The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #134372 Message #3055609
Posted By: Valmai Goodyear
17-Dec-10 - 10:56 AM
Thread Name: Icelandic vocal workshop Lewes 26 Feb
Subject: Icelandic vocal workshop Lewes 26 Feb
Dear Everyone,
Booking for this is now open:
Lewes Saturday Folk Club Workshop No 141
Chris Foster & Bara Grimsdottir
ICELANDIC HARMONY SINGING & BALLADRY WORKSHOP
Places £30
Saturday 26th February 2011
10.45 a.m.- 4.45 p.m.
Elephant & Castle White Hill Lewes BN7 2DJ
Chris is a much-admired guitarist & singer firmly rooted in the English tradition. Bára is a fine singer in the Icelandic one.
As Funi ('Fire') they interpret the narrative traditional songs of their two islands using guitar, the Icelandic instruments Langspil & Íslensk fiðla, plus Kantele & spellbinding vocal harmony.
The workshop day will include singing in unison & in the unique Icelandic 2-voice tvísöngur harmony style. There will be some opportunities for accompanying instruments. All music will be taught 'by ear' (notation also available). Icelandic texts will be provided with English phonetic spellings for non Icelandic speakers. No previous experience needed.
IN THE EVENING FUNI PERFORM AT THE ELEPHANT & CASTLE
Admission £7.
Advance tickets from address at end of this form.
CHRIS FOSTER & BÁRA GRÍMSDÓTTIR
ICELANDIC HARMONY SINGING & BALLADRY WORKSHOP
Saturday 26th. February 2011
Provisional Timetable
10.45 Registration & coffee; please order lunch at the bar (refreshments not included)
11.00 Introducing the Icelandic Rímur tradition with slide show, archive recordings and singing all together.
12.30 Lunch
13.30 Tvísöngur - Harmony singing & Vikivaki story songs while dancing in a circle. The roots of the ballad tradition.
15.00 Tea/coffee break
15.15 Rímur, ballads & kvæðalög - sharing songs from the Icelandic and British traditions.
16.45 Finish
N.B. Booking is recommended as numbers are limited. Music will be sent in advance & maps & accommodation lists on request.
CHRIS FOSTER & BÁRA GRÍMSDÓTTIR
ICELANDIC HARMONY SINGING & BALLADRY WORKSHOP
Saturday 26th. February 2011
BOOKING FORM
I would like to attend the workshop. I enclose a cheque for £30.00 (refreshments not included).
Name:
Address:
Telephone:
E-mail address:
Tick for map: Tick for accommodation list:
No. of tickets @ £7 for evening performance (include SAE for these):
Please make cheques payable to Lewes Arms Folk Club (that's right) and send with this booking form to: Valmai Goodyear,
20, St. John's Terrace, LEWES,
East Sussex BN7 2DL
ICELANDIC HARMONY SINGING & BALLADRY: MORE ABOUT THE WORKSHOP
A unique chance to sing exhilarating harmonies, hear fantastic tales, explore the common threads and differences between the singing traditions of Iceland and Britain.
The folk music of Iceland largely remains a well-kept secret. This workshop day is a rare chance to discover hidden treasure.
The mediaeval histories and languages of Iceland and England are linked by the fantastic exploits of the Vikings, who colonised a large part of Britain, and settled Iceland in the late 9th century.
Iceland has a thousand years old singing tradition going back to the Viking settlers and taking in ancient modal melodies also found in medieval church music in Britain and across northern Europe.
The workshop will focus on the unique Tvísöngur style of two-part harmony singing, which is very accessible and also sounds great. The workshop will also include an introduction to the epic story song style called Rímur and to Vikivaki, the old style of singing story songs while dancing in a circle. These are the roots of the ballad tradition. We will also include related songs from the English ballad tradition.
Throughout the day we will weave in background information about the songs, including archive recordings, DVD footage and PowerPoint images illustrating the songs and places they come from.
At the end of the day there will be a grand singing of all the songs we have learnt.
The workshop is suitable for male and female voices and all abilities. All songs will be taught by ear. Notation will also be available for people who can use it.
Song sheets will be provided in Icelandic with phonetic 'English ' spellings for non- Icelandic speakers (Icelandic has some letters that English doesn't).