert, featuring all the instruments supported at Sore Fingers Week, is a special treat.

  • If you come to Kingham for a stand-alone ‘Autoharp Day’ on Saturday, you will recognise a familiar format to other UKA days, with workshops to support players at varied levels of ability/experience. But this event will be different. It’s a longer day with more on offer, including a special opportunity to enjoy workshops led by visiting US autoharper, Cindy Harris (known to many UK autoharpers from the Cyberpluckers newsgroup and this year’s second prize winner in the prestigious Mountain Laurel Autoharp Contest).

This weekend at Kingham is a superb opportunity to strengthen your links with other members of the autoharp community and the wider Sore Fingers community of musicians. For anyone who is considering attending their first full Sore Fingers week next Easter, it provides an invaluable ‘taste of good things to come’.

The usual UKA Autoharp Day format is geared to support beginners and ‘improvers’. The extra Sunday workshops at Sore Fingers are geared towards players who are at the ‘improver/advanced’ level of playing, although newer players are very welcome to take part and will find the workshop content both interesting and stimulating.

Because of the cost of organising and running a weekend event, the fees for the events of this weekend are different from those of usual UK Autoharp day.

Full Sore Fingers Weekend

To book the full weekend, go to the Sore Fingers Website at: www.sorefingers.co.uk to download a booking form outlining the tuition and accommodation options. Or get a booking form from the Sore Fingers organisers: John & Moira Wirtz at 01373 813590

 

Saturday Only Autoharp Day of Workshops (25th October)

  • UKA member (concessionary rates): £25.00 per person
  • Non-UKA member: £35.00 per person

Please Note: on this occasion, there will be no concessionary rate for ‘first time’ Autoharp Day attendance or for ‘family’ attendance.

The one-day rates for Saturday are significantly lower than the charge per day which is paid by those booking for the full weekend. The evening concert is a bonus which only those attending for the full weekend can enjoy, but UKA will also make up the difference in costs for their members who attend the full weekend, by issuing them with a voucher to cover their attendance at a Spring or Summer UK Autoharp Day in 2009.

Autoharp Weekend at Sore Fingers – Draft Programme

Friday 24th October

Arrive at Kingham from 5 pm register & unpack
  Gather in Autoharp Room (Music Block, downstairs) for informal playing/chat
7 pm Dinner
After Dinner options:

In the Music Area (Autoharp Rooms) – Meet the workshop leaders and old friends, Play together and/or enjoy a ‘gentle jam’ if requested, plus playing/sharing in smaller groups (upstairs in the Music Block if a jam is running downstairs)

In the Bar/Dining Room – Jam sessions with other instruments (with a Bluegrass/American Old-Time music focus)

Saturday 25th October

  Breakfast
9.00 Morning Assembly (all participants in the Main Hall)

   
  UKA Single-Day Programme Begins Here
9.15 Welcome to Autoharpers (Music Block downstairs)
9.30 Break up into two parallel groups for WORKSHOP ONE:
  • Beginners/Newer Players (including support/confidence-building) - Heather
  • Improvers/Experienced players - Nadine
10.30 Coffee/tea break – provided by UKA in the Music Room
11.00

break up into two parallel groups for WORKSHOP TWO, led by Heather(beginners) and Cindy (improvers)

(you can choose to go into a different level group at this point, if you want)

12.00 All together for short ‘Whole Group Playing’ session led by Nadine
12.50 Lunch – single-day participants to bring a packed lunch
14.00

Slow jam (a led play-along session, with simple chord sequences) led by Cindy

UKA AGM (postponed from July)

15.00 Whole Group Workshop ‘Singing with the Autoharp’ led by Cindy
16.00 Sharing/Open Stage – Nadine to Lead
17.00 end of UKA Single-Day Programme
   
17.15 Dinner
19.00 – 21.00

Evening Concert
 followed by jamming in the bar and/or time together with other autoharpers in the Music Block.

