Music
Under the Southern Cross
Celtic Southern Cross Summer School
Lachlan Green and Ruth Wise leading the Slow Jam each evening
Jan
20th - 25th 2013
followed by Newstead Folk Festival
Campaspe Downs Victoria
(Google
map)
(once was Music Not Under the
Mountains 2007 and before that, Music Under the Mountains 1999 - 2006)
All bookings for the Celtic Music School must be
made through Celtic Southern Cross
Application form etc is a word file - let us know if you can't read it or download it.
This link is to the pdf version of the
application form
More Photos of the School
2011,
2010,
2009,
2008,
2007,
2006,
2005,
2004, 2003,
2002
and
2001
Beth's pick of Melinda's
2008 photos (word
document)
Melinda's photos for 2009
Awards that have been won by Summer School students
back to Celtic Southern Cross
| Instrument | Tutor |
| Scottish Fiddle - Master-class Advanced 17 places remaining | Chris Duncan and Matthew Robertson |
| Scottish Fiddle - Intermediate 8 places remaining | Emma Nixon |
| Irish Fiddle - Intermediate to Advanced 7 places remaining | Bridget Hickey |
| Canadian Fiddle Styles - Intermediate to Advanced 15 places remaining | Pria Schwall-Kearney and Sarah Davies |
| Scottish Piano - Intermediate to Advanced FULL | Catherine Strutt |
| Celtic Mandolin - Intermediate to Advanced 6 places remaining | Luke Plumb and James Rigby |
| English Concertina - Intermediate 3 places remaining | Mike Watts |
| Tin Whistle - Intermediate 5 places remaining | Mischa Herman |
| Traditional Singing -
Intermediate and a Master Class for Advanced
18 places remaining |
Nicole Murray and John Thompson - Cloudstreet |
| Folk Harp - Intermediate 2 places remaining | David Alleway |
| Irish Pipes- Beginner to Intermediate 2 places remaining | Patrick Lyons |
| Guitar - Intermediate to Advanced 2 places remaining | Dave O'Neill |
| Folk Ensemble - Intermediate to Advanced 14 places remaining | Lachlan Green and Ruth Wise |
| Electives 4.30 -5.30 - free for all who attend the School | |
| Slow Jam - every evening before main session at night | |
| Learning tunes by ear - how to make it easier | Ruth Wise |
| Juggling and other circus tricks (in the pool?) | Elly Barrett |
| Swimming in the pool - after classes and on Wed. afternoon | |
Morning Walk with Lynda Purcell every morning 7.30 - 8am
 |
Lynda Purcell |
| Dancing - Scottish and Ceilidh, with a chance for some musicians to play for the real thing and a chance for the rest to get fit and to let off steam after a day of solid concentration in class. | Matthew Robertson and any schoolie
available.
Thanks to Kay Callan, Cathy Hutchinson and Caroline Barrell for some great dances in 2011 |
Costs
| Class | Accommodation | Total | |
| Adult | $280 early bird if paid before Nov. 30th - otherwise it's $310 |
$390 |
$670 early bird if paid before Nov. 30th - otherwise $700
|
| Adult Accomm. only | $410 | $410 | |
| Under 16 accomm. only | $410 | $410 | |
| Under 16 (if in a class) |
|
$390 |
$610 early bird if paid before Nov. 30th - otherwise $640 |
Students are requested to provide a $100
semi-refundable deposit to ensure
their place in classes.
I cannot guarantee a place if you do not send in your
deposit.
Application form etc is a word file
Full payment to be made by December 30th 2012 please. Early birds to be fully paid by Nov. 30th, 2012
The tutors are
Mike Watts - English Concertina
(Intermediate - not total beginners please)
Mike will take the student through the concertina intricacies including scales, tunes and chords, and repair and maintenance. Learn harmonies, rhythms, ornamentation.
