Gavin Atkin

The next class is on the evening of Wednesday 12th October and the music is now up on the website at the website. The tunes are: Astley's Ride, Over the Hills and Far Away, The Moon and Seven Stars. Please let me know if anyone would like to be on the mailing list for these events - I no longer have all the class regulars' email addresses due to shenanigans with Yahoo. Please everyone, contact me at gmatkin@gmail.com. Learn to play traditional tunes for music sessions and dancing in the company of other beginners. Play slowly and practice whatever's causing difficulty for you. Join fiddler, concertina and melodeon player Gavin Atkin at the Gun & Spitroast pub at Horsmonden, Kent (TN12 8HT) on the SECOND and FOURTH Wednesdays of each month at 8pm until the summer. Please feel free to join us at any point through the year - we do play our tunes very slowly to begin with, and play only a two or three over and over again on any given evening! Admission is free. Typical instruments might be melodeon, fiddle, concertina, mandolin, harmonica, whistle or banjo, but we'll be just as happy if you pitch up with percussion (say, a triangle, tambourine, cajon, or snare and hi-hat) or a saxophone or electronic piano. Reading music isn't necessary, though it definitely helps!

Free traditional music classes at Horsmonden start again this week on Wednesday at 8pm. For info, see: http://frittendenfestival.com/free-traditional-music-classes-at-the-gun-and-spitroast-horsmonden/ Gavin

If you're withing travelling distance please join us and some of our musical pals for a friendly end of term session at the Gun & Spitroast pub, Horsmonden, from 8pm. Regular trad music classes recommence in September. For information and the tunes the class have been playing recently, see http://frittendenfestival.com/free-traditional-music-classes-at-the-gun-and-spitroast-horsmonden/ Gavin

The next Gun & Spitroast traditional music class is on Wednesday the 25th May. This week we're planning to look at two tunes, both jigs, chosen by class members: A Hundred Pipers and Dribbles of Brandy. We'll spend a couple of hours playing each one steadily and slowly, only moving on to the next one when it seems right to do so. We meet at the Gun & Spitroast pub at Horsmonden at 8pm on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month. The classes are free and all are welcome. If this email doesn't really apply to you, please don't throw it away - please pass it to someone who might find it useful! Download pdfs and abcs of the latest tunes at: http://frittendenfestival.com/free-traditional-music-classes-at-the-gun-and-spitroast-horsmonden/ Gavin

The next free Gun & Spitroast traditional music class is on Wednesday the 11th May. We're continuing our mission of picking up tunes from different parts of the country, and on the 11th May we're looking again at tunes from East Anglia, an area where old fashioned music playing in pubs has lasted amazingly well - not just into the 20th century but even into the 21st. The particular tunes we'll play are the East Anglian favourite (it's almost a National Anthem) Oh Joe, the Boat is Going Over, and Walter Bulwer's polkas Number 2 and Number 1, which always seem to be played in that order. We'll play each one steadily and slowly, only moving on to the next one when it seems right to do so. We meet at the Gun & Spitroast pub at Horsmonden at 8pm on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month and all are welcome. If this email doesn't really apply to you, please don't throw it away - please pass it to someone who might find it useful! Download a pdfs and abcs of the latest tunes at: http://frittendenfestival.com/free-traditional-music-classes-at-the-gun-and-spitroast-horsmonden/ Gavin

The regular free and fun old-fashioned Bell & Jorrocks session! Call (Jeffries duet concertina player) Gavin Atkin for details on 07985 522734.

The next free Gun & Spitroast traditional music class is on Wednesday the 27th April Wednesday of the month! By request we're on a bit of a mission, picking up tunes from different parts of the country. on the 13th April we learned and practiced some tunes from Kent, and this coming weed we go to East Anglia, and area where old fashioned music playing in pubs has lasted amazingly well not just into the 20th century but even into the 21st. The particular tunes we'll play are Harry Cox's Schottische and dulcimer maestro Billy Cooper's romantic little waltz, Dulcie Bell. We'll play each one steadily and slowly, only moving on to the next one when it seems right to do so. We meet at the Gun & Spitroast pub at Horsmonden at 8pm on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month and all are welcome. If this email doesn't really apply to you, please don't throw it away - please pass it to someone who might find it useful! Download a pdf of the latest tunes at: http://frittendenfestival.com/free-traditional-music-classes-at-the-gun-and-spitroast-horsmonden/ Gavin

