HarmonicaUK Newsletter July/August 2026
Wendy Wood, Acting Chair
Overview
Firstly, please accept my sincere apologies for the delay in getting this newsletter to you. I had planned to share these updates in July, but unexpected health issues meant I had to take a step back to recover.
Thank you so much for your patience. I will be sending another short newsletter later this month with the final, essential details for our upcoming AGM.
In this newsletter, I would like to provide an update on HarmonicaUK, as well as celebrate some of the wonderful things that are going on at the moment. My hope is that you will join me in supporting this wonderful charity before it's too late!
HarmonicaUK Operational Sustainability
As we look toward the future of HarmonicaUK, I want to provide our membership with a transparent update regarding our operational sustainability. For 90 years, this organisation has brought immense value to our community. However, a historic institution cannot survive on creative vision alone; it requires a robust background administrative infrastructure to breathe.
At present, we have an energetic team running our excellent festivals, and a small committee that is doing their best to keep things going, but we face a total vacuum in our core administrative infrastructure. As Chair, I will not allow our leadership team to succumb to operational burnout.
Therefore, we are establishing a clear 12-month horizon: if we cannot secure dedicated administrative support to manage our infrastructure, we will begin a graceful, structured wind-down of the charity over the next year, following the festival next October. The connection we share is valuable, and this is an open invitation to our membership to decide how they wish to engage, build infrastructure, or sustain their connections moving forward.
We will be losing our Membership Secretary, Lee van Crugten, in September at the AGM. Lee has done a wonderful job over the years and will be very much missed. Thank you Lee. Darren Lampon (Treasurer) and Simon Joy (Secretary/Safeguarding have agreed to stand for election to the committee again. Barry Elms (IT) and I will also stand for election.
The idea being that we keep the committee small, to reduce the burden on people that may wish too help but do not want the added burden of committee responsiblities.
I am still committed to doing my best to keep HarmonicaUK going, and I am looking for many different ways to recruit volunteers for these key roles and support positions—both via this newsletter, Harmonica World magazine, word of mouth, and through external organisations including Reach Volunteering and the NCVO. I think HarmonicaUK deserves to continue and to thrive, but this will not happen without your support.
Having said all this, I do want to celebrate some of the wonderful things we have managed to achieve, and perhaps remind us all of why this is an organisation worth saving.
Making Connections
I recently had the wonderful opportunity to not only see our patron, Adam Glasser, live at the East Side Jazz Club Leytonstone, but he very kindly invited me to play! As some of you may have seen on the HarmonicaUK Facebook page, it was a fantastic evening. Thank you, Adam! This was important because, as we discussed at last year’s AGM, supporting more women to play the harmonica is vital, so this was one brilliant way that Adam and I contributed to that aim.
Also, this month I had the pleasure of meeting Reyhan Naufal (Reyharp), who is the Vice President of Harmonika Nusantara. Reyhan wrote the following update regarding our new connection:
Building Bridges Through Harmonica: HarmonicaUK and Harmonika Nusantara Begin an Exciting New Partnership
The harmonica has always been more than just an instrument—it is a universal language capable of connecting people across cultures, generations, and continents. With that spirit in mind, HarmonicaUK and Harmonika Nusantara (HN) are delighted to announce the beginning of an exciting international partnership that aims to strengthen the relationship between the harmonica communities of the United Kingdom and Indonesia.
Founded on a shared passion for promoting harmonica music and supporting players of all ages and abilities, both organisations believe that international collaboration plays an important role in the continued growth of the global harmonica community. Through this partnership, HarmonicaUK and Harmonika Nusantara hope to encourage learning, cultural exchange, and lasting friendships while celebrating the diversity and creativity that make harmonica music so unique.
This collaboration is envisioned as a long-term initiative, with a wide range of activities planned for the months and years ahead. Members from both organisations can look forward to regular online workshops, educational masterclasses, virtual concerts, interactive jam sessions, and cultural exchange programmes designed to bring harmonica enthusiasts together regardless of geographical distance.
Future collaborations are also expected to include guest artist appearances, interviews with internationally recognised harmonica players, collaborative educational content, joint performances, and opportunities for members of both organisations to participate in events hosted by either community. By combining their strengths, HarmonicaUK and Harmonika Nusantara aim to create an active international network where ideas, musical experiences, and friendships can continue to flourish.