Mike returned from a successful musical trip around England and
Scotland, where he conducted an English Concertina workshop at the Bromyard Folk
Festival. His 2008 class saw our first UK student fly out for the class!
This
class already filling up rapidly for 2013
Chris Duncan - Scottish Fiddle
Advanced
- winner of the The National Film and Sound
Archive award for Best Folk Recording of 2007: The Red House
Matthew Robertson - Scottish Fiddle Advanced - AssistantChris
is Australia's favourite Scottish fiddler with a fun approach to teaching, placing great emphasis on rhythm and lilt in the playing of Scottish tunes.
In great demand around the world as a musician and teacher, we are privileged to be able to offer Chris' talents once again. In fact, the School was first started as a result of Chris' desire to teach Scottish fiddle in a dedicated and welcoming manner. With three CDs out now, Chris is demonstrating world status in Scottish fiddling.
This class requires a very high degree of playing ability, and a high ability to pick up tunes by ear. To register for this class you should have either done Chris' class previously, been invited by Chris into the class or have attended the Intermediate Scottish Fiddle class with Emma Nixon.
Matthew has been involved with the Celtic Summer School since it's inception in 1999 and has become a most valued member of the team. He has been assisting Chris with the advanced fiddle class for several years now, and the session's just wouldn't be the same without him.
Matthew was our leader in the slow jam session for several years, before handing over to Lachlan Green and Jack Wilson. He coordinated the several electives of dancing this year, and we are extremely privileged to be able to call on his expertise and his wonderfully warm manner in teaching and playing.
In January 2010 Matthew, with Pria Schwall-Kearney and Judy Turner were awarded a Tamworth Golden Fiddle Award for best set on a CD, plus this CD Gates of Gold by the Melbourne Scottish Fiddle Club won the best fiddle CD award
Emma Nixon - Scottish Fiddle Intermediate - this class is a pre-requisite for the Advanced Scottish Fiddle Class or by consultation
Emma has been a student at the Celtic Summer
School for several years, and a highly qualified and respected violin teacher in Brisbane.
She has founded the
Scottish Fiddle Club in Brisbane and has completed folk music degree in
Newcastle, UK in 2008.
In January 2010 and 2011
Emma was awarded the Tamworth Golden Fiddle Award for best fiddle teacher.
In 2012 she won
the Best Solo Fiddle CD at Tamworth.
Emma also is one of our fiddlers on the Begged Borrowed and Stolen Sets CD.
Emma will be teaching the rhythms and nuances which make Scottish
fiddling so exciting. The standard for this class will be quite high and will
not be suitable for beginner or novice players. Learning by ear is essential.
Right: Emma and Nicole Murray playing in the Tutors' Concert 2012.
Photo courtesy Phil Green
http://www.myspace.com/emmanixonscottishfiddle
Lachlan Green and Ruth Wise - Folk Ensemble
Lachlan has been a student at every Summer School since 2002 and has studied Scottish fiddle with some of the world's best teachers in Australia, Scotland, New Zealand and the United States. In 2011 Lachlan was invited by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra to join them with his Hardanger fiddle, for their production of Peer Gynt at the Sydney Opera House.
Lachlan is also the musical co-director of the Canberra Scottish Fiddlers and organised and conducted the National Folk Festival Scottish Fiddle Rally in 2011.
Ruth is a member of the fabulous Wise Family and more recently the Wise Girls and both she and Lachlan have been the stars in leading the Slow Jam session at the last 2 Schools. Ruth is in the photo below right, with Chris and Catherine, playing for the dancing.
Lachlan Green and assistant tutor Ruth Wise will be presenting this exciting new class covering how to approach collaboration and arrangement of material with other musicians in a group setting. Topics including repertoire selection, instrumentation, accompaniment, harmony, texture and aspects of performance presentation will be discussed in a highly interactive class environment, with the class to collaborate in preparing a few tunes and/or songs for the final concert.
