The British Banjo Mandolin and Guitar Federation Orchestras

, The British Banjo Mandolin and Guitar Federation Orchestras

For players and ensembles

Registered Charity SC038957

Summer School 2012

The British BMG Federation Summer School Weekend 8th -10th June 2012 Alston Hall, Longridge, Preston, Lancashire PR3 3BP www.alstonhall.com The Weekend Registration is from 5pm and the weekend starts with dinner at 7pm followed by class tuition. On Sunday after lunch there will be a short informal concert and the weekend will finish with afternoon refreshments at 3.30pm.
Ukulele Playing Ukes are cool! If you have one, bring it with you and get together with other uke players.
Accommodation & Cost All bedrooms have tea & coffee making facilities. The cost of the weekend is £191.50 single ensuite, £185.50 shared ensuite, £173.50 single or shared standard, £131.50 non-residential (includes lunch & dinner).
Booking and Further Information To book, telephone Alston Hall 01772 784661 with a £40 deposit (balance due 1 month prior to weekend). For full details including tutor biographies, contact BMG Federation course co-ordinator Henry Girvan email henry.girvan@btinternet.com

Tutors & Courses for Banjo, Mandolin, Guitar & Mixed Instruments
	Chris Sands: Classic Finger-style 5-string Banjo This course will concentrate on improving banjo technique. Participants will study solos and discover how alternative fingerings can improve performance. Also covered will be exercises for development of the hands. The course will be suitable for intermediate and more advanced players but anyone who has a reasonable insight into playing banjo solos will be welcome. Students will need to be able to read music notation.
	Nigel Gatherer: Celtic Mandolin This course aims to look at some of the challenges of playing Celtic music on the mandolin. Learn to play Celtic tunes for sessions, performance and dancing in a fun, supportive and illuminating way with other musicians and explore ways of enhancing the tunes with ornamentation, variations and other techniques. You should have been playing your instrument for a minimum of 18 months. Music reading skills are not required but music will be available in notation and tablature for those requiring it. Nigel’s teaching style is popular for being laid-back but effective
	Dave Griffiths: Mixed Instrument Jug Band This course is for banjo, mandolin, guitar, ukulele and other related instruments. Entry level is for intermediate players and above but it is also suitable for beginner improvers with a minimum of two years playing experience. Knowledge of basic chords and ability to read music will be helpful. Jug Band Music is great fun to play and material will be drawn from original blues & ragtime songs and instrumentals. There will be opportunities to sing, improvise and discover jug, kazoo and washboard playing.
Click here for a review of last years Summer School