Stewart Hardy's Newsletter, September 2016
FacebookGreetings to one and all! Here’s hoping that everybody had a great summer. It was lovely to see so many old friends at various events around the country. Back in July, Rothbury Traditional Music Festival was blessed with great weather and it was terrific to see it so well supported. Congratulations to all those members of the Tyneside Fiddle Alliance who participated so successfully in the competitions, including two of its youngest members who made their dad very proud! As well as gallivanting around a few festivals, the summer was packed full with finishing the new Maddison’s Thread CD, residential workshops and even a two-week holiday - eeee... the luxury!

September 2016

Sedgefield Folk Festival

Sat 3rd Sept

By the time you get this newsletter, this event will have been and gone. Congratulations to all the organizers who work so hard to make this such a friendly, community-based event. Both George Welch and I were made to feel very welcome and our job was made all the more easy and fun thanks to your wonderful hospitality and helpfulness. A special hello to Cathryn Craig and Brian Willoughby - your banter was great guys. Hope your gig went well and congratulations on getting married. A heads up for everybody else: Cathryn and Brian will be playing at Cramlington Folk Club on Tuesday 25th October - a night not to be missed!

JSArts Fiddle Workshop

Fri 9th - Sun 11th Sept @ JSArts, Grantham

Okay, it was only the beginning of July when I was last in Grantham with Jimmy and Joanne but it feels like ages ago. Really looking forward to going back very soon, seeing some old friends and meeting some new ones. Looks like it will be a fun group to work with. Due to a late cancellation there may even be one sneaky place available. Get in touch with Jimmy and Jo quickly if you fancy coming along (info@jsarts.co.uk). I’m told that at this moment, the rest of the workshops for JSArts in 2016 are fully booked. Nevertheless, do please keep the enquiries going to Jimmy and Jo since, as has happened this time, people do on occasion have to cancel and places appear last minute. I’ll continue mention them in these newsletters but do also have a look at their website for next year’s dates.

Beamish Agricultural Show

Thurs 15th - Fri 16th Sept @ Beamish Museum

Once again the wonderful Bill Elliot and I will be spending two days at Beamish Museum this September for their Agricultural Show. Beamish provides a great excuse to dress up and Bill and I need little encouragement to don a costume (check out the photo!). Last year we had a great time working with Meg O’Brien teaching ceilidh dances to school children (and anyone else who fancied it)  and we are looking forward to entertaining the crowds again this year, as the museum aims to recreate a typical agricultural show from the early 1900s.

Advance Notice

Stewart Hardy & Frank McLaughlin

October Concerts

Monday 11th October will see us entertaining the participants of the Northumbrian Pipers Course in Whitley Bay at a private concert. There will, however, be two House Concerts during that week: Tuesday 11th will be in Brampton and the Saturday night, 15th October, will be in Jesmond. More details on these events will be available in the next newsletter and on our duo's Facebook page or by email.
 

Recent Concerts

On Wednesday 24th August we had the pleasure of playing a short concert in Whitby at the Yacht Club. This was a Regatta special concert with a donation from the ticket price going to the RNLI. There had been a Eurosession in the afternoon, and we played an hour's set at 8pm. It was an absolute pleasure to do this. The atmosphere was terrific and it was a delight to share the occasion with many old friends... and what a view out of the window! More music followed in the form of an exciting session before we finally headed back up to Tyneside. Frank and I would like to say a huge thank you to the members of the Yacht Club for their tremendous hospitality and amazing hard work in putting on this event. A special mention to Katy Robinson who made this possible and to Jimmy and Jo from JSArts for their support. Photo credit: Frankie Cleeve.

We were also excited to perform as part of the Edinburgh Fringe "Folk at the Oak" on Saturday 27th Aug. The Wee Folk Club really lives up to its name and reputation - small, indeed tiny, but huge on heart and atmosphere. Frank and I enjoyed the chance to try out some new material as well as our favourite sets. Now we will be rehearsing for our October concerts, and for a few days in the studio in Edinburgh.

Recent Events

Maddison's Thread

August has seen the final studio sessions with Lee Maddison on the new album for Maddison's Thread. A great effort has been put in by all involved, not least of all Tony Davis at Cluny Studios, and Lee himself. We have been privileged to include performances from many exciting artists - what a joy it has been to produce and I can't wait to be able to share the results with you. The mixing is now complete and Lee has been to London to have the album mastered by Jon Astley at Close to the Edge.

Last week was the most recent Maddison's Thread gig, this time at the Quakerhouse in Darlington. It was great to be back at this cracking venue with a receptive crowd on a sunny, late Sunday afternoon. Look out for Lee's solo gigs too as he plays at venues round the region.

Historically Informed Summer School

15th - 19th Aug 2016 @ Scarborough

I’m trying hard to put my finger on why, for me, this, the sixth Historically Informed Summer School has been the most enjoyable HISS to date. It is a fantastic team of tutors to work with - so open, friendly and professional (a special welcome at this point to the amazing Rebecca Austen-Brown) - and collaborations have never been more fun. The participants provide a perfect mixture of irreverent banter, focused attention and active participation. The organisers make the running of such a potentially chaotic occasion look like the easiest thing in the world (a special welcome to the zen-like Sammi Tooze). And the venue has provided some of the most helpful staff (particularly in the kitchens) that it has been my pleasure to encounter on this type of event. A gallery of photos is available on their website and, if you are inspired, look out for the booking info for next year.

Folk Summer School @ Halsway Manor

Aug 30th - Sept 1st 2016

Nine hours there and nine hours back sharing a car with the inimitable Mr Trevor Wilkinson might sound like a daunting prospect but believe it or not (and those of you who know Trevor may shake your heads in disbelief) never has eighteen hours gone past so quickly in such rich and engaging conversation. And may I say, Trevor, that the experience was in no way tarnished whatsoever when, as we pulled into your driveway, you removed the plugs from your ears!! Many thanks for your company, mate. We both had a fine time in Somerset and it was great to be reunited with this outstanding team of tutors who demonstrate such fantastic good practice in their tuition.

Maddison's Thread

Charlatans and Blaggers - Cluny Studios live

This wonderful song of Lee's will be on his new album. The video of this live studio recording is from April of last year - you'll have to wait for the album release to see how it has developed!
Maddison's Thread - Charlatans and Blaggers - Cluny Studios  live session
Charlatans and Blaggers, Maddison's Thread.
Cluny Studios live: 16th April 2015.

Upcoming Events

Fri 9th - Sun 11th Sept: Fiddle Workshop, JSArts @ Grantham

Thurs 15th & Fri 16th Sept: Bill Elliot and Stewart Hardy @ Beamish Agricultural Show
 
Advance Notice

Fri 7th - Sun 9th Oct: Mixed Instruments Workshop, JSArts @ Grantham

Tues 11th Oct: Stewart and Frank, House Concert @ Brampton

Sat 15th Oct: Stewart and Frank, House Concert @ Jesmond

Tues 1st Nov: Bottle Bank Band @ Creighton Memorial Hall, Embleton
 
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Copyright © 2016 Stewart Hardy, All rights reserved.
stewart@stewarthardy.co.uk
Newsletter edited by Ali Say (music@stewarthardy.co.uk)



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