· Repertoire Selection: Suggestions for how to approach choosing tunes and/or songs, discussion of the characteristic sound of different kinds of tunes, general ideas of melodic shape and harmonic progression, ways of putting together tune sets, and some of the ways of complementing them in instrumentation, accompaniment, harmony and texture etc.
· Instrumentation: Discussion of various kinds of instruments, solo vs. accompaniment roles, characteristics such as range, dynamics, timbre and sonority. Also, how various combinations of different instruments sound together. (Listening session: Different instrument line-ups)
· Chords and harmonies: Discussion of chords as support for melody, ways of adding variation and harmonic points of interest (including chord substitution), and strategies for figuring out harmony lines.
· Texture: How musical texture can be approached to make the most of different tunes and songs, highlight particular instruments and add to the drama and interest for the listener.
· Instrumental accompaniment for songs: Discussion of information specific to accompanying and arranging songs. Learn to "shuffle" on fiddle.
· Performance: Some discussion of how to approach performance in different contexts (sessions, various types of concert settings, parties, dances...) and general tips on 'stage manner' and presentation.
· Group dynamics: Things to consider when working with other musicians to help facilitate collaboration as a fun and productive process.
Instruments could be fiddle, viola, flute, Hardanger fiddle, cello, 1 guitar or piano (this position has been filled), anything remotely celtic. Basically it's folk music. Students must be of a good musical standard and able to learn very quickly by ear if unable to read music.
Catherine Strutt - Scottish Piano
-
this class is FULL
Catherine is returning by popular demand, and the class only has one place remaining. Catherine will be teaching the nuances of playing for Scottish dance, for Scottish music in general, and will include harmony, accompaniment, solo work and chord structures.
Traditional Singing - with Nicole Murray and John Thompson (cloudstreet)
cloudstreet’s
John
Thompson and Nicole Murray are teachers and performers who tour
internationally. Their music is based around the dynamic use of inventive and
exciting vocal harmonies, backed by guitar, flutes, concertina and percussion.
John and Nicole's magnificent harmony skills have quickly made them favourites
on the folk music circuits in Australia and the United Kingdom and they bring
all of their wonderful skills to their workshops and coaching sessions. From
their base on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, they take their music around the
world, breathing new life into some of the great songs of the folk tradition.
Photo left: the amazing gaelic waulking song at the concert with the Singing class
Checkout their website for John's amazing One Australian Traditional Folk Song a Day blog.
Nicole Murray is a singer, songwriter, musician and visual artist. A passionate, thoughtful and empathetic teacher (B.Ed), Nicole has a joyful enthusiasm for encouraging others to develop their vocal, musical and performance skills.
John Thompson is a singer, musician and songwriter. As well as working with cloudstreet, John is a regular performer in his own right, and as a Spooky Man at major Australian festivals. A barrister in a (recent) past life, John has an exquisite understanding of the tension between artist and “day job”, and how to nurture the one to benefit both.
This year the Singing class will involve Traditional Singing as well as a new Advanced development workshop, with each focusing on different vocal challenges. Traditional SingingThis class will follow on from our workshop approach of the past three years, with new repertoire and exercises. • physical and vocal warm-ups • learn traditional songs and harmony parts • vocal techniques • chorus songs • listening to celtic traditional singers • improvising • the singing session Advanced Singing - Development Workshop A new workshop for more experienced singers, looking for a more detailed technical challenge. • share warm-up and repertoire activities with intermediate group in the morning • participants are requested to bring a piece of traditional repertoire to develop into a performance piece with other class members in two, three or four part harmony • focus on tone production, dynamics, performance skills, pitch matching, phrasing, expression.
They both organise the Maleny Celtic Winter School
in June and this is FUNLink to Cloudstreet website
and with Emma Nixon in the UK in 2010 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIjiTPwBQY8
John's blog, An Australian Folk Song a Day (ozfolksongaday.blogspot.com) Visit the blog, marvel at the music, ooh and aah at the extensive lyric library which is now available to both all and sundry.
