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Harmonica 2007 - at The Folk House, Bristol, UK

Friday October 26th to Sunday 28th, 2007

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Welcome to the NHL Festival in Bristol

All You Need To Know

Disclaimer: The information shown below is the best information we have at the moment but changes may be necessary if circumstances change.

Friday 26th October - Informal meet and greet night from about 7pm. Blues jam & open mic play. NHL AGM will take place. We hope as many members as possible will join us to help set up the venue for the weekend activities. We will be there from mid afternoon. All help is greatly appreciated & will ensure the festival runs as smoothly as possible. Please contact Gerry Ezard (01656784904) if you can help in anway. Come and enjoy the night, and meet the committee.

Saturday 27th October

Doors open 9.15am
This year we have the biggest collection of artists and styles that we have ever had at any festival at Bristol. The Italian chromatic soloist, Willi Burger, plus Eddie Ong and Carol Axford, Philip Achille, the traditional Scottish Celtic performer Donald Black, the top jazz players Julian Jackson and Harry Pitch, all rounder Brendan Power, diatonic players Ben Hewlett and Paul Gillings, blues players, Eddie Martin, Pete G and his band, The Magnitones, with Chris Collis providing piano accompaniment.

The competition takes place in the main hall on the Saturday, starting at 9.30am.
There will be the usual wide range of workshops running through the day to provide invaluable information on all aspects of harmonica playing.
There will harmonica traders with all the harmonica wares you need as well as the opportunity to pick up a bargain in the lunchtime auction.

Sunday 28th October

 Doors open 9:30am.
Workshops continue on Sunday morning & the first ever Bristol Schools Harmonica Championship is to take place. Over 40 West Country Primary schools have been invited to put forward a team to play a 3 minute piece to win the competition. It starts at 10am.
Seydel, the world’s oldest harmonica company, are kindly sponsoring the prizes, by giving one of their brand new ‘Big Six’ harmonicas (which have 6 holes and come on a black lanyard and in a silvery tin) to every child in the winning team. There is a cup for the winning team and two more cups for runners up teams.
Each child has been taught to play the classic country/Cajun ‘Jambalaya’ by Hank Williams so we hope to have over 200 people playing it at the same time!

A Sunday afternoon concert follows.

Concert

This year's artists are:
  • Willi Burger. Willi Burger was world champion in 1955 and he is back playing as well as ever. He has just released 2 new CDs.
  • Pete G & The Magnitones. Pete G and the Magnitones are one of the top swing blues bands in the country. They feature Pete’s mix of West Coast and Chicago harmonica style and his great vocals plus great instrumentalists.
  • Donald Black, who received rave reviews for his recent concerts in the USA, where he headlined at SPAH, and at Celtic Connections in Glasgow. Accompanied by guitarist, Donnie MacKenzie, he performs evocative Scottish Celtic melodies using tremolo and diatonic harmonicas.
  • Philip Achille will be be repeating his performance from the BBC Proms in July, playing Larry Adler's Genevieve.
  • Brendan Power, Julian Jackson, Eddie Martin, Ben Hewlett & Paul Gillings will all be performing, as well as a harmonica orchestra.

Evening concert starts 7:30pm and runs till late.

Contest Information

See the contest webpage for full details.


If you are interested in the annual contest, which covers a range of age, harmonica type and music sections, check out the contest rules. If you wish to take part, print and send both a festival application form, and a contest application form, (form also available in the August/September NHL magazine) with your payment (£12.50 for NHL members, £20 for non-members). Or register on the day upon arrival (note: this option is subject to places still being available).

Adjudicator - Eric Jennings, an experienced adjudicator from the Federation of Festivals will officiate for a fourth year. He will be assisted by technical advisers for each class of the contest.
Contact Peter Wheat (0118 901 4234) about the competition rules, classes (blues, chromatic etc.), and how to take part.

