HarmonicaUK Newsletter May 2026
Wendy Wood, Acting Chair and Editor
Overview
Hello all, I hope all is well with you, and that your playing and listening are enjoyable.
In this Newsletter, I want to remind you about the online festival, the face-to-face festival in 2027, and other events. I also want to focus on succession planning for committee roles. As I have mentioned in the previous Newsletter and the magazine, it is really important that we develop teams to work together so that we can spread the load and ensure that we are not in a position where we have no succession plan, or where we have people who lose energy because they are doing things alone.
I also wish to thank people who have volunteered to help following my last Newsletter, including many who have returned to support, having already given so much over the years. I am so grateful, and I will do everything I can to support you.
I intended this Newsletter to be shorter than my previous one, but it is still quite long – sorry – but I think it's important to keep you informed. A lot is happening.
Staying connected
There are many ways we create connections. However, we do need your help.
Magazine
The latest magazine will be with you very soon! It is at the printers as we speak.
One of the main ways of connecting is through the magazine. As we have been preparing the forthcoming magazine, it has come to our attention that there were several duplicate memberships. The reason is that people have set up two different payment methods for their subscription. For example, they may have paid by PayPal and set up a standing order. We don’t want to be charging you twice! So please check your payments. Also, some people may not have renewed their subscription, so please check that we have your correct contact details. It really helps reduce the workload for Lee and Darren. Many thanks!
Newsletter
This newsletter is distributed to you via our distribution list of people who have signed up to receive the newsletter. Not all members have signed up for the newsletter, and not all recipients are members, so if you would like to receive the magazine, by all means join HarmonicaUK. The newsletter will also be available on the HarmonicaUK website. https://www.harmonica.uk/
Also, the Newsletter helps fill