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Hello!
It's December!! How did that happen? I really wanted to do a new advent calendar this year - but as with last year it's not been possible to get time to it! So I'll share my original one instead!

As I send this it's the 1st December, today we have The Holly and the Ivy. If you want to play along in real time everyday - then head on over to the advent calendar page!

On the nyckelharpa we have Polska Ur Haqvin Wallmans Samling
On the flute we have Polska efter Byss-Calle No. 33.
On säckpipa we have Hambo Polska efter Theodor Freyland
Playford in #Shorts: Petticoat Wag, St Paul's Steeple, Rufty Tufty, All in a Garden Green, The Punk's Delight or The New Way, Aye Me, Or the Simphony  and today's Broome: The Bonny Bonny Broome

We're at the Worcester Victoria Market all this weekend, it's cold and we're having a lot of fun!
:))
Vicki

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Hello!
We had our Symmetry Zoom Dance on Tuesday and it was 100% nyckelharpa. It's now ready and edited, so pop on over to watch and/or play-along! The Playford in Shorts continue and we've reached 67 tunes now!

This weeks flute tune is Fenterlarik. I've been filming on the flute, so the next lessons are all going to be Swedish flute tunes playable on a 6 hole flute. Watch this space as these come on in!

On the nyckelharpa we have Polska ur Göran Peter Göranssons Notbok, one of the tunes that I taught at Halsway this year - I love this tune! We also have the lesson for the Broken Drone, which is one of Jonny's Waltzes. We played it back in July for Symmetry.

This week I have been recording all the Catches that we've done in Catch Club, so after Christmas I hope to get the Catch Club on the website up and running with videos that you can play along with. I'll be shuffling the catches that are already on this site into a new Course - which of course I'll be calling Catch Club. 😀
More next week!
:))
Vicki

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Hello!
I've had some time for filming and the Playford in #shorts is now all ready and scheduled. It'll run until sometime in the New Year, with a couple of one day breaks for some Christmas!

So what's new?
One of the tunes I didn't teach at Halsway this year was: Brännvinspolska efter Johan på Hassen. But I've just filmed it and used it for a new technique video for strengthening the bow hand. You'll find that video: Bowing Exercise to Brännvinspolska efter Johan på Hassen.

I've done some tidying up in the index list of the flute course and scheduled some new lessons. More about those as they get published!

On the Scottish Smallpipes this week we have Calliope House.

Next Tuesday (21st) we have another Zoom dance. The music is all ready and uploaded. We have also just put our Christmas Zoom gig into the diary. Thursday 21st December - it's still a month away, but you can never be too organised!

Enjoy!
:))
Vicki

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Hello,
It's the 11th of the 11th this week. So I have added my nyckelharpa quartet version of the Battle of the Somme. But I do also play this on the border pipes. So I've added that version too! I've also added Schottis efter Nämndemans Ola for nyckelharpa.

On the flute this week we have Bushby's Maggot.

We had our Symmetry Zoom dance this week and the listen again video is now up and ready to play along with. It was quite a flute heavy week this week with much of it playable on the six hole flute. Our song was Jonny's 1924.

After my little break from Playford in #shorts. We're back on the road again! They've all been filmed now and are in edit. So watch out for another 52 Playford gems!

More next week!
:))
Vicki

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Hello!
I'm back from Whitby again, it was a lot of fun, but very wet and muddy. We had a couple of gigs at the end of the week, so my apologies for being a little late with this weeks update!
This week on nyckelharpa we have Cuckolds All in a Row. It's going to be a Playford in Shorts later in November, so this got added whilst I'm prepping all the pages up. We also have Ernie's Magic Moondust. I taught this at Burg Fürsteneck this year, so below you can see me in the room I taught in.

The Playford in #Shorts is having a brief pause as I was away for so much of October - these will be starting up again on the 10th November.

We have a Zoom dance on Tuesday, it's quite flute heavy this week. You can find the details on the Zoom dance page and it's own page.

