2026 Block 3 – Saturday Workshop
This full-day fiddle workshop on Saturday 23rd May with Stewart Hardy and Grace Smith will contain teaching sessions containing in-depth, high-quality fiddle tuition. There will be three mixed-ability workshops and the chance to join in with a tutor-guided session.
Materials
These are the resources for the Saturday Workshop:
The West Indian (William Shields) – Notation (pdf)
Audio (mp3)
Jack’s Alive – Notation (pdf)
Audio (mp3)
Video playthough – Grace & Stewart
Session
The session element of the day will include tunes from our Live Teaching repertoire. If you have previous versions printed, you may only need the end pages from each new document, and you can choose the bowed or non-bowed version – you don’t need to have both. The Tune Sets document has the bowed versions of the tunes that we play together on the same page.
Latest NEFS Live Tunes updates: March 2026 – up to and including tunes from 2026 Blocks 2 Live Teaching.
There is a new Live Tune Sets document – April 2026 (with one set of tunes added on the last page)
Index of NEFS Live Tunes and Sets – Updated 15th April 2026
Our Big Tunes – Session Tunes we will play
- Gamekeeper’s Cottage (with the C part)
- Maggie O’Ham (Live Tunes, p.18)
- De Montford (Live Tunes, p.23)
- London Hornpipe (Live Tunes, p.13)
- Fallowfield / Andrew’s March (Live Tune Sets, p.13)
If you are new to our session material, these are 5 tunes/sets that we will definitely play if you’d like to have a listen in advance. All are available in the Live Tunes docs, except the first Gamekeeper’s Cottage (linked above).
Other new Live Tunes from this block:
- Shetland tunes – Notation (includes the Shetland Whalers Song, and But and Bein)
Some Live Tune Harmonies – just for fun, if you want to try them!
For full notation and audio files of all previous Live Tunes, and Zoom call recordings of the Live Teaching calls, please see the web page:
Details
Saturday 23rd May
10.00 am – 5.00 pm
Wylam Methodist Church, Chapel Lane, Wylam NE41 8AA
Please arrive from 9.45 am for a 10.00 am start.
- 10:00 – 11:15 : Workshop 1
- 11:15 – 11:45 : Morning break
- 11:45 – 13:00 : Workshop 2
- 13:00 – 14:00 : Lunch
- 14:00 – 15:15 : Workshop 3
- 15:15 – 15:45 : Afternoon break
- 15:45 – 17:00 : Session
You will need to bring all of your own equipment, including a music stand if you wish to use one.
Lunch is not included, so please bring a packed lunch, or there is a tea shop, a pub and a Spar a couple of minutes walk away. There will be a one hour break for lunch.
Tea and coffee will be provided during the morning and afternoon breaks (please advise us of any dietary requirements).
Travel
There is a small car park at the Methodist Church, or please park with consideration in the surrounding residential streets. Wylam Station is well connected by train (about 30 mins from Newcastle Central Station or 20 mins from Hexham Station) and is 10-15 mins walk away, or catch the X84 bus from Eldon Square (35 mins via West Road, or 52 mins from Hexham). If you would like a lift from the station, please ask and we will ask around.
COVID-Secure Guidelines
We will run the workshop with care and consideration for all. If you feel at all unwell, we ask that you take a lateral flow test before travelling, and do not attend if you get a positive result or think your illness might be contagious. Please continue to wash or sanitise your hands regularly and thoroughly, maintain a safe distance and bring an extra layer of clothing in case ventilation leaves the room slightly chilly.
By attending an in-person event organised by NEFS, you agree to follow any COVID-secure Workshop Guidelines in place, and any further reasonable requests made by the venue, the Tutors or Directors to keep the group safe and all attendees feeling as comfortable as possible.