An Australian Folk Song A Day: Waltzing Matilda This was done at the School before the Concert. Thank you John, what a great experience that was and what a great thing you've done altogether with your Blog.
Luke Plumb and James Rigby - Celtic Mandolin Intermediate
to Advanced
Luke is
proudly Tasmanian and a member of the Scottish band
Shooglenifty and the
Funky String Band. While Luke's
main instrument is the mandolin, he is a fine fiddler, guitarist and a superb
teacher.
James is a member of The Rainmakers and very active in things musical around the country - a great asset to this class
All tunes are taught by ear, so an ability to pick up tunes easily is essential. This assists players to join in the Irish sessions, where reading from music is not always appreciated. This is an Intermediate to Advanced class so you will be expected to be able to play some tunes such as you would expect in an Irish session, or be relatively competent on the mandolin with a good
ability to learn by ear.
Luke will be pulling several tunes apart to teach varied ornamentations and interpretations.
Thanks to Michael Patrick (hidden by a mandolin) for the photoThanks to Tim Barker from the mando class for the following clip of the fun concert their class gave us this year, 2011, with Dave O'Neill as tutor while Luke was recuperating.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXcl-HUZlDI
Dave O'Neill - Intermediate to Advanced Celtic Guitar 
This class will be for regular tuning, not DADGAD tuning.
He is currently the National Folk Festival Artistic Director, but in his previous life he was, and still is, one of Australia's top instrumentalists on fiddle, guitar and mandolin, touring with Eric Bogle for some years. Dave taught at the Celtic Summer School when it resided in Tasmania, and we welcomed him back last year as our Irish fiddle tutor and 2011 as our mandolin tutor when Luke was unable to attend the School at the last minute.
Dave spent some years in Ireland before taking up the NFF position, and has a sound knowledge of the Irish music, plus is one of the finest tutors we've had at the School.
Dave will be teaching both flat picking style, chordal structure, theory, accompaniment and basically anything you need to know about playing guitar for Celtic music.
We have a limited number in this class so get your deposit down fast as this class will fill quickly
Bridget Hickey Intermediate Irish Fiddle tutor
All tunes are taught by ear, so an ability to pick up tunes
easily is essential. This assists players to join in the Irish sessions,
where reading from music is not always appreciated. This is
an Intermediate to Advanced class so you will be expected to be able to play tunes such as you would expect in an Irish session, or be competent on
the fiddle with a good ability to learn by ear.
Bridget Hickey, like her mother before her, has won the Westbury Traditional Irish Music Award, and is a member of The Wheels, and The Fooks which successfully play in Hobart and elsewhere.
Bridget has been teaching Irish and Scottish fiddle privately and has become a most welcome addition to the teaching team, having spent a great deal of her life at past Celtic Summer Schools as a student. Her fluid style and lovely bowing technique will impress.
Pria Schwall-Kearney and Sarah Davies - Intermediate Canadian Fiddle
The Canadian Fiddle Styles class was so successful in 2010
and 2011
and 2012 that we bowed down to the demand (easy to do) and asked Pria and Sarah
to return in 2013
Left: Sarah Davies
This class will combine the French-Canadian music of Québec, and the Scottish-derived music of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, taught by Pria Schwall-Kearney and Sarah Davies respectively.
Québecois music is distinctively rhythmic, drawing on its French, Scots and Irish roots whilst remaining a unique style best known to Australian audiences through the playing of Genticorum and superband La Bottine Souriante. We’ll learn some of the history, bowings, grooves and of course foot tapping and crooked tunes. You might even learn some French!
Cape Breton fiddle music is highly energetic, having its roots in 18th and 19th Century Scotland, but preserving elements of Scottish music and dance that give it a unique sound, distinct from traditional Scottish music today. In this class we’ll learn some fun tunes, explore some of the distinctive rhythms, bowings and ornaments that give Cape Breton music its drive, and look at the links between Cape Breton music and dance.