Now that I'm back home again there will be some more lesson tunes on the way!
:))
Vicki

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Hello!
I'm right in the middle of Dracula up at Whitby Abbey. It's sequel to the book, but you'll have to come up and watch it to find out what happens!

Excitingly my little trip to the Eric Sahlström Institute in Sweden has been filling up nicely. Emilia's class is full and there are now only 3 beds left - so that means only 3 spaces left in my class! So if you want to come and be part of the adventure - there are only three spaces left!

For nyckelharpa this week we have Hårgalåten. I tell the story of this one and although I set it as a story for May Day - it is just as appropriate for Halloween!
On the flute we have Polska No. 25 efter Byss-Calle.
On the Scottish Smallpipes we have Lie Peacefully There by Jock Agnew.
On the fiddleharpa we have Brudmarsh efter Johan Johansson. It's the same as we've done on nyckelharpa, but I've filmed it on fiddleharpa - because I plan on making this tune the Global World Nyckelharpa Day tune!
More next week!
:))
Vicki

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Hello!
It's been a week of preparing again and filming and editing.
We had the Symmetry Zoom Dance dance this week and it was 100% nyckelharpa for a change. So take a trip over to the page and play-along!
Emily’s Waltz is a lovely waltz written by Jonny for nyckelharpa. It goes up to a B, but it is really lovely!
We also have Vals Nämdemans Ola for the nyckelharpa. A tune I taught at Halsway back in September.
On Top of the Clints is a great little jig for the Scottish Smallpipes written by Jock Agnew.
More next week and maybe some photographs from Whitby Abbey!
:))
Vicki

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Hello!
This week has been full of dances, filming and editing! I've been back home from Fürsteneck for a few days now and have edited all the tunes that I taught and the videos of the class. It was a lot of fun in Germany and I look forward to my next trip back sometime in the future! One of the things I taught was Jonny's New Vals - so I have added a video below of me playing the duet.

So what is new this week?

We have a new lesson in the technique course and that is the New Vals Bowing Exercises.
We have a lesson for The Parson's Farewell - this was in the Playford in #shorts too, so a good tune to teach!
On the Swedish Säckpipa we have Långdans från Sollerön. A great tune that all säckpipa players play!
On the Scottish Smallpipes we have Winter's Waltz written by Jock Agnew.

We also had our Symmetry Dance this week so there is a brand new play-along video for you to watch.
Enjoy! More next week.
:))
Vicki

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Hello!
It's been an incredible week! We were working at a local castle and then I headed off to Germany to teach at Burg Fürsteneck. So I was in Germany when I should have sent this out! I hoped you all wouldn't mind a late blog! So what is new this week?

On the flute we have Fanteladda.
On the Säckpipa we have Polska från Gladhammar.
We have Käki se Kukuu on the nyckelharpa
We also have Vals efter Jonas Johansson that I taught at Halsway.

More next week - I now have a bunch of videos to edit from Fürsteneck!
:))
Vicki

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Hello!
It's been a week of intense filming and editing and also preparing for teaching at Burg Fürsteneck. So what is new on the site this week? In other news Jonny and myself were also on Channel 5's Harvest on the Farm. So if you're in the UK you can watch us playing away! We mananged to play the tune from Grandpa Joe, Lightening the Load, Japonica Jig and verse and two choruses from Jiggle the Old Bones!

We decided to sing the final song Heroes and Heroines from Nights of Legend this week in the Symmetry Zoom dance. So I've put this at the bottom of the page.

I filmed and edited week three for beginner Fiddleharpa, so if you're following that course now is the time to start on Day 15!

On the flute we have Hambo-Polska efter Gustaf Elfström.
On the säckpipa we have Polska efter Gabriel Fredrik Johansson.
On the nyckelharpa we have Brudmarsch efter Jonas Johansson.
We also have another tune from the top 40 session tunes at Halsway Manor and Älgschottis.
Playford in #shorts is continuing apace! Check them all out!
:))
Vicki