Week 22: The Standing Stones of Stanton Drew

Posted on 2 June 2022 by Vicki
0 0
Read Time:42 Second

Hello!
The weather is lovely and we've been on the road pretty much the whole week, Cornwall last weekend and now we're in Wales! So what is new this week?

Oxfolk Two - this is for the Scottish Smallpipes
Olle's Polska - a very old video, one of my originals from when I started my YouTube channel and a lovely tune!
The Devil's Schottis - as we went down to Bude last weekend the traffic was terrible and we ended up taking a bit of a cross country route. As a result we went very close to The Standing Stones of Stanton Drew - this is a story I tell, so I decided it was time to move this tune across from my old website. I've put the story below and also a photograph of the stones themselves.
Enjoy!
:))
Vicki

Posted in Nyckelharpa, What's New? | Comments Off on Week 22: The Standing Stones of Stanton Drew

Week 21: Some smallpipes, some beginner and the bent thumb!

Posted on 26 May 2022 by Vicki
0 0
Read Time:45 Second

Hello!
This week we a couple of tunes suitable for the beginner and some Scottish Smallpipe tunes!
Lavenders Blue
The Shoemaker
Skye Boat Song (on the mini-harpa)
Sevenoaks for Scottish Smallpipes
Røros Pols for Scottish Smallpipes

I also got round to filming the video that I've been wanting to do for a while now - the video showing the thumb from the players perspective and why it should be bent!
I'm starting to have to book some flights to get to the international workshops I'm teaching at, so I've updated my Flying with a Nyckelharpa page on my main website. It's a tricky question and one that I've never found an answer to that isn't stressful! There is a link to a page where I'm going to be writing about all my flying experiences, you'll need to ask me for the password for that.
Enjoy!
:))
Vicki

Posted in Nyckelharpa | Comments Off on Week 21: Some smallpipes, some beginner and the bent thumb!

Week 20: The Säckpipa Virtual Halsway Session

Posted on 16 May 2022 by Vicki
0 0
Read Time:36 Second

Hello!
How did we get to week 20? To be honest my head is still in March 2020, so May 2022 is quite a mystery! But we are going to reach the end of me transferring over the nyckelharpa lessons fro my old blog site soon. This week I decided to finish adding the final two lessons for the Virtual Session in the Bar at Halsway Manor number 15 - säckpipa tunes. I thought it might be nice to re-visit that session. It's the one where "Jonny couldn't make it to the session."
Enjoy!
:))
Vicki

Posted in Nyckelharpa, Session | Comments Off on Week 20: The Säckpipa Virtual Halsway Session

Week 19: The Global Vännens Långdans

Posted on 13 May 2022 by Vicki
0 0
Read Time:42 Second

Hello!
I finally managed to edit the Global Vännens Långdans and so it is here! I loved every single video that was sent to me. Something I really loved was the range of abilities - from the more experienced player to complete beginners that had only been playing for less than 48 hours. This is exactly what I wanted - something for everyone! Thank you to everyone who sent a video or two in!

Now that World Nyckelharpa Day is done for this year I can work on some new videos! There are some exciting workshops this year as I head off to Italy, Portugal and then Germany to teach nyckelharpa. These are indeed exciting times!

In the meantime I have videos to put out! This week we have:
Shepherd and Shepherdess
Schottis in C

More next week!
:))
Vicki


Posted in Nyckelharpa | Leave a comment

Week 18: Dance, dance, dance

Posted on 6 May 2022 by Vicki
0 0
Read Time:26 Second

Week 18: Dance, dance, dance

Hello!
It's all been about dance this week, some of it ECD, some of it contra and some of it medieval! We've been on the road for nearly seven weeks and we're looking forward to a bit of time where I can edit the Vännens Långdans and a few other things I haven't had time for! So this week I'm moving new lessons over from the old site. They're all contra dance tunes:
Fiddling About
Pinkie and the Cradle
That Mallet Moment
Enjoy!
:))
Vicki

Posted in Nyckelharpa, What's New? | Comments Off on Week 18: Dance, dance, dance