8pm - the regular B&J songs and tunes session. For information, see http://frittendenfestival.com, or email gmatkin@gmail.com and tel 07985 522734. Gavin

If you're not already booked to go to Melodeons & More, we've got a cracking series of events lined up at Frittenden on the weekend of the 26th March. (Sorry about the clash of dates Katie!) Invited weekend performers include Will Duke (singer, anglo player), Andy Turner (singer, anglo and melodeon player), Annie Dearman (singer) and Steve Harrison (singer, melodeon, harmonica ), and Peter Collins (singer). Peta Webb and Ken Hall (singers) appear on Sunday evening. I think the sessions on Saturday lunchtime and Sunday evening in particular will be terrific, and will be just the job for many players on this forum. Of course, Julie and I will also be there with our instruments. - Saturday afternoon - •Tunes and songs at 12 noon at the Bell & Jorrocks featuring Frittenden session regulars, guests and friends •Stepdancing with Kerry Fletcher and Rosie Davis at the Memorial Hall 2.30–4.00pm, entry £2.50/£1.50 •Learn old fashioned dances (eg, The Veleta, The St Bernard’s Waltz, The Heel & Toe Polka), Memorial Hall 4.30–6.00pm, entry £2.50/£1.50 - Saturday evening - An atmospheric and old-fashioned social evening at Frittenden’s Memorial Hall including songs, music from the Horsmonden Wednesday night Traditional Music Class and friends, old-fashioned dances led by Rosie Davis, and party games, entry £7/£4 - Sunday evening - The regular B&J songs and tunes session with Peta Webb and Ken Hall from 8pm, free For information, see http://frittendenfestival.com, or email gmatkin@gmail.com and tel 07985 522734. Gavin

The tunes for this week's class at Horsmonden are on the website. http://frittendenfestival.com/free-traditional-music-classes-at-the-gun-and-spitroast-horsmonden/ We hope to see some of you on Wednesday evening. Please put the Frittenden Old Fashioned Night Out on the 26th March - it would be great to see some of you there: http://frittendenfestival.com/2010/11/26th-march-frittenden-2011-an-old-fashioned-night-out The plan is have a programme of dances and tunes for them, and to work through them during the evening. Musicians are invited to join the band whenever they know the tune and would like to play... I've posted a list of the tunes we've covered (with this week's pair at the bottom). Gavin 24th November 2010 Cock of the North, My Bonnie, and Winster Gallop 8th December 2010 Donkey Riding and Strike the Bell 13th January 2011 Albert Farmer’s Bonfire Tune and Little Brown Jug 26th January 2011 The Sloe and the Heel and Toe Polka 9th February 2011 Off to California and Shave the Donkey 23rd February 2011 The Rose Tree and The South Wind 9th and 23rd March 2011 – Scotland the Brave, Soldier’s Joy, Haste to the Wedding, The Girl I Left Behind Me

The tunes for this week's class at Horsmonden are on the website. http://frittendenfestival.com/free-traditional-music-classes-at-the-gun-and-spitroast-horsmonden/ We hope to see some of you on Wednesday evening. Please put the Frittenden Old Fashioned Night Out on the 26th March - it would be great to see some of you there: http://frittendenfestival.com/2010/11/26th-march-frittenden-2011-an-old-fashioned-night-out The plan is have a programme of dances and tunes for them, and to work through them during the evening. Musicians are invited to join the band whenever they know the tune and would like to play... I've posted a list of the tunes we've covered (with this week's pair at the bottom). Gavin 24th November 2010 Cock of the North, My Bonnie, and Winster Gallop 8th December 2010 Donkey Riding and Strike the Bell 13th January 2011 Albert Farmer’s Bonfire Tune and Little Brown Jug 26th January 2011 The Sloe and the Heel and Toe Polka 9th February 2011 Off to California and Shave the Donkey 23rd February 2011 The Rose Tree and The South Wind 9th and 23rd March 2011 – Scotland the Brave, Soldier’s Joy, Haste to the Wedding, The Girl I Left Behind Me