The first activity under this exciting new partnership will feature Reyharp, Vice President of Harmonika Nusantara and one of the world's most accomplished jazz diatonic harmonica virtuosos. Internationally recognised for his remarkable ability to perform chromatically on the diatonic harmonica, his exceptional articulation, and his sophisticated understanding of jazz harmony and improvisation, Reyharp has established an international reputation through performances, festival appearances, masterclasses, and collaborations across Asia, Europe, and beyond.
Speaking about the collaboration, Reyharp said:
“Music has an extraordinary ability to bring people together beyond language, nationality, and culture. It is a great honour for Harmonika Nusantara to begin this partnership with HarmonicaUK. Both organisations see this collaboration as the start of an exciting partnership. As the partnership develops, members can expect an expanding calendar of workshops, concerts, educational exchanges, online jam sessions, and collaborative projects that celebrate harmonica music in all its forms.
HarmonicaUK and Harmonika Nusantara share a common belief that music is at its most powerful when it is shared. Through education, performance, collaboration, and friendship, this partnership aims to inspire players of every generation while building stronger connections between harmonica enthusiasts around the world.”
Forthcoming Annual General Meeting 27th September 2pm UK time
The following information will be in the August magazine, but I thought it would be worth reproducing it here too.
Here is a quick breakdown of why the AGM matters:
• Checking our financial health: We present the charity's annual accounts so you can see exactly how your membership fees and donations are being used to support the harmonica community.
• Reviewing our achievements: Our trustees share an official annual report highlighting HarmonicaUK’s successes, events, and impacts over the past 12 months.
• Using your voting power: As a member, you have a direct say in how the charity is run. This is your opportunity to vote on key resolutions and shape our future.
• Electing our leadership: We formally elect or re-elect the trustees and committee members who volunteer their time to guide our charity through the coming year.
• Ensuring we follow the law: The UK Charity Commission and our own constitution require us to hold this meeting to keep our operations transparent, democratic, and legally compliant.
Festival News
Festival 2026
SAVE THE DATES!
SUNDAY 27TH SEPTEMBER ONLINE EVENT WITH THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING. (Via Zoom)
SUNDAY 25TH OCTOBER ONLINE EVENT (Via Zoom)
Festival 2027
FRIDAY 29TH OCTOBER TO SUNDAY 31ST OCTOBER (see below)
SUNDAY 27TH SEPTEMBER ONLINE EVENT WITH THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING.
Join Us Online for Learning and Music!
Because we want as many members to join as possible, this year’s AGM will take place online via Zoom. But it is not all official business! We have a fantastic line-up of entertainment and learning:
• Exclusive Workshops: We are absolutely delighted to welcome incredible guest artists Isabella Krapf, Joe Filisko, and Sean Spicer who will be running workshops to help you sharpen your skills.
• Open Mic Event: Grab your favourite harp and take the virtual stage! Our open mic is the perfect, supportive space to share a tune with fellow members.
***This event is free, but we will be asking for donations. All donations will go to the artists.***
SUNDAY 25TH OCTOBER ONLINE EVENT
This event will include a whole day of workshops and other activities. We are finalising guest performers and a detailed schedule.
Festival 2027
Sadly, we will not be hosting the 2027 festival at Harrow Arts Centre as we had hoped. After careful consideration, several significant issues meant this would not be viable. However, we do have other venues to investigate, so I will update you on the progress.
This month's highlighted committee role
This month, I am highlighting the role of the Membership secretary. So even if you do not have time to do all of this, there may be things you can assist with. It may also be that you know someone who would enjoy this role or support parts of this role.
Membership Secretary: Key Responsibilities
• Member Records Management
o Maintain an accurate and up-to-date database of members
o Track new members, renewals, and lapses
• Communication
o Act as the main point of contact for membership enquiries
o Send out welcome messages, renewal reminders, and updates
• Recruitment & Retention
o Support initiatives to attract new members
o Help retain existing members (e.g. through engagement activities)
• Subscriptions & Payments
o Monitor membership fees and subscriptions
o Coordinate with the treasurer on payments and outstanding dues
• Reporting
o Provide regular reports on membership numbers and trends
o Highlight issues such as declining membership or low renewals
• Event Support
o Assist with member-related aspects of events (e.g. sign-in lists, attendance tracking)
Skills Needed
• Organisation and attention to detail
• Good communication skills
• Basic administration and record-keeping
• Familiarity with databases or spreadsheets
• Customer service mindset
Harmonica World Magazine
Don’t forget, your contributions to the Harmonica World magazine are most welcome.
