SHOWS WE PRESENT

guitar and voice

raven art

This is our main show, crafted traditional songs, vocal with sensuous guitar and occassional fiddle accompanments.

We have a variety of material, a total of 4 one hour sets, which we can focus in a particular way, featuring traditonal songs of England, Scotland, Ireland, Canada, and France, with the occassional old blues or ragtime song, all featuring original guitar arrangements, voice and sometimes fiddle.

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guitar and voice

raven art

We have collected many songs on the subject of mining and work, which we love to present with
passion and commentary
.

Throughout the world, the previous generation spent a lot of its time working under the ground with its attendant hazards, growing a plethora of wonderful, though sometimes hair-raising, songs. Work in the industrial age became a new trial to the poor, and these days there are many songs pertaining to lack of work.

guitar and voice

raven art

We combine fiddles, guitar, percussions and even vocal work, to present traditional tunes & music to dance by.

We present fiddle tunes of Northumberland, French Canada, Ireland, Scotland, England, English Canada, and Brittany, to create a unique blend of traditionally focused music to dance by. Percussions include l'accord du pieds, (French Canadian style rythmic foot percussion,) and various drums and rhythmic devices, including Vocals!


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guitar and voice

raven art

Fiddle Tunes.
We specialize in tunes of Northumberland,
a unique area.

John grew up in the Northumberland and learned to fiddle around many great players from his region. We've both played in several ceilidh bands, learning something of the various regional fiddle styles, which we are happy to present in workshop format. We have experience playing, French Canadian tunes, Cape Breton tunes, Donegal and Clare style Irish tunes, tunes from Ecuador and Peru, and can expound on the differences, demonstrating playing styles, history and their rhythmic feel.

guitar and voice

raven art

For groups that have less experience
with folk music traditions
.

We present a concert or workshop that fully explains the instruments that are traditionally used to perform, combined with talk and demonstration on the history of the tradition in different regions.

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guitar and voice

raven art

Rebecca teams up with other traditional singers and players to present Songs that specificly
speak out on social challenges
.

I love taking this concert in to places where people are interested in a discussion of the things that don't work about how our modern culture is structured. Songwriters have written great songs in times of trouble, each offering commentaries on topics like evil cultural situations, despair, solutions and hope.

guitar and voice

raven art

YES YOU CAN!

TAUGHT
&
DEVELOPED
UNIQUELY
BY:

 

 

For singers! A fun workshop on how to get the bugs out of one's singing experience, build confidence and remove the stumbling blocks to a great singing experience.

This is my favourite workshop because it empowers people to sing!

This workshop is best held in small groups.

FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO IMPROVE THEIR SINGING EXPERIENCE WHETHER TRYING OUT FOR THE "X FACTOR"
OR JUST TO BECOME MORE COMFORTABLE

 

• BUILD CONFIDENCE
• FIND THE PROBLEM AREAS
• GAIN TOOLS TO SOLVE THINGS
• EAR TRAINING AND TECHNIQUE
• MEET OTHERS WHO LOVE TO SING
• RELAX, SING AND HAVE FUN

 
 

Quotes from previous participants:

"I wish it could never stop, and go on every week,..."

"I never thought I could really sing,..."

"I never knew I had such a range,..."

"We've learned so much, having these tools and insights
take the anxiety out of singing,..."

"Despite being a professional singer for years,
your techniques have given me new ways of thinking,..."

 

Seven weeks of unique one-and-a-half hour classes, designed to iron out all the bugs in an individuals singing experience.

This workshop produces results, even for people who think they could never sing, expanding people's confidence and growing their talent, leaving them with real tools to enjoy and grow to becoming a more effortless singer.

I adapt each series specifically to the people who are there in the group, using every moment to solve and develope what have been problem areas unique to each individual.

Because the workshops are done in small groups, people benefit from exploring the singing abilities and stumbling block of every member of the group. While witnessing live demonstrations of problems in a non-threatening way each participant can gain a huge range of tools and ideas about their own singing experience. This often brings the participants closer together, and many a singing group has been formed because of this class.

IT'S A GREAT WORKSHOP TO SHARE WITH A
GROUP OF FRIENDS.

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guitar and voice
raven art

Occasionally
Rebecca will take on voice students for solo lessons.

Having studied in depth under a lot of folk style traditions, and having held many rounds of the Singers-Problem-Solver workshop I will consider working with some particular students on a solo basis.

guitar and voice

raven art

A focused workshop on accapella singing.

Tips on presenting the voice in isolation.

 

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guitar and voice

raven art

Acoustic guitar workshop.

John has been playing guitar for almost 30 years. He has an intensive classical training which technique he imediately incorporates in his exploration of celtic song accompanyment, the playing of fiddle tunes on guitar, and the challenges of effective and interesting playing when in support of the melodic players in dance bands.

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guitar and voice

raven art

English song styles and techniques.

Having sung predominantly traditional songs of England for the last 40 years, this workshop can focus on styles of songs, regional singing styles, history of singers, and repertoire.

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guitar and voice

raven art

French Canadian call and response songs.

These songs are designed to gather everybody into participation. The lead singer basically feeds the story line into the crowd with designated portions for the whole audience to join in with. The tales can be whimsical, terrific and downright zany, basicly a lot of fun. And of course, they're in French!

guitar and voice

raven art

Irish song styles and techniques.

Detailed and comprehensive workshop on singing Sean-nós Style, types of songs, focus on history, singers and singing styles, techniques and individual performance.

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Rebecca Barclay and John Steele provide dark mysterious vocals and intricate guitar, combining to present sparse, intensely direct and compelling older traditional story songs.