The East Anglia Guitar Festival – Sunday 6th May

Sarah McQuaid
http://www.sarahmcquaid.com/

Sarah McQuaid is a gifted and captivating performer whose warm, haunting alto is delicately cradled by her "sparkling guitar" (Sing Out!). She is both song crafter and song collector, equally at home with traditional Irish and Appalachian folk songs, Elizabethan ballads and 1930s jazz numbers.
Sarah is also the author of The Irish DADGAD Guitar Book, described by The Irish Times as "a godsend to aspiring traditional guitarists," and has presented workshops on the DADGAD tuning at festivals and venues around the globe.

Mark Wingfield 
http://www.markwingfield.com/
Mark is one of the most original and distinctive electric guitarists today. His improvising is always compelling, continually inventive and melodically uplifting. His guitar playing is steeped in the language of jazz, with influences such as John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Keith Jarrett and Jan Garbarek as well as rock players such as Jimi Hendrix. At the Festival, Mark will be joined by René von Grünig - the maverick Swiss pianist, keyboardist, soundscaper. His music travels landscapes as diverse as contemporary jazz, classical, and music for films. "von Grünig is a magician... very inspiring, distinctive and original" - Konrad Tobler, Berner Zeitung "Wingfield's guitar playing is mysterious, majestic, and blazing in turns" Guitar Player Magazine

Ben Smith and Lorenzo De Feo
http://www.bensmithguitar.com/

Ben started playing the guitar when he was nine years old. He actually wanted to play the banjo, but due to the lack of banjo teachers in rural Hertfordshire he started to learn the guitar, with the intention of switching to the banjo at a later date. That still hasn't happened...

Lorenzo De Feo is Cambridge based session guitarist he's currently touring with X Factor winner Matt Cardle. Amongst his busy touring schedule Lorenzo can be seen all over the country performing with a variety of acts, as well as finding time to produce new artists such as Ethan Ash & Dave Seccombe.

Ady Johnson
http://www.adyjohnson.co.uk
Having shared some of the secrets of his distinctive guitar style at the festival last year, rising star Ady takes to the main stage this year to regale us with his energetic, engaging songs and assertive guitar wizardry.
"Avoiding strum and self-pity, Ady writes pithy songs about love and his life that enthral without descending to cliché." – Neil D'Arcy Jones

Robert Castellani
http://robertcastellani.com/
2011 Acoustic Guitarist of the Year Grand Finalist
On June 3rd, Robert Castellani gained the runner-up spot in the prestigious 'Guitarist of the Year' competition, held at the Southbank Centre in London. One of only six finalists, he impressed judges and crowd alike with his unique style of playing, only just missing out on the top spot.
A finalist twice before in 2002 and 2003, this year saw him as an entrant in the acoustic guitar category of the competition. His well-crafted sound includes percussive rhythms on the body of the guitar and two-hand tapping. These techniques help create a whirlwind of sounds and provide spectacular performances.
Penni McLaren Walker and Bryan Causton
http://www.penni-mclaren-walker.co.uk/
http://bryancauston.com/
Penni's unique open tuned guitar style – subject of a popular workshop at last year's East Anglia Guitar Festival - coupled with a voice that carries wide musical depth and range, has been described as "the perfect match". Penni has performed both solo and with duos and groups all over Europe and has won numerous songwriting competitions.
Bryan Causton can coax expressive melodies out of just about anything with strings. In addition, he is a gifted composer of instrumental music for a great variety of instruments and ensembles. His sparkling and lyrical playing is the perfect complement to Penni's wistful, haunting songs.

John Buckley
http://www.myspace.com/johnbuckleyguitar
John Buckley's career has taken in the working mens circuit, folk rock band Something Nasty In the Woodshed and theatre pit work to a duo which acted as the UK demonstrators for Taylor Guitars. Here at the East Anglia Guitar Show, he's on his acoustic guitar, and will be playing some original and contemporary celtic / folk inspired instrumentals, along with some great fingerstyle cover versions of well loved songs from artists including Van Morrison, Dire Straits and Peter Gabriel.''

John Hart
http://www.reverbnation.com/JonHart
Jon Hart is a singer/songwriter and skilled guitarist with a driving, percussive style mixed with some impressively speedy fingerstyle work. He also teaches various aspects of guitar technique and will be sharing some of his secrets at an East Anglia Guitar Festival workshop this year.

Izzy Spint

A young composer and guitarist from Essex, fast making a name for himself in the area,
Izzy has had a productive year, working with artists such as Barrington Pheloung (the
composer of the 'Inspector Morse' and 'Inspector Lewis' series'), as well as David Baird
who you may also recognise from plays such as 'Mincemeat' and 'A Few Man Fridays'.

Workshops

Workshops (starting 10:40 am)

All workshops included in ticket price.
Hands-on participants with guitars, or listeners without guitars, are equally welcome!

Izzy Spint - "Hands-on" Percussive Guitar

In this workshop Izzy will be teaching you some slap guitar techniques to use in your own music or so you can just amaze your friends! He started learning these techniques after being inspired by artists such as Newton Faulkner and Miyavi and is looking forward to sharing them with other interested guitarists. Come along and bring a guitar if you can.

Andy Kirkham - West African guitar music

Recently described by the WOW festival as the 'best guitarist in East Anglia', and Genevieve Tudor on radio Shropshire as creating ‘Lovely, gentle guitar music’,  Andy's music is best described as an eclectic mix with music from Africa and Eastern Europe along with some Latin American classical and original pieces.  In addition to this wide variety of music Andy also explores novel textures and techniques on the guitar.A workshop looking at the music of the legendary guitarist Ali Farka-Toure from Mali West Africa. This influential guitarist created a style of playing that gave rise to the term 'desert guitar'. The workshop will look at the influences of blues, African folk and kora music on Ali's playing as well as dealing with the technical matters of unusual tunings, melody playing techniques, bass drones and blues

Jon Hart – Electric Guitar Basics

Jon will be sharing some basic techniques for electric guitar playing … but bring along any kind of guitar – there's sure to be a lesson you can take away with you!

