Music and Song Workshops

On sale now from Bridport Tourist Information Centre. Please see our Tickets page
All workshops are just £5 each to attend. Or maybe buy a day or weekend pass for all of them!
Times for the workshops will be in the program available in June.

Mitchell and Vincent - Guitar and Violin Harmony
A combined guitar and violin workshop which alongside instrumental playing ideas includes looking at playing music with other people (especially in a duo), particularly how arrangements of music and playing are affected, alongside more detailed techniques and ideas on Guitar and Violin playing. The violin side will focus on style and tone when playing traditional music. The guitar side will focus on adding variety to accompaniments (particularly how simple chord shapes can open up the fret-board) and tune playing. Open for all to come along  but for joining in playing then an average ability and basic knowledge of your instrument is recommended. Please bring your own instruments. -  Venue to be announced later.

Sunday at The Town Hall

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Ukelele with Ann Lambert
Ann Lambert  has been playing Ukulele for many years and performs as one half of Silver Chix. Ann will be running a next step ukulele workshop for people who can strum a few chords but want to progress to picking and arranging songs. Please bring your own instrument, age range 7 upwards!

Saturday at The Town Hall

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Geoff Lakeman on concertinas
Geoff Lakeman talks about all systems of concertinas ( English, Anglo and Duets) and, in particular, demonstrates the versatility of his Crane Duet in English and Irish folk,Americana and even twenties jazz.If you are interested in any sort of free-reed instrument this is a workshop for you. Come along, even if you don't have an instrument - bring  one if you do.

Sunday at The Arts Centre

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Slide Guitar with Garry 'The Slide Guy' Smith
Garry Smith has been playing acoustic and electric slide guitar for over forty years and will pass on some of the knowledge he's gleaned over this period covering getting a good sound, scales, chords in open tunings and getting beyond the expected blues repertoire. Come with a steel strung acoustic guitar. Some slides will be available to borrow and there will be printed handouts.

Sunday at The Town Hall

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Reg Meuross songwriting workshop/Q&A - Open Up Your Imagination.
Before Reg sings his songs he will often recall the story of how a chance meeting, a face in the crowd, a news article or an odd phrase overheard, or just the sheer beauty and power of words were the impulse for an act of imagination that led to writing the song.

A glimpse across a crowded cafe of two rock ‘n roll legend lookalikes became a song about ‘Phil Ochs & Elvis Eating Lunch in Morrison’s Café’. The realisation that two of his great literary & musical heroes Hank Williams & Dylan Thomas died within a year of each other was the seed that grew into the imaginary meeting of the two poetic giants in a bar in ‘Leavin’ Alabama.’

In this session, Reg will demonstrate how he opens up his imagination and combines real experience, memories and what surrounds him with pure acts of imagination and will share with you an exercise or two to open up your own creative process, as well as answering your questions.
Suitable for songwriters and lovers of songs.

Saturday at The Town Hall

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Concertina taster workshop run by the West Country Concertina Players (WCCP).
The WCCP have been running successful concertina workshops for more than 20 years at Folk Festivals and Weekend Workshops. They meet regularly near Taunton (go to http://thewccp.org/). Experienced tutors will be on hand with spare concertinas (both Anglo and English systems) for people try. So whether it is music for dance , song or just for fun why not come along and have a go.

Saturday at The Beach and Barnicott

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Luthier demonstration and talk with Marshall Stapleton
Marshall Stapleton – Luthier of forty years experience demonstrates the rudiments of constructing a contemporary stringed instruments using partly assembled components from his studio workshop.
Questions from the audience concerning their own projects will be welcome.

Saturday at The Town Hall

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Beginners Fiddle with Sophia
Do you own a violin and always wanted to try it, but not sure where to start??  This workshop is for beginners of all ages who are interested in starting the violin.  Whether you are interested in folk or other styles -come along with your violin and join Sophia, from Devonbird, and give it a go!

Saturday at The Town Hall

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Bouzouki - Andy Devonbird
Do you own a bouzouki ? Want to know more ?  Andy will be teaching Right hand and left hand  techniques To include strumming patterns and if time allows playing counter melody lines.In this workshop I focus on encouraging the students to use the whole instrument to embellish songs or tunes.

Sunday at The Arts Centre

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The Art Of Song Writing  - With Polly Morris
For songwriters, or for those who would like to be, come along to the Songwriting Workshop with Polly Morris and explore strategies and Ideas to help you on your way to developing your own song style. 

Sunday at The Town Hall

How To Engage and Audience with Polly Morris's Brian Harries
Do you have nightmares about standing in front of your colleagues for that presentation, or in front of your audience to play your Fluglehorn! Everybody needs to know how to engage an audience sometime. Brian Harries will go through some strategies that might just help.

(Do come..or there will not be an audience to engage…which will be ironic!)

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Vocal Harmony - No Direction
No Direction are somewhat unique in their use of carefully arranged 4 part harmonies giving a new dimension to a wide variety of songs.
Their sumptuous blend of unaccompanied harmonising is sometimes labelled Folkapella but this does not give true insight into the vast spread of their repertoire.
From Folk, Pop, World and Jazz to name but a few of their styles, they will transport you to a world of delight as you sit back and soak it in.

If you’d like to try it out for yourself, they will be doing a workshop on harmony singing.

Sunday at The Arts Centre

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Improvised Circle Singing with Petra Hughes
Fun for all abilities. ..inexperienced welcome as are expert singers. Through exercises and games, we develop ways to relax and sound. We listen together and create impromptu voice orchestras in trios pairs and groups. Being in the moment we will be working with; base, rhythm, percussion, melody, made-up noises and folk forms from around the world and elsewhere.
Max 20 people. There is water available to drink and nice loos.

Sunday at The Town Hall

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Shanties with Alan Twelftrees
I've been folk singing for 45 years including 8 years with the Wareham Whalers. The workshop will be mainly singing, with maximum participation from everyone, together some background information on the shanties and the way they were used.

Saturday at The Town Hall