Sam Sweeney English Fiddle workshop, Lewes Saturday Folk Club

About

Lewes Saturday Folk Club Workshop No 322 - Sam Sweeney, English Fiddle Workshop

Saturday 27th. September 2025, 12:00 – 17:30  Places £45  (£22 for two under 25-year olds) Email valmaigoodyear@aol.com to reserve places, bring the right money in cash on the day.

Lewes Arms, Mount Place, Lewes BN7 2DA www.lewessaturdayfolkclub.org/

Voted Musician Of The Year at the BBC Folk Awards 2015, Sam http://www.samsweeneymusic.com/ has one of the most impressive CVs on the folk scene.  He's a dazzling fiddle player at the forefront of the English fiddle tradition and is one of the key players in the current resurgence of English instrumental music. 

In 2016 he was appointed the inaugural Artistic Director of the National Youth Folk Ensemble.  Most notably, Sam was in the multi-award-winning cultural sensation Bellowhead.  He has released three solo albums and performed with The Full English, Eliza Carthy, Jon Boden, Fay Hield & Emily Portman as well his own critically acclaimed show Made In The Great War.  He is an experienced and inspirational fiddle tutor.

The workshop will primarily look at ways to inject life and groove into traditional English fiddle tunes in 4/4, 3/2 & 6/8.  Sam will be covering right arm and left hand techniques, improving sound quality.  Learning a few tunes and how to free yourself from the simple notes of a tune.

Provisional Timetable 12:00 Registration & coffee; please order lunch at the bar (refreshments not included). An introduction, learning a simple tune or two, & a good look at the right arm, bow hold & how this affects your sound. 13.30 – 14:30 Lunch 14:30 How to feel the groove. Groove/micro-pulse/back-beat …. whatever you choose to call it, it's the key to playing tunes well. 16:00 Tea/coffee break 16.30 Participants will play with each other & look at moving away from the notes of a tune to listen to one another & create beautiful music. 17:30 Finish N.B. Booking is recommended as numbers are limited. Maps & accommodation lists will be sent on request.

NB Music will NOT be sent in advance unless specifically requested by anyone who really struggles to learn by ear.

Sam Sweeney performs with Leveret at the Elephant & Castle in the evening.  (£15: email valmaigoodyear@aol.com to reserve tickets, bring the right money in cash on the night)