Mark Wingfield - Playing by Ear
Ever listened to music and thought, "I wish I could play that?" Internationally recognised guitarist Mark Wingfield will be teaching you to play guitar "by ear". He will explain how you can learn to play precisely what you hear without needing to learn lots of music theory

Keef Jackman and Annie Compton – Ukulele for Absolute Beginners

If you're not going gooey eyed over a new guitar (or even if you are!), maybe you'd like to try something a little bit different!!! All welcome from 7 to 70!!!

Sarah McQuaid - An Introduction to DADGAD

Described by The Irish Times as "a godsend to aspiring traditional guitarists," Sarah McQuaid's The Irish DADGAD Guitar Book has become the standard reference on the subject. Topics covered in the workshop include basic chord shapes in DADGAD, the capo and its uses, backing guitar styles, chord patterns for accompanying tunes, ornamentation, and an overview of the modes (Mixolydian, Dorian, etc.) that are typical of traditional tunes and songs. By way of illustration, Sarah will "take apart" a song and an instrumental number, demonstrating how different patterns and variations can be introduced to make both backing and melody playing more interesting for the listener.

EXHIBITORS

De Faoite

All De Faoite instruments are hand made by Dave White in Buckinghamshire, from carefully selected woods. They include a wide range of instruments - guitars, guitar-bouzoukis & citterns, tenor guitars, harp guitars and acoustic lap slide guitars – and each instrument is a balance between builder and player, although all have the distinctive De Faoite sound, feel and style.
http://www.defaoiteguitars.com/

Ruedi Egger

Ruedi Egger was born in Switzerland and became interested in Flamenco Guitars when he was 16, after meeting Manitas de Plata. Every guitar he makes is handmade in the Spanish tradition of Santos Hernandez, Robert Bouchet and Hernandez y Aguado design in his small workshop in Essex, drawing upon his skills as a trained toolmaker and gunsmith. His aim is to produce guitars which have volume, balance, playability and sustain.

http://eggerguitars.com/#

Bonsai Guitars

Bonsai Guitars is unlike any other music shop; it specialises in ukuleles with a passion and an understanding. Basically, they get it. They don't bite, they do play ukuleles; they do sing silly songs and have fun and will go out of their way to help other people enjoy the same. To this end they will also be leading a workshop for beginners at the Festival!

http://www.bonsaiguitars.co.uk/index.php

Stephen Sedgwick

English maker of fine equipoised steel string and classical guitars as well as other bespoke and custom modern fretted instruments, Stephen Sedgwick specializes in harp guitars. He also enjoys the challenge of making instruments that are unusual and different, combining modern and traditional techniques in both construction and design.

http://www.btinternet.com/~steve.sedgwick/

MacPherson Guitars
The highest quality handmade electric guitars and basses in the UK

"By far the nicest playing guitar in my collection". – Phil Ball

"I would highly recommend Dan to anyone who's looking for custom guitar or even looking for an alternative to a big name brand guitars like Gibson or Fender, as quite frankly the big brand names can't touch the quality of Dan's work." – Nick Harrison

"Just a joy to play - Dan called me in several times to make sure everything would be as I wanted." – Tony Jefford

Colin Keefe Guitars
I am a professional guitar and stringed instrument maker based in the East Midlands, UK. I build and repair all types of acoustic stringed instruments including classical and steel-strung guitars, mandolins, mandolas and banjos. I also make and repair electric guitars and basses, and am an authorised Seymour Duncan dealer.

An instrument professionally hand-built by Colin Keefe means total quality and absolute precision and attention to detail. Every measurement and joint is checked and re-checked to ensure consistent quality and continuity.

Banjos Direct
Banjos Direct is now the leading Goldtone banjo retailer in the UK. We also sell banjos by other quality manufacturers including Ashbury, Pilgrim, Vintage, Barnes and Mullins and Nechville. Our banjo range is suitable for every player from beginners to improvers, through to regular gigging players and professional banjoists. Our aim is to become Britain's best loved banjo store, providing better instruments and better service than any other shop, online or on the high street, combined with superb value and absolute peace of mind. Thank you for shopping at Banjos Direct. We appreciate your custom and we hope to go on serving your banjo passion for years to come.

Paul Chambers

Paul Chambers has been a guitarist for more than 30 years, playing acoustic, classical & electric, with influences ranging from folk and fingerstyle to classical, jazz and rock. His approach as a luthier balances the traditions of guitar making with the new understanding that science and acoustics brings to the guitar-making world. It's an evolutionary approach, combining the knowledge of the old with the ideas & understanding of the new.

Sandarac
http://www.sandarac.co.uk/

In addition to fine Hand-Crafted European Stringed Instruments, Sandarac is
pleased to be able to offer a wide range of quality giftware tailored
specifically for musicians and friends of musicians alike. Whether you want
something elegant and decorative for the home, such as our music note
sculptures, or something small and personal, such as our hand-crafted
English Pewter lapel pins, we think you'll find we have something to suit
every occasion and pocket.

Kingsfleet Guitars
http://kingsfleetguitars.com/
Kingsfleet Guitar Company has been created by Jerry and Phil. Jerry is a fully trained guitar technician who actually understands how Floyd Rose tremelos work. Phil is a working musician, guitar tutor and manages the shop.