Jenny is an accomplished fiddle player. She teaches fiddle and violin/viola in schools and workshops. She plays in the ceilidh band 3sticks and is MD of The Big Fiddle Band. Jenny has played at many festivals inc Towersey, Sidmouth and Cropedy. And (for something a bit different), she plays in the prog-rock band Solstice.
I first camped at the age of 12 with my recently widowed mother – we both immediately found lifelong friends and have been camping ever since as a family and in more recent years with my own children.
What I most enjoy about staffing Folk Camps is being able to share my enthusias & knowledge and to be honoured in workshops with the presence of lots of enthusiastic kids and adults who are always very generous with their feedback.
My favourite part of Folk Camps is the buzz of excitement felt by the whole family – the warmth of friendship, the generosity of people in sharing their skills, the dancing, singing & madness & freedom to express your inner child – where else can you put a lampshade on your head & feel glamorous & relevant? Or sitting around into the small hours waxing lyrical about how good the old camp was or moaning about some terribly pressing issue such as lack of beetroot. The excitement of the children on party night – the dressing up & silly turns that happen every week and the creative energy that inspires that…
My best memories of Folk Camps, too numerous to say: …watching dawn break after many an all night session tiptoeing back to the tent through the damp dew …As a teenager arriving a day early for the August Bank Holiday camp, sitting on my suitcase all day relaxed in the knowledge that I wasn’t going to miss a single minute of it! …A midnight walk along a river valley stumbling across someone sitting on a rock playing the melodeon by torchlight …(not sure if that was best or worst!!) …being proposed to in a damp tent in the rain. …being presented with a patchwork quilt for my unborn child which had been made in secret by every member of camp (Lympstone 2006).
I like to think I bring my enthusiasm /experience /love of music & teaching to this role.
I volunteer as musician because I love playing good tunes which make people want to dance. I enjoy sharing my love of music and encouraging others to push the boundaries of what they can do.
At my camps people can expect lots of music & dancing. The workshops are inclusive and aim to challenge both experienced musicians and total novices of all ages. The book ‘Join the band’ is always used for the first half hour of the regular morning music workshop, then we will do something a bit different for the later part of the workshop. The early evening band is usually delegated to others and includes written music where required; later all are still welcome to play for the ceilidh but the band tends to focus on the dancers and usually play more challenging tunes by ear.
Jenny‘s Folk Camps
Here is where Jenny will be a member of staff this season. Follow the link to find out more.
Joint Musician : Marquee Week 1 Rhayader
All Folk Camps Staff
Find out about all the Folk Camps staff this season.