Week 17: Byss-Calle

Posted on 28 April 2022 by Vicki
0 0
Read Time:32 Second

Hello!
What a day that was! World Nyckelharpa Day was epic!! Now it's time for everyone to get their Global Vännens Långdanses in. I've had a few already and it's looking great!
I put out the three Byss-Calle tunes for World Nyckelharpa Day and played them as duets. So it was quite easy for me to be able to bounce out a minus-1 version for people to play along with. So go along to their lessons and give them a go!
Byss-Calle 10
Byss-Calle 11
Byss-Calle 19
We didn't managed to complete the playlist this year - but maybe it'll happen next year!
Enjoy
:))
Vicki

Posted in Nyckelharpa, What's New?, World Nyckelharpa Day | Comments Off on Week 17: Byss-Calle

Week 16: World Nyckelharpa Day

Posted on 22 April 2022 by Vicki
0 0
Read Time:45 Second

Hello!
It’s the Friday before World Nyckelharpa Day and I’ve been full on working on the website. I’m now on the road with limited access to the internet, so to find out what’s going on pop on over to the World Nyckelharpa Day website! However you'll find me doing these things at these times!

Saturday 23rd
21:00 – The Global Byss-Calle 25 Mosaic 

Sunday 24th
09:00 – Vicki Swan presents something a little Left Field
11:30 – The Halsway Manor workshop perform Byss-Calle Number 31
11:45 – The Global Vännens Långdans Playalong (Vännens is at 12:00)
14:00 – Vicki Swan & Jonny Dyer’s WND Session
19:00 – Vicki Swan performs Byss-Calle Number 19
19:15 – Vicki Swan performs Byss-Calle Number 11
19:30 – Vicki Swan performs Byss-Calle Number 10
19:45 – The 2nd Global Vännens Långdans – Vännens is Midday Pacific time (8pm UK)

That'll keep you going!
:))
Vicki

Posted in Nyckelharpa | Comments Off on Week 16: World Nyckelharpa Day

Session 14 – World Nyckelharpa Day 2022

Posted on 16 April 2022 by Vicki
0 0
Read Time:27 Second

Hello!
Sunday the 24th April 2022 is World Nyckelharpa Day and we absolutely had to have a session! So here it is!! We chose to do only tunes that we had written and somehow put places names in them, a little. It was a but of a shoe horn, but they're fun tunes that we use to play for dance!
Enjoy!
:))
Vicki
Hawaiian Contra / Seth's Jolly Contra
Incognito Ian / JoLaine’s Jig
Italian Pants / Dot Dot Dot
Vintage Puget
Hyde & Seek / The Japonica Jig
Hands Across the Pond
PDF of the tunes

Posted in Nyckelharpa, Session, World Nyckelharpa Day | Leave a comment

Week 15: World Nyckelharpa Day here we come!

Posted on 14 April 2022 by Vicki
0 0
Read Time:37 Second

Hello!
It's all hands to the pump for World Nyckelharpa Day at the moment! There is lots of filming and editing going on! The most important thing is the global Vännens Långdans is all ready to go! Just like last year there are going to be two sittings for this. The first is at midday UK time and the second is at midday Pacific time. (8pm UK time) There is lots of Byss-Calle happening around the house! Cables are everywhere!

I added two Scottish Smallpipe lessons this week. Incognito Ian and Bruce's Birdie.
I also added Vintage Puget, which is the final lesson required for our session for World Nyckelharpa Day.
:))
Vicki

Posted in Nyckelharpa, What's New? | Comments Off on Week 15: World Nyckelharpa Day here we come!

Week 14: briefly at home!

Posted on 6 April 2022 by Vicki
0 0
Read Time:35 Second

Hello!
It was an amazing two weeks at Halsway Manor and now we're at home for a couple of days before scooting off on a quick tour up in Scotland. So what's new? We are rapidly approaching World Nyckelharpa Day and we have filmed a session specially for the day, so I need to get some lessons up! I posted up Hawaiian and Seth's Jolly Contra. So this week we have Incognito Ian and JoLaines Jig.

Whilst we were at Halsway we filmed some Vännens Långdanses, so that's in the bag. You'll have to wait to see the result. In the meantime - it's time to film your version too!

Take care and stay safe!
:))
Vicki

Posted in Nyckelharpa | Leave a comment