Your ideas are welcome
Many thanks to those I have been in touch with recently who have shared ideas for how we can continue to develop HarmonicaUK. We are working on them!
If you have any ideas about what you would like to see happening with HarmonicaUK do get in touch at [email protected]
Events
Below are some of the events happening this year. And the beginning of next year. More details will be published in the next issue of the magazine. Do let us know if you have any events you would like us to feature. [email protected]
Weekly Events
HarmonicaUK Coffee Morning (Online) – Every Friday, 11 am UK time.
A friendly, informal session to share, receive and offer support. More info: https://www.harmonica.uk/pages/Events
Monthly Events
HarmonicaUK Open Mic (Online) – First Saturday of every month at 5 pm UK time.
A supportive space to listen or play, suitable for beginners and experienced players alike. More info: https://www.harmonica.uk/pages/Events
Saturday sessions – We are working on re-establishing Saturday sessions, which were very popular. You can see some of the previous sessions on our YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/c/HarmonicaUK
Other Events
September
The Manfreds Warner, Holme Lacy, Hereford (9th September) (with Mike) d’arbo) More information https://www.warnerhotels.co.uk/entertainments/the-manfreds
Other dates for the Manfreds in September
Thurs 17th Ilkley, Kings Hall - 01943 602319
Fri 18th Yarm, Princess Alexandra Auditorium - 01642 792587
Sat 19th Whitby, 60’s Weekend Festival - 01757 700042
Thurs 24th Corby, The Core at Corby Cube - 01536 470470
Fri 25th Clacton, Westcliff Theatre - 01255 433344
Sat 26th Hunstanton, Princess Theatre - 01485 532252
Mundharmonika Live – Seydel, Klingenthal, Germany (15th – 20th September) more information http://mundharmonika-live.de
Harmonica Masters Workshops at Mundharmonika Live Festival in Klingenthal, Germany (15th – 18th September), more information
https://www.seydel1847.de/workshops/en
October
Other dates for the Manfreds in October
Thurs 1st Hoddesdon, The Spotlight - 01992 441946
Fri 2nd Wavendon, The Stables - 01908 280800
Sat 3rd Braintree, The Institute - 01376 323228
Weds 7th Lytham St. Annes, Lowther Pavilion - 01253 794221
Thurs 8th Bury, The Met - 0161 7612216
Fri 9th Lanark, Memorial Hall - 01555 673199
Fri 30th Ramsgate, Granville Theatre - 01843 594510
Sat 31st Felixstowe, Spa Pavilion - 01394 284962
November
Harmonica Masters Workshops Trossingen, Germany (28th October – 1st November) more information www.harmonica-masters.de/en
Other dates for the Manfreds in November
Sun 1st Basildon, Towngate Theatre - 01268 205300
Weds 4th Paignton, Palace Theatre - 01803 665800
Thurs 5th Taunton, Brewhouse Theatre - 01823 283244
Fri 6th Worcester, Swan Theatre - 01905 611427
Weds 11th Hayes, Beck Theatre - 0203 3429970
Thurs 12th Christchurch, The Regent - 01202 499199
Fri 13th Isle Of Wight, Shanklin Theatre - 01983 868000
Weds 18th Newcastle-under-Lyme, New Vic Theatre - 01782 717962
Thurs 19th Sunderland, The Fire Station - 0191 5700007
Fri 20th Scarborough,Spa Theatre - 01723 376774
Thurs 26th Bridport, Electric Palace - 01308 428354
Fri 27th Eastleigh, Concorde Club - 023 80613989
Sat 28th Warners, Littlecote House, Hungerford (with Mike d'Abo)
https://www.warnerhotels.co.uk/entertainments/the-manfreds
January 2027
January Blues: Charlie Musselwhite & Kirk Fletcher: Night One
More information: https://unionchapel.org.uk/whats-on/charlie-musselwhite-kirk-fletcher-night-one
February 2027
Broadstairs Blues Bash (17th -21st February 2027) more information www.broadstairsbluesbash.com