Sarah and Pria are wildly
enthusiastic about their chosen fiddle styles, and share an infectious energy
that pervades any class they teach. As well as being fine fiddlers, Pria and
Sarah are also fabulous step-dancers and foot-stompers, and this class will
explore the rhythmic links between music, dance and foot percussion in Eastern
Canada (non-dancers never fear, it’s not compulsory!). Students will be
encouraged and assisted to learn tunes by ear, and depending on the needs of
class members, the class may split into two groups at times to concentrate on
specific skills. Right: Pria Schwall-Kearney
About the tutors
Pria Schwall-Kearney is one of Australia’s most exciting young fiddle players, most known as a member of the Melbourne Scottish Fiddle Club, which she helps teach. Having recently returned from a year in Québec and Appalachia studying (and teaching) fiddle and banjo, she’s come back freshly inspired with a heap of new ideas. Pria has played and taught fiddle and step dance at most festivals around Australia, and in the second half of 2009 toured Australia and New Zealand with the Old Time duo Pigeonwing Strings (www.myspace.com/pigeonwingstrings). To find out more you can go to www.myspace.com/priaschwallkearney
Sarah Davies has taught fiddle and step-dance at workshops and festivals throughout eastern Australia, and has taught music privately to people of all ages, always with an emphasis on helping students to learn by ear, and to enjoy themselves! Sarah’s favourite music is Cape Breton fiddle music, but she also loves Scottish music, being a regular student in Chris Duncan’s class at Music Under the Southern Cross in past years. Sarah has performed and recorded with the groups Spoot o’ Skerry and Old King Cole, currently plays with Contratemps dance band, and recently composed and recorded the soundtrack for a short film. Sarah greatly enjoys passing on the wonderful tunes, steps and knowledge she has picked up on her travels to fiddle schools and festivals in Cape Breton and California.
Pria and Sarah have both recorded teaching CDs, Pria focusing on Québecois and Old Time music, and Sarah on Cape Breton, Scottish and Contra dance tunes.
Patrick Lyons - Beginner to Intermediate Uilleann Pipes
Teachers of the uilleann pipes are rather thin on the ground but this is not a problem for Music Not Under the Mountains summer school. Here, we have Patrick Lyons to run our piping classes. Pat, who has been playing uilleann pipes for over twenty years, will be teaching advanced pipers.
This class has advanced over the years from beginner to Intermediate onto Advanced, but is now back to the basics again, so if you have the jigs and reels and you want to improve your technique and come to grips with some of the classic traditional tunes, this is the class for you.
Particular attention will be paid to improving tone, getting around the tricky bits, and understanding how piping relates to other aspects of traditional Irish music, especially sean-nós singing. Pat will also cover aspects of pipes maintenance, reed making, and getting the best from your instrument.
Mischa Herman - Tin Whistle - Intermediate
Mischa has become well known as the musical partner of Evan Davies on flute and whistle, and Mischa is also an
accordion wizard, but the class is whistle not accordion unless anyone in the class requests it.
Check out their website www.myspace.com/evandaviesmischaherman and their CD is highly recommended.
This class will be an Intermediate class so it is essential that you can play some jigs, reels and the occasional polka and slow air. You will be taught by ear, and will be given the ornaments and skills to make the tunes dance and sound really Irish.
We'd like to thank Kathy (photo on the left) for her many years of dedication to the School, and wish her the best while she takes a break from teaching whistle here.
David Alleway - Folk Harp
- Intermediate
As a prime mover in Moving Harps David is well known for his enthusiastic approach to this instrument. This is a great opportunity for harpists to develop a closer relationship with celtic and folk rhythms and ornamentation. Plus it will be a great deal of fun. David is able to provide harps for several students if you do not have your own as yet.
Depending upon the level at which the participants are already playing the following areas will be covered.
