Mellor Brook Fiddle Day 2009 - Music from the North of England

Saturday 14th. March 2009.

The word must be out because, this year, there were twenty seven participants keen to learn some ‘Music from the North of England’ on their fiddles. This represented an increase of approximately 50% on the numbers of players, in all categories, compared to last year. It was great to renew old friendships and to make new ones and this year’s event attracted participants from as far afield as Warrington, North-west Cumbria, Todmorden & Barnoldswick as well as the west coast of the county too. There were also several enquiries from much further afield but in the main the participants came from within the Lancashire County boundary.

Group 1, for ‘players’ and ‘advanced players’, was led by Robin Shepherd and he introduced the fiddlers to several tune types from traditional sources including from Joshua Jackson’s book. One of which was the Steampacket Hornpipe which, being very similar to the Railway Hornpipe of the James Nuttall manuscript, required great concentration from members of the Palatine Fiddlers in particular! All the material covered was well received.

Group 2 was led by Nikki Williamson who, like myself, is a graduate of the Folk and Traditional music degree course at Newcastle University. Her palette included music from Wm.Vicker’s manuscript and The Northumbrian Minstrelsy along with more contemporary pieces from Alistair Anderson and the late Will Atkinson. She included tunes with harmonies parts too. Again this was a group aimed at mixed abilities.

I led Group 3 which was solely for beginners although a couple of them had some previous form! I guided them through the maze of potential problems that often remain unanswered questions when you start to learn on your own. We considered many different aspects including bow and fiddle holds, choice of shoulder and chin rests, strings and tuning, learning by ear, bowing and left-hand finder patterns and tunes in the key of D Major not to mention the why’s, when’s and how’s of ornamentation. All this was done, of course, with one eye on music from this county.

There were a couple of interruptions during the day, firstly from a friendly photographer and then by a friendly reporter, both from the Lancashire Telegraph. The fact that neither of them played an instrument, nor wished to, didn’t do them any favours but posing for a few photographs and answering their questions provided an interesting interlude for us all.

All the tunes and information presented by the tutors went down really well. So much so, that the fiddlers seemed undeterred by the threat of the group performances that would be held, in front of their peers, at the end of the day. Towards the end of the final workshop, however, there was an air of expectancy laced with a few nerves amongst those unfamiliar with being on stage, which was already erected and in position for the evening’s concert. Needless to say everyone participated, with flying colours, in presenting material they had learnt during the course of the day and often to tumultuous applause! To round off the day all the participants were presented with a small memento of the day (to hang on their fiddles!).

As last year, the evaluation forms showed an overwhelming satisfaction with the day and some interesting suggestions for next year’s event to which we will be considering in due course, so watch this space. It seems likely now that this event will become what I have described before as a ‘must do’ for all fiddlers from the Northern Region and looking at my website hits, appeals to a much wider audience too.

A special thank you to the tutors and to Tina Cook. She worked so hard catering for us all. Thanks to Folkus too for their kind support.

The evening concert featured The Palatine Fiddlers, who played from their repertoire of mainly Lancashire melodies. Myself accompanied by Richard Moss on guitar and we played an international selection of melodies including one of my own compositions. And, of course, the winners of the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award 2008 Jean Leslie & Siobhan Miller who received a warm Lancashire welcome for their tight harmonies and beautifully sculpted arrangements of mainly Scottish traditional songs and tunes. In my view their guitarist, Matheu Watson, proved himself to be already very accomplished.