
Harmonica 2010 - at The Folk House, Bristol, UK
Friday 29th October to Sunday 31th October, 2010
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Welcome to the NHL Festival in Bristol
You can see some videos of the artists in the concert on YouTube. You can see some of Mark Pickthal's great photos from the H2010 Festival Concert in Bristol last month on his photograph and design web site. Check out his NHL H2010 image Gallery. Here is a slide show put together by Patrice Rayon covering many aspects of the festival weekend. Here is a slideshow from one of our Russian members Leonid Nagaev who came to H2010. The contest results will be in the December issue of Harmonica World. Following the huge success of last year’s festival we have organised another event packed weekend for every type and style of harmonica player. Whether you are a beginner or an expert, H2010 will be another unmissable event in Bristol with Rachelle Plas, Olivier Ker Ourio, Mick Kinsella, Frank Semus and Alan Glen and the BarCodes. This is a fantastic weekend with workshops, contests, shops, and an International Gala Concert. It is also great value. The entry prices have aain been kept at the 2003 levels despite the many costs increases. In addition to the artists headlining the concert there will be other well known artists taking part in activities around the festival, such as Brendan Power, Lee Sankey, and others ..... Click here for more detailed information on the Festival weekend Click here for booking forms for the festival and contest. You can download a provisional programme for the festival by clicking here or on the image of the cover. Friday 29th OctoberInformal meet and greet night from about 7pm. Blues jam & chromatic open mic play. NHL AGM will take place around 8pm. 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 early evening. All help is greatly appreciated & will ensure the festival runs as smoothly as possible. Please contact David Hambley if you can help in anyway. Come and enjoy the night, and meet the committee.The Annual General Meeting will take place at 8pm. The move to a Registered Charity has increased the number of members required to be present to achieve a quorum to a greater number than we usually achieve at the AGM. Any NHL member who cannot attend the AGM who would like to provide a proxy vote should contact the Secretary, David Hambley. We need your support. David will provide the background and answer any questions. Following the AGM at about 8:30pm there will be a blues jam with a band in the concert hall run by Ben Hewlett and a free play session for chromatic players with backing tracks in the Music Room. Saturday 30th OctoberDoors open 9.15amThe 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. The Saturday evening concert will feature NHL members and well known atists Sunday 31st OctoberDoors open 9:30am. A Sunday afternoon concert follows where members, children and artists can all join in and perform. Saturday Evening ConcertThis year's artists will include
Evening concert starts 7:30pm and runs till late. Contest InformationDetails will be posted a few months before the event. Adjudicator - We have invited an experienced adjudicator - Eric Tebbett - from the Federation of Festivals to officiate at the contest. WorkshopsWe have three rooms dedicated to workshops on Saturday and Sunday morning. The workshop topics include the usual wide range through from beginner to advanced tuition, diatonic, tremolo & chromatic, harmonica maintenance, classical, blues and jazz. We hope to have details of the workshops in the October issue of Harmonica World and a full program will be posted here before the event. ShopsHarmonicas Direct will have their full range of harmonica accessories and tuition materials. Suzuki hope to demonstate their range of harmonicas and there will be a first chance for members to get their hands on the harmonicas from the new Brazilian manufacturer Bends. Ben Hewlett will be selling his range of tuition books/CDs and harmonicas. All this is in the upstairs shopping room, Harpers Bazaar. Seydel will be present in force again and their rooom will have a full product dislay as well as the repair clinic they intiated last year where you can check the state of your harmonica with Dr Bertram Becher and Jamie Dolan. AuctionWe will repeat last year's very successful lunchtime auction on Saturday, and possibly Sunday, so bring your cheque books and pick up a bargain.
VolunteersLots of hands make light work, so please look for ways to help, don't wait to be asked if you see an opportunity. Ask Steve, Ben or Barbara at the ticket or NHL desk when you register, and they will let you know what needs to be done. You can always email David Hambley in advance to let him know. This is important if our events are to continue. LocationThe 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. TransportBristol 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? AccommodationBristol 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 about £20 per night. The Bristol Tourist Information Centre, 01179462222, has details of B&Bs. There is a Travel Lodge and a Holiday Inn Express in the town centre usually at £50 to £60 a night. If you want a modern hotel, our suggestion is The Bristol Hotel, (was Jurys), Prince Street, Bristol BS1 4QF. They are holding single rooms at £85 B&B and a room for two adults at £90 B&B - when booking quote National Harmonica Visitor. It is about half a mile from the Folk House. Phone: 0117 923 0333, The Bristol Hotel email, and The Bristol Hotel Web Site. This is the main festival hotel, where the artists, committee and most members meet up before & after the festival events at the Folk House. Another hotel which we have used before and found to be excellent is the Mercure Holland House Hotel & Spa. They have festival rooms at £85, single and £90, double/twin. Quote National Harmonica Visitor. It is located between Temple Meads Station and the City Centre. Phone: 0117/9689900, Mercure email address, Mercure web site Remember hotel room rates can change according to demand so you might get a different price if you ask. Festival Contact Information
Here are directions to The Folk House in Bristol.
The Bristol Folk House and Co-Operative Ltd, Click here for maps of the area View details of last year's festival: Harmonica 2009
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