1 Basic harp technique, tuning, finger placement & posture
2 History of Celtic Harp in Celtic music
3 Playing melody lines, tune decoration in different styles
4. Accompanying other melody players: working out chords and how to play them in different styles
5. Tuning to play with bagpipes, Irish and Scottish and chordal accompaniment styles
6. Accompanying singers
7 Accompanying yourself singing
8 Arranging tunes from basic melody lines
TOP
All bed linen and doonas are provided - you do not need to bring bedding
What to bring
The essentials to remember to bring are: mozzie zapper that plugs in, fan (it can get hot), towels, soap, swimming gear etc. Wet weather gear - watch the forecast. It rained for the whole week last year, but we had perfect weather in 2012
A recorder will also be a good idea to record the tunes as you will be learning by ear. You might like to bring your own coffee plunger. David Alleway will be selling organic, fair trade coffee at a good Schoolie price.
The nearest shops are 7kms away in Kyneton. Someone will make daily trips to Kyneton.
Anyone wishing to sleep outside at night will need to bring their own bedding as no cabin bedding may be removed from cabins.
The THEME for 2013 is neckwear - scarves and ties are obvious but be inventive
Just for fun
Check out the photos of some of the weird and wonderful HATS (2010) and HATS (2011) that appeared at dinner time each night. If any student has a photo I'd love to see them please.
The way the School works
Registrations start at 2pm and students are encouraged to arrive before 6pm when dinner starts.
We finish on the Friday, with a concert at 10.15, open to the public, then lunch at 12.30, and we farewell Campaspe around 1.30pm.
Classes run from 9am - 4pm Mon, Tues and Thurs and from 9am - 12.30pm on Wednesday. The Wednesday afternoon is free for practice, swimming, walking, sightseeing whatever.
The classes are dedicated, meaning that students don't move between different classes during the week. The tutors plan the week to develop skills, once a tune has been learnt by ear. Emphasis is on playing by ear, where ornamentation, rhythm, lilt, harmonies etc are all added as the week progresses.
All classes are of an Intermediate to Advanced standard. Students are expected to be able to play their chosen instrument well enough to be able to capitalize on learning the ornamentation etc, rather than just learning to cope with their instrument. Students are encouraged to learn by ear to help them join in sessions more easily. Sheet music is usually not given out until the end of the School, if at all.
On Monday afternoon from 4.30-5.30 we have a ceilidh available to all at the School, with dancing called by Matt Robertson, or Kay Callen or anyone else interested in teaching a bush dance or a Scottish dance. Music provided by students and tutors if they aren't in the swimming pool.
We hope to have the Chris Duncan Rhythm Monster elective again plus Ruth Wise doing a Learn by Ear elective. Quite often an impromptu fiddle class or Gaelic language class or step dancing class may erupt, just to keep things on the move.
We have a slow jam session every evening before the main sessions, to allow players to pick up some of the more commonly played session tunes, and to reinforce tunes learned in past years at the School. Students who have gone on to become assistant tutors take the lead in these sessions and Lachlan's rhythm boots are to be respected. An Intermediate Scottish session precedes the regular Scottish session, after this.
The School is for the students, so "drop ins" are not encouraged, as the sessions are an integral part of the students' training within the School setting. All ex-schoolies are always welcome however, just let Beth know if you'd like to visit
Travelling to Campaspe Downs
Trains
The trains run regularly from Southern Cross Station to Bendigo and stops at Kyneton. Someone will pick you up from the Kyneton station after 2.30pm on the Sunday - let Beth know your times please.
Bus
The shuttle bus from the airport leaves at 9.30, 1.00, 3.15 to Bendigo stops at Kyneton. It is essential you book this bus before hand. PLEASE NOTE NEW TIME - 1pm departure from airport. When you book tell them you are part of this School please.
Check out the new prices and times at http://www.bendigoairportservice.com.au/news.php
