Ballarat and district string players are invited to take part in a fantastic opportunity to meet and learn from two of the most respected folk string players in the world today, sisters Natalie (cello) and Brittany (fiddle) Haas. The opportunity includes the following, and participants will receive a free day ticket to CresFest Saturday 11 April, enabling you to enjoy the rest of the day.
BALLARAT WORKSHOP 1 – BAND HALL BARKLY STREET – THURSDAY 9 APRIL – Gather from 5:30pm – play until 7:30pm followed by light dinner
Working with Ballarat Symphony string players and their conductor, cellist Luke Severn, to run through the three written arrangements and teach the stramash tunes by ear
BALLARAT WORKSHOP 2 – WENDOUREE P.A.C. – ROOM 50 (ORCHESTRA ROOM) – FRIDAY 10 APRIL – Gather from 9:30am – play till 12 midday followed by light lunch
Working with players self selected from BSO, Melbourne and Adelaide Scottish Fiddle Clubs, Ballarat Grammar and other Ballarat secondary schools, with local fiddlers to run through the three written arrangements and teach some chopping and chording techniques as well as teaching the stramash tunes by ear
THE BIG STRING THING REHEARSAL – SATURDAY 11 APRIL – MASONIC LOWER HALL ALBERT STREET CRESWICK – Rehearsal runs strictly 2pm- 3pm
A gathering of everyone interested in the concert to rehearse all items
THE BIG STRING THING CONCERT – SATURDAY 11 APRIL – CRESWICK TOWN HALL Concert runs from 9:30pm- 10:15pm
EXPECTED CONCERT RUN ORDER (TBC)
9:30 15 minutes Haas Sisters as duo
9:45 10 minutes Melbourne and Adelaide Scottish Fiddle Club item/s
9:55 15 minutes – full group plays 3 written arrangements
10:10 5 minutes – all in fiddle stramash by agreement with MSFC – ear tunes
“Britt opens the window, gets out of the way, and the music floods through in a tide of joy.” — Darol Anger
“Natalie basically wrote the book on the cello’s place in Celtic music”. Peter Winter
