About the orchestra

A minor Fiddle Orchestra started from an idea to get young people from various schools in Wimborne (Dorset) performing together, music that was fun to play but did not require a lot of rehearsals. The initial idea was to play at Wimborne and Weymouth Folk Festivals and bookings for these started the process. During their lessons they have learnt a variety of folk tunes from different countries which they can then all play together as a group. So far we have had one rehearsal with two performances which were very successful.

These students are all busy, involved with a great variety of activities and finding a common time for rehearsing would be very difficult. Our first rehearsal was in a corridor 2 hours before our first performance!! but I knew they could play the music and would perform well together. They responded by a great performance on the main staircase at Gaunts House. Our second was in the gallery (it became a real minstrels gallery!) overlooking the shop at Honeybrook Farm. Unusual places to play perhaps, but they made very memorable experiences. There are currently 23 students involved aged from just 7 to 16 years old. They all play the violin, but having taught a number of them to play the recorder also, we very successfully included recorders with the violins in our second performance, to give variety for a couple of tunes.

The tunes vary in difficulty and everyone can play the tune if they wish. There are various interesting harmony parts for the more experienced, and simpler parts for the harder tunes if needed. Folk tunes are not just easy tunes, they can cover all sorts of technical problems – and can be very useful to practise. The music sets contain Irish polkas, Scottish strathspeys, American reels, English Morris tunes, Irish hornpipes, and various jigs. More sets are planned to cover folk tunes from other cultures too. One student has also got an Octave violin and was playing this at our first performance.

Accompaniment is mostly with the keyboard, with some harp and bohdran. We played for three local Folk Festivals in June and September, the weather was interesting!

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Clients comments

Thanks ever so much for bringing your children over - it was great. They were wonderful.

D.G.H.

So many people said how wonderful it was to see so many children playing and enjoying themselves.

Your children - they were great.

M.M.

Future Dates

Dates next year to be arranged.

Contact us

If you would like us to perform at a function for you please contact Kate Carpenter 01202 882858 or email kate@swingyourpartner.co.uk for availability.

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