Sherborne Folk Band
Discover the fun of playing folk music with other people in monthly workshops- usually on the third Sunday of each month, and 8 times per year. See exact dates on Workshops page.
Learn tunes and chords, experiment with arrangements and enjoy an informal performance. Our workshop leader will help you build confidence to learn and play new tunes by ear.
Suitable for all levels and all instruments. Notation and audio supplied. Everyone is welcome! If you want recording devices, these are allowed.
Workshop Dates for Autumn 2023
Sunday 17th September - with guest tutor Ben Moss
Sunday 22nd October - with guest tutor Jon Dyer
Sunday 19th November
Workshop Dates for 2024
Sunday 21st January 2024
Sunday 18th February
Sunday 24th March
Sunday 21st April
Sunday 19th May
1:30 - 4:30 pm The Digby Memorial Hall, Digby Road, Sherborne, DT9 3NL. On-street parking available.
Discounts available for advance online ticket purchases, with more money off the longer the series of workshops you book. Entry price includes tea, coffee, squash and homemade cake!
Book online for the workshops.
Charity Fundraising Summer Ceilidh
Sherborne Folk Band and caller Michael Catovsky
Sherborne Folk Band will be playing for a charity fundraising ceilidh on Saturday 10th June 2023 in the Digby Hall, Hound Street, Sherborne, DT9 3AA (Next to Sherborne Library) 7.30 - 10.30pm. There will be a caller to explain the dances, so beginners and experienced dancers are all welcome.
Tickets available via this website or from Winstone's Bookshop in Sherborne, Cheap Street, DT9 3PX (cash purchase only)
Advanced Tickets
£12 Adults
£8 (Children under 13 years)
Tickets on the door
£16 Adults
£10 (Children under 13)
Workshop Leader
Julia Catovsky
Julia is a local musician who plays in the band of a local morris side, Treacle Eater Clog, and has enjoyed playing in folk music sessions and with informal groups for about 25 years. Julia founded the Sherborne Folk Band workshops in 2017 for fun and the enjoyment of learning and playing tunes with others.
Each session, Julia will teach at least one new tune with a harmony and chords and experiment with arranging the tune. More than anything, the aim of the workshops is to have fun and have a great time playing music together.
All levels of players welcome but you do need to know how to play the notes on your instrument. The workshop is open to acoustic instruments and the tunes are taught by ear, but notation and audio is supplied for those who would like it. Please note that loud acoustic instruments will need to be muted for the workshops in order to balance the volume of all the instruments.
See resources section for media.
2023 Workshops
I am delighted to announce that we have some amazing guest tutors coming along to some of the workshops in 2023 to teach some tunes and offer their expert guidance.
Matt Tarling
Sunday 15th January 2023, 1:30 - 3:00pm
Sherborne Folk Band Workshop Tutor
Matt began learning the violin at the age of 10. He was classically taught and was accepted into The Purcell School of Music, Middlesex. Thanks to a varying taste in music and being a fan of great improvisers like Stephane Grappelli and Jimi Hendrix, Matt decided to take a detour from his classical education! After falling in love with Irish Traditional fiddle, Matt decided to go and live in Co. Clare, Ireland to better understand about how playing the fiddle worked. Following this Matt then moved to Paris, in 1995 where he started working as a professional musician. He toured throughout Europe with a variety of bands for the next 7 years.
Matt works as a recording artist from home via the internet, teaches the violin by learning by ear and performs regularly with several different acts and also organises and plays in events including Ceilidh dances.
https://www.matt-tarling.co.uk/
Laurel Swift
Sunday 19th February 2023, 1:30 - 3:00pm
Sherborne Folk Band Workshop Tutor
Laurel Swift is a performer, composer and workshop leader.
Laurel is the founder and choreographer of Morris Offspring, she is one half of 'Under her Skin', with performance storyeller, Debs Newbold, plays with Gadarene, Ben Moss, and The Gloworms. Laurel has been invovled in many creative folk arts projects.
Laurel is currently lead tutor for London Youth Folk Ensemble, and regularly leads workshops for EFDSS adult and youth programmes. She has led projects with and performed under a variety of contemporary dance artists She has taught morris for both theatre and film worked with Tom Morris for the Bristol Old Vic’s production of Midsummer Night’s Dream. Laurel spent 12 years as the Artistic Director of Shooting Roots.
https://www.laurelswift.co.uk/
Jon Dyer
Sunday 16th April 2023, 1:30 - 3:00pm
Sherborne Folk Band Workshop Tutor
Jon is an experienced musician and performer. Jon is a multi-instrumentalist involved with a range of bands and projects. He is the flautist in the folk band Gadarene and plays in a duo with Hannah Cumming. Jon also calls and plays for ceilidhs.
Jon graduated from Falmouth University in 2013 with a BA Hons in Music Performance and now works with WREN music, leading workshops and teaching.
Videos
On the right is a clip from Sherborne Festive Shopping Day 2021 and this is our set of tunes 'The Cure of all Grief' and 'Oats & Beans'
We have also uploaded some videos to our Facebook group which you are welcome to join.
You can listen to all our tunes on our Soundcloud page and the sheet music for all of them is here.
Get in Touch