Workshops

We have two rooms dedicated to workshops on Saturday and Sunday morning. The workshop topics include the usual wide range through from beginner to advanced. Catering for both diatonic & Chromatic.
These include;

  • Chromatic workshops including: Willi Burger; Jazz by Julian Jackson and Harry Pitch
  • A variety of Diatonic Blues workshops including ones by Pete Welland and Keith Parker
  • Tremolo workshops by Ernie Gordon
  • Scottish Celtic Music by Donald Black
  • Cajun music by Aidan Sheehan
  • Suzuki Harps by Brendan Power
  • Repair and maintenance workshop by Fernando Bresslau, ex- Hohner
  • Plus a chance to meet the artists

Shops

Eagle Music and Harmonicas Direct will have their new range of harmonica accessories and tuition materials. Keith Parker will be selling some vintage microphones and cables as well as Harpers Bazaar. All will be displayed in one of the upstairs rooms & support staff from Hohner, Seydel and Suzuki will also be present.

Auction

We will repeat last year's very successful lunchtime auction on Saturday, and possibly Sunday, so bring your cheque books and pick up a bargain.
If you have any CDs, music or equipment etc. which you would like to donate for the auction, please let Gerry know. We need your money to run events like this, so dig deep.

Volunteers

Lots of hands make light work, so please look for ways to help, don't wait to be asked if you see an opportunity. Ask Frank or Gerry at the NHL desk when you register, and they will let you know what needs to be done. You can always email Gerry Ezard in advance to let him know. This is important if our events are to continue.

Prices

  • Entry to the Folk House and access to all the daytime activities/workshops/shops/videos etc., including watching the contest which take place on Saturday, but not the Saturday evening concert - NHL members £12.50 (Non members £17.50)
  • Saturday evening festival concert - NHL members: £10.00 (Non members: £12.50)
    Family ticket for the Sunday: £5
  • The Contest entry fee is £12.50 for NHL members and £20.00 for non-members. Contest rules and information are on the contest webpage
Click here for the festival booking information. Contact Peter Wheat (0118 901 4234) about tickets for the festival workshops and concert.

Location

The two and a half day festival will take place inside the Bristol Folk House (0117-9262987), a popular Adult Education Centre in Bristol. It is a multi-level building at 40a Park Street, a hundred yards north of the Cathedral, in the centre of Bristol. It has a concert room, a licensed café, and half a dozen workshop rooms. The main entrance is through a short passage between two shops on Park Street, a lively shopping area. There is limited on street parking, but cheap all day parking on Saturday and Sunday in the Trenchard Street (P1)and West End (P2) multistorey car parks marked on the map.

The one drawback of this venue is its many levels and tight staircases which make it very difficult or impossible for anyone with physical disabilities.

Bristol is a great location, as everyone found who attended last year's festival. There are lots of things to enjoy - click here for information about Bristol for tourists. The old docks area has been refurbished and brought alive again. The new interactive "At Bristol" development complements the old streets, pubs, restaurants, churches, museums, and restored old sailing ships. With lots to do, even for non-harmonica players, why not make a weekend of it.

Transport

Bristol has a compact city centre and is very easy to reach by motorway, coach, rail and air. If travelling by train the station is 'Bristol Temple Meads'. Or why not take advantage of the cheap flights into Bristol airport?

Accommodation

Bristol has accommodation of all types and prices, but don't delay booking as the best goes very quickly. There is a YHA (0117 922 1659), and the Bristol Backpackers (0117 925 7900) in the city centre, both at around £14 per night. Information on B&Bs and rooms, at a range of prices from £25 upwards, can be obtained from the Bristol Tourist Information Centre (08454080474). These are usually away from the city centre. There is a Travel Lodge and a Holiday Inn Express in the centre at about £50 per room.

If you want a modern hotel, our suggestion is Jurys, one of the best hotels in Bristol where the artists and organisers will stay. The room prices they have quoted for our Festival are very reasonable, considering the high standard of the accommodation. If you want to take up the offer, don't delay as we have only reserved a fixed number of rooms at these prices, and any not taken up will be released in October: Single rooms - £65, Double/Twin rooms - £75, Family rooms - £80. These are room prices, so sharing brings down the price to £30 per person or less. They also include full English breakfast and overnight parking. The hotel is situated right in the centre of the redeveloped docks area, within easy walking distance of most attractions. It has an NCP car park built into it, and is about half a mile from the Folk House.

Festival Contact Information

Click here for maps of the area

View details of last year's festival: Harmonica 2006

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