Gurdypedia

Documenting the curious world of the hurdy-gurdy.

Hurdy-gurdy workshop weekend, 6-7 April, Holland

Always wanted to learn to play bagpipes or hurdy gurdy? Whether you are advanced player and want to deepen your love? This may be during Spring Weekend.  During the weekend of 6-7 April in Sint-Michielsgestel there hurdy gurdy and bagpipe workshops for beginners and advanced. Daytime courses, evening music and performances. 

No instrument? No problem! Participants in the beginner groups can borrow an instrument.

The weekend starts Saturday, April 6 at 10.00 and lasts until Sunday, April 7 at 17:00.  Saturday is from 20:00 and balfolk music for and by students and teachers, including the Flemish group Cecilia . Non-participants in the workshops also welcome!

The courses


- Combined Workshop - Greet Wuyts 
This workshop is open to all instruments. Greet Wuyts is renowned teacher of accordion and plays in the Flemish group Cecilia. In this workshop the focus is on teamwork, harmony and the danceability of the music.

- Hurdy-gurdy advanced : Matthias Loibner (full)
Participants take a look behind the scenes at the virtuoso Matthias Loibner. This great player from Austria with his unique playing style is a challenge for the experienced players.

- Hurdy-gurdy intermediate : Thomas Hoste 
Thomas is an experienced teacher hurdy gurdy. Previously he taught at our Saturday courses and he also plays in the group Cecilia. In this workshop, students immerse themselves in techniques and embellishments.

- hurdy beginners : Cor Westbroek (full)
Always wanted to play hurdy gurdy? This is your chance! This workshop is designed for beginners, those that the instrument may still discover. With this discovery is the fun comes first. Start playing with simple but beautiful melodies with the hurdy-gurdy. No instrument? A loan instrument is included in the course.

Bagpipe courses also on offer.

Overnight and subscribe 
For participation in the workshops are of course the cost of overnight stays (in 4-person rooms) and accommodation (lunch, dinner, breakfast, coffee and tea in between) included.

Special offer beginners: Preparing Morning March 16

In order to extract more value from the beginners group, we offer the participants an additional preparation morning: The preparation morning on March 16 in Zeist from 10:00 to 12:00.

More details on the website here (in Dutch).

Baroque Hurdy Gurdy Course, 27-28 April 2013

with Tobie Miller (Canada / France)

in Basel, Switzerland

For professional and advanced amateur hurdy gurdy players wishing to explore the 18th century repertoire and technique for the instrument. Classes will focus on style, ornamentation and Baroque forms. A harpsichordist will be present, allowing some course time to be spent working on the solo repertoire with basso continuo.

Registration is limited to 10 participants, and will be confirmed by email, upon payment of the course fees (250 CHF).

Tuning is c/g, at A=415.

Course will be taught in English, French and German.

For more information: www.tobiemiller.com/teaching

Contact: tobie.miller@gmail.com

La Furstemberg in one of its many guises. This tune first appears in 1696 called ‘St. Martin’s Lane’ in Playford’s 6th edition of the English Dancing Master. Corrette’s version from 1783 is probably the last of its kind and his book shown here marked the end of printed works for baroque hurdy gurdy.

Opto-electronic hurdy-gurdy

Derek Holzer creates noise-making contraption using a hurdy-gurdy like object attached to some painful electronic circuitry.  Don’t think this is going to catch on.  Very arty though.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all hurdy-gurdy players around the world!  May all your dreams come true … and may you achieve the coup gras you always wanted!

Halsway Carol (composed by Nigel Eaton) performed by duo Carlos Quintá on accordian and Óscar Fernández on hurdy-gurdy.

French 1780’s hurdy-gurdy from the V&A collection.  More here.

French 1780’s hurdy-gurdy from the V&A collection.  More here.

More funky fiddle and hurdy-gurdy goodness from Gregory Jolivet.

For Sale - hurdy-gurdy virtuoso Robert Mandel is selling one of his baroque vielles.  Photograph attached.  Asking price is $1750.  For more details, contact Robert through his website here.

For Sale - hurdy-gurdy virtuoso Robert Mandel is selling one of his baroque vielles.  Photograph attached.  Asking price is $1750.  For more details, contact Robert through his website here.

A clip of Pep Massana and Ramon Elias’s organistrum in action with an octaved violin.  A free improvisation about Los Set Gotxs of Libre Vermenl at Sant Pau Vell, Montserrat.

Interesting short video on an organistrum by Pep Massana and Ramon Elias.  It shows a new organistrum system can plays 20 strings with 44 notes.

Dante Ferrara plays Purcell Minuets, from ‘Musick’s Hand-maid’ printed in 1689.

Steve Tyler, virtuoso hurdy gurdy plays Belicha, 14th century medieval art music.

The Big Hurdy-Gurdy Workshop Weekend

A workshop weekend for hurdy-gurdy players of all ages and abilities with Gregory Jolivet (France), Steve Tyler, Claire Dugue giving workshops on technique and repertoire.

8-10th February 2013 Halsway Manor, Somerset

For more info and booking, see here.

Hurdy-gurdy Saturday courses - Netherlands

Saturday Courses - November 2012 to May 2013

The Dutch association for hurdy-gurdies and bagpipes has announced the next series of Saturday courses for the hurdy-gurdy and bagpipes, running from November through to next May.  Courses are available for beginners and advanced players of both instruments, as well as joint sessions.  Beginner’s instruments are available to hire.

Summary:

  • Hurdy-gurdy beginners: Joop Aalbers. Discover the possibilities of the instrument and experience the fun.
  • Hurdy-gurdy advanced: Roald Keuning. Elaboration and refinement of melodic and rhythmic techniques.
  • Drone Music in bandstands: Ine Blom. Development of a joint repertoire to be played at the end of the course at a number of bandstands.
  • Bourbonnais Revival: drone with a capital D: Jonneke Jorissen and Cor Westbroek. Joint course for D-tuned hurdy gurdies and bagpipes.

Information and registration

See http://draailier-doedelzak.nl/zaterdagcursus.htm for more information.