The Big Experiment

Arguably, it’s the fastest growing music in Wales. Traditional music is undergoing a quiet revolution. Now we’re ready for The Big Experiment.

The Big Experiment is workshops; it’s sessions; it’s songs and tunes and tutorials and … fun. It’s three days long and brimming with some of the top tutors in the field today. It’s brand new, organized by trac and sponsored by the Arts Council for Wales.

And it’s happening at Coleg Harlech from the evening of Thursday, 30 October straight through til Sunday, 2 November.

Top tutors are now being signed up but trac can tell you that they include Maartin Allcock , Robin Huw Bowen , Arfon Gwilym and Ceri Rhys Mathews . More, to follow!

Special ‘guest’ for the event will be multi-instrumentalist and composer Brian McNeill , founder of The Battlefield Band. Brian will run a daily Master Session where the tutors will show us what they’re made of.

In 2005, trac asked the traditional music community what extra activities they wanted ; the answer was a chance to be stretched as musicians (whether beginners, intermediates or old stagers), to develop ensemble playing, and to bring together people from across Wales to learn and have fun together.

There’ll be time for serious ‘nose-to-the-grindstone’ instruction, and time for just noodling around as well. There’ll be small doses of history and background, and big dollops of learning from the masters.

Not just for folkies! Arts Council funding makes it possible for trac to offer two free places for young people (18 – 25) who are not currently involved in traditional music – a quick immersion course!

We’ve called it “The Big Experiment” because it is just that. trac is bringing together the elements – but no one is quite sure what the result will be. The chemistry will be up to the musicians.

Full details are available from the trac office on 029 2031 8853 or 07811 955592; rhian@trac-cymru.org.