- Workshop a comprehensive guide on the basic techniques for beginners and ideas for improving for more experienced players.
- Talk 1 – The Story of the Jew’s Harp: an international, historical and versatile musical instrument.
- Talk 2 – The Jew’s harp and the Law: witches, murderers and villains who played the Jew’s harp.
- Talk 3 – Geng-Gong to Gew-Gaw: Jew’s harp players from around the world – the incredible variety of playing styles from New Guinea to Scotland and the United States.
- Quiet Instruments Sessions: for musicians whose instruments are overwhelmed in other sessions and who want the opportunity to show their subtlety and melodic quality.
Workshop
A comprehensive guide on the basic techniques for beginners and ideas for improving for more experienced players.
These workshops look specifically at the instrument’s melodic potential, along with the historic and geographic context in which it has been, and is still being, played.
Anyone can benefit from the workshop – and if all a participant wants to do is to create sounds and rhythms, the basic techniques will help to minimise discomfort and give confidence while playing.
However, for those who want to take the possibilities further, this workshop is also suitable for them – but be warned, all we can show you are the fundamental techniques and possibilities. From then on it’s up to the individual.
“Fantastic” was the description of the Jew’s harp workshop at the Whitby Folk Week, 2001 by a participant. A series of four workshops and a pocket instruments session were held at the Folk Week in August.
Supported by ‘The Living Tradition’ magazine, the workshop provides essential information in the buying and playing of an underrated instrument.
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Talk 1 – The Story of the Jew’s Harp. An international, historical and versatile musical instrument
Presented at the National Folk Festival, Sidmouth International Festival and Whitby Folk Week, plus the festivals at Warwick, Holmfirth, Morpeth and Cleckheaton, this show gives answers to all the basic questions about the Jew’s harp – ‘Why the name? and ‘Where do they come from?’ being the most common, but also looking at everything from archaeological finds to collections.
Fully illustrated, it can either be presented as a PowerPoint or in slide form, with musical examples both live and in recordings.
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Talk 2 – Jew’s harp and the Law: witches, murderers and villains who played the Jew’s harp.
The first three named players of the Jew’s harp found so far were all tried, convicted and executed for one crime or another. These true stories of men and women accused of witchcraft or murder are truly astonishing and date from 1590 to 1730.
Based upon the most extensive research, much of which is taken from original documents, this show looks at some of the most bizarre and strange trials you are likely to come across.
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Talk 3 – Geng-Gong to Gew-Gaw: Jew’s harp players from around the world – the incredible variety of playing styles from New Guinea to Scotland and the United States.
Taken from contemporary and field recordings, this talk takes the participant from the forests and hills of North Vietnam to the vast expanses of Eastern Russia, from the Himalayas and Afghanistan to Europe and America.
The sheer variety of techniques and sounds from this small musical instrument is simply astonishing. Michael Wright puts the music into context and uses instrument from his own collection to illustrate the various techniques of the players.
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Quiet Instruments Sessions: for musicians whose instruments are overwhelmed in other sessions and who want the opportunity to show their subtlety and melodic quality.
Successfully tried out at Whitby Folk Week and the Morpeth Gathering in 2004, this session fills a gap in the Folk Festival programme by encouraging players who play musical instruments that are either drowned out in sessions or have to play so loud that subtlety goes out the window.
Described by a participant at Whitby as “the best session I’ve been to all week”, these sessions are entertaining as a group and an opportunity for individuals to share with others their enthusiasm for their instrument.
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