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Hello!
We are now almost all the way through September! It's been an amazing and crazy summer. I have spectacularly failed to make my weekly updates. I'm going to try to go back to weekly again in October, but for today my goal is to make sure this one goes out in September. I might not have been managing to mail out the updates, but plenty has been going on.
I'll start with Summer School. Summer School was brilliant! I really enjoyed the updates as they went into WhatsApp. Next time I'll do both WhatsApp and the FaceBook group from the start. I'm going to do a short one week Winter School in December. Watch this space!
I added a few new things in Summer School since the last update went out including:
Study in A major - Noodles on the Floor and Viking Tune.
Then we went to Whitby Folk Week where we had a lot of fun with writing new change tune challenges. If you want to have a go at identifying the dances go to the Whitby Folk Week 2026 page. The music for these are all added to the site: Mr Brum's Drum, Whitby Minster, Old Keep My Lady Shadyglade, Boreas and Chloris, Tawny Beak, Barham Up! (It's a mix of flute and nyckelharpa - but great on any instrument!).
I managed to add live versions to The Engle and The Quaff. Whilst we were at a ball last week we wanted a change tune for a tune - so Pingu was born and has been added.
Then we had the amazing Halsway Manor September Weekend with Magnus Holmström and Rasmus Hemström. If you came along the Watch-Again video is now up. If you're a subscriber, then it's in the Subscriber's extra section. I taught these two tunes that were new to the website: Polska ur Sven Johanssons Samling (No. 2) and Polska for a Sunny Day.
From Halsway we pretty much went straight to the Jane Austen Festival and played for three balls: The Farthingale Grand Regency Ball, The Rose Ball and TheTo Be Fond of Dancing Ball. After which was the Symmetry Dance 22nd September 26
Finally that brings us to my Card Game. I have made a game, inspired by a deck of cards from 1830. I am in the middle of Crowdfunding it. This video explains (in a humorous way what it's all about). Shuffle the cards, then turn them up and create a different waltz (almost) every time! I've added a lesson page for the Suit of Hearts Waltz. Playable on recorder, penny whistle, nyckelharpa, melodeon even bagpipes. (ie as many people as I could!) Easy enough for beginners. Fun for people who already play. Use it for sight-reading practise or just playing snap. A great stocking filler - but you need to get your pledge in so I can get it to you in time!
That's all for this update. There is more - but I really want to send this before we reach our destination today! Then I can start the next update!
Keep safe, keep playing!
:))
Vicki
