WORKSHOPS   This year we will be holding some fantastic skills workshops for all ages. The workshops will last for one hour each and will be held in rooms above the town festival office in Beaufort Square on Saturday 11am to 3pm and Sunday 10am to 1pm. SEE BELOW. 

• SATURDAY 5th 
• 1.30 - 2.30pm. Beginners whistle with Donald Stewart. 
• 1.30 - 2.30pm. Advanced whistle with Joe Brady. 
• 12.15 - 1.15pm. Beginners bodhran with Donald Stewart. 
• 12.15 - 1.15pm. Advanced bodhran jack stewart. 
• 12.15 - 1.15.  Beginners mandolin / tenor banjo with Dikka Cram. 
• 1.30 - 2.30.  Intro to 'fiddle' style (for young classical players, minimum standard set)  with Dogan mehmet and scott McKeon  ( not for beginners)
• 2.45 - 3.45  Traditional Irish Singing with Marianne McAleer.   Learn the secret of singing an Irish song in the traditional style with Marianne McAleer, the current All-Britain Champion in Irish  singing and also in Lilting. Words will be provided but a small tape recorder might be useful just in case you forget where to put the vocal ornaments after a weekend in Chepstow! Other than that,  you will need your voice, your ears and an interest in the fireside ballads of Ireland. Marianne has learned from some of the great traditional singers over many years and has a wealth of songs to share.
• 11am - 12 noon. Intermediate guitar with  Tom Bliss  "Tom takes questions from 'improving beginners' to 'anyone a tiny bit better than he is (!)', on chord shapes, tunings, strumming techniques, finger and classical styles, melody and bass-lines, choosing a guitar - and anything else to do with playing the guitar a little bit better than you do already!"
• 11am - 12 noon.  Harmonica with  Ted Crum and  Will Pound  The workshop will be for players wanting to learn more about the instrument and what it can do.  We will concentrate on the diatonic harmonica but will touch on the chromatic.  There will be participation and you should bring a diatonic harp in the key of G major in order to fully take part (Ted will have some available to buy if you turn up without one).  Workshop notes will be available to take away with you, and tunes will be the sort of session tunes you will already be familiar with, so don’t bother with dots unless you want to.
• 11am - 12 noon.  Spoons with Pat Smith  All that is needed for this workshop are two desert or soup spoons per person (please bring your own spoons) Over the years Pat has taught spoons at festivals all over the world and has formed orchestras who have played in concerts, pieces of music such as, “The Can Can” and Rossini’s “William Tell Overture”. Pat teaches the basics of spoons playing taking students through the Jigs, reels, Polkas and Hornpipes of the folk tradition. Its very loud and great fun to learn.
•  SUNDAY 6th
• 12 noon - 1pm. Family Event "Folk Instruments"  we demonstrate to families a vast array of instruments , Double Bass, bouzouki, mandolin, mandola, button accordian, guitar, bodhran, banjo, bones, and other percussive instruments. Not only do we explain how they work but we invite audience to "have a go" so they get hands on ( at least one instrument)
  lasts about one hour

If you would like to perform or join in a session  in a very friendly, supportive environment, don't forget we have a Folk Club Friday and Saturday evenings (above town festival office, Beaufort sq).