The British Banjo Mandolin and Guitar Federation Orchestras

For players and ensembles

Registered Charity SC038957

The British BMG Federation Summer School Weekend

10th – 12th June 2011

Knuston Hall, Northamptonshire

Photos courtesy of Paul Tombs www.ptgraphics.co.uk

Classic Finger-style 5-string banjo course with Chris Sands: The banjo group was a really nice bunch including some veterans from previous years and others new to me. Everybody seemed comfortable with the set up and was happy to engage with the group. There were no passengers and I never got the impression anyone wasn't enjoying themselves thoroughly. We also had some really fun and spontaneous sessions in the bar late into the evenings.
Tutor Chris Sands is widely regarded as the best player of the classic banjo style in the world. He's a very disciplined musician and certainly didn't ‘dumb down’ any of the technical or theoretical aspects of the style. I found him a most charming and inspiring teacher who was more than happy to take me aside for a one-to-one session looking at specific aspects of my right hand technique after the formal lessons had finished one evening. Russ Chandler

Classical Guitar course with Gerald Garcia: The course literature said the course would be relaxed, but rigorous, and this was definitely the case. I was slightly apprehensive about playing in front of a famous performer and composer, but needn’t have worried; Gerald was patient and encouraging. Whilst the main focus was on the 6 pieces we had practised beforehand, he also covered technique and posture.
Frequent tea (and cake) breaks from classes gave us chance to rest eyes and hands, and to mingle with people from the other courses. We all made mistakes, and whilst they were all spotted they were never treated with criticism, just helpful suggestions as to how to correct them, and we learned from one another’s as well as our own. Passages that seemed simple in isolation could prove rhythmically tricky when put together and it was rewarding to hear these develop from tentative beginnings into a coherent blend of beautiful music. Tracey Cool

Baroque Mandolin course with Frances Taylor: The summer school weekend was a very friendly and motivating introduction to the world of baroque mandolin. Led by Frances Taylor, baroque specialist and our tutor for the weekend, we studied three Gervasio sonatas, which were used as a basis for musical exploration. As well as historical background, the sonata form of the period was explained, with notes on phrasing, timing and interpretation.
Frances also taught us general mandolin technique (including those all-important warm-up exercises). A mandolin clinic held on Saturday addressed many common problems, such as position-changing and tremolo, and I was provided with details of a luthier for repairs, advice on strings, plectra, publishers and lots of resource material. Days were busy and evenings were filled with informal playing and drinks from the bar… Happily exhausted, and nursing sore fingers, I had learnt a great deal, made new friends, eaten surprisingly good food in pleasant surroundings and watched a sunset to remember – thanks BMG Federation! Maxine Wiltshire

Mixed Instrument Folk with Robin Garside: What a mixed group we were - mandolins, mandolas, guitars, ukuleles and I think I saw a ukulele banjo as well. Some read notation, some used tab and some played by ear. There were experienced players and others less so. Undaunted, Robin led us through music from many different places and eras – from France, Ireland, Eastern Europe, England and America and when we’d gobbled those up Robin found us more, from Yorkshire and Sweden.
We voted on three favourites to play in the informal concert - Carolan’s Concerto by renowned 17^th/18^th C Irish harpist Turlough O’Carolan, a beautiful arrangement by Robin of William Byrd’s The Earle of Salisbury and a wild and whacky American tune Wait Till You Hear This One Boy! We practised hard and when we put on our performance on Sunday afternoon we felt we had come together as a real band. As always, it was a fun weekend with good music and a lot of nice people! Cathy Cox

Click below to hear recordings made during the event

Come & Try Classical Guitar with Gerald Garcia: Gerald took the view that since we were plucked string players, we should have a pretty good idea what the left hand should be doing, so he concentrated on the right hand. He showed us how the sound was made and we tried different ways of plucking the strings and then how to use our fingers on different strings – it was much more complicated than I had thought! It gave me a good insight into the complexities of classical guitar and a great respect for those who play it. Cathy Cox

Come & Try Classic Banjo with Chris Sands: Chris first showed how the banjo should sit on the lap. We then learnt how to strike the strings, keeping right hand thumb straight and using first two fingers. He made sure we used correct technique by watching each in turn and we were soon pulled up if fingers, thumb and hand were not behaving. We then applied left-hand and before long painstakingly attempted to read notation to play scales, exercises and chords. What a strange concept to read top G (with a tail) and strike that 5th string! Sandra Woodruff

Come & Try Mandolin with Frances Taylor: Frances showed how to hold the instrument then how the plectrum is held and used to make a sound. Students practised open strings and tried tunes using only these four notes, first playing crochets then adding minims. Next was left hand position with an explanation and demonstration of the D tetrachord followed by the class playing short tunes using notes from that chord. After transferring this skill and information to the A string they played Twinkle Twinkle Little Star with accompaniment by Frances. Henry Girvan

Ukulele Sessions with Robin Garside: Robin had a selection of easy and more advanced songs to strum and sing at the four sessions he ran and by the end of the full 2 hours, Robin’s voice was in need of a rest! Many students this year were proud owners of ukes and kindly lent them to those without so that everyone who wanted to joined in a session.