Sunday 26th October

Breakfast

  
9 am ‘Morning Assembly’ (all participants in the Main Hall)
9.30 In the Music Room - Autoharpers ‘stretching’ session on Israeli Dance Tunes. Cindy Harris will expand the workshop she led this year at Mountain Laurel. Cindy says: ‘These tunes look simple on paper, but are actually very challenging to play well because of the syncopation and the need to play the rhythm with the thumb while driving the rhythm into the melody with the fingers. Any less-advanced players who want to chord along can do that, but I think the experienced players will enjoy the challenge of playing those tunes.  And they're all very beautiful, not lickety-split fast, so I think everyone should enjoy them.’
11.00 Coffee/tea break – provided by UKA in the Music Room
11.30 Panel of Players ‘How do you get a New Tune into your Brain and Fingers?’ - Led by Heather, a panel of advanced players will share their approaches to learning a new tune. This session will be very much open to questions/suggestions from the whole group, and will include short demonstrations.
12.50 Lunch
14.00 ‘Show and Tell – Tune and Song Round-Robin’. Led by Nadine, you have a chance to share a tune or song that you are working on at the moment - something that you are particularly pleased with, or that you would appreciate some advice on how to take the tune forward.
15.00 ‘Carolan Together’  (Nadine, Heather and Cindy) – A gentle session of playing together one of the most autoharp-friendly tunes written by the blind Irish harper Turloch O’Carolan.*… with some discussion of alternative chordings, which change the emotional ‘colour’ of the tune. (Note: tune to be chosen from the most well-known of Carolan’s tunes, frequently played in music sessions. Other Carolan tunes may also be available on the day).
15.30 End of workshops… ‘final tea/coffee break/farewells’
17.00 The END.

   Click here for Biographies of Autoharp Tutors

Booking Form for UKA Autoharp Day –

 Saturday 25th October 2008 (Day Only) 9.15 am-5 pm

at Kingham Hill School, nr. Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire

 Workshop Leaders: Heather Farrell-Roberts, Nadine Stah White,

and special Guest from the USA: Cindy Harris.

 

Name(s)…………………………………………................UKA Member(s) Y/N

Address…………………………………………………………………….

……………………………………………………..Post Code……………

Tel. No……………………………………………

Email………………………………………………

Rates for the day:  

Please note: These special rates which apply to this particular UK Autoharp Day, which is longer than usual, has a guest workshop leader from the USA and takes place during the Sore Fingers autumn weekend. In this instance, there will be no concessionary rates for family/first time attendance.

I enclose a cheque for the full amount of £……. or a deposit of £5.00 per person.

Please make cheques payable to UK AUTOHARPS and send this form & your payment to UKA Advance Organiser, Sue Edwards, 24 Berkeley Close, Cashes Green, STROUD, Gloucestershire GL5 4SA  (telephone: 01453 750513)

 

To help tutors plan their workshops the following information would be really helpful. Please Circle as appropriate:

·        I will need to borrow an autoharp for the day   (Circle One)                YES/NO

The day’s workshops will take place in the keys of G and D, and the ‘Singing with the Autoharp’ workshop will probably also use the keys of C and F. A standard chromatic autoharp which covers these keys will be fine, but it will also possible to use single or multi-key diatonic autoharps.

·        I am: a new player……..fairly experienced……..able to read music………      ……………Used to playing by ear.

·        Workshop I will probably join at 9.30 (circle one):

Beginners/Newer Players   or      Improvers/Experienced Players

 

(Of course, you can change your mind on the day, but this information helps us to prepare worksheet handouts in advance.)

 

Map and Location

The Venue for Sore Fingers Week (at Easter) and Sore Fingers Weekend (at the end of October) is Kingham Hill School is situated in north Oxfordshire, just south of the A44/A436 linking Chipping Norton and Stow on the Wold. Information on these events, which include study of a range of instruments (including autoharp, of course) can be found at: www.sorefingers.co.uk

Its full address is: Kingham Hill School, Kingham, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire OX7 6TH

The Venue for the Autoharp events is the ‘Music Block’… adjacent to number (9) on the School Location Plan, above.  

Main Parking Area is a large tarmac space directly outside ‘Top School’ - number (3) on the School Location Plan.

        

Other Events
Future Autoharp Days:-

To be advised 

 

 

 

Sore Fingers

 

October 2008 Weekend - see details above

 

 

 
 

 

Where to hear/see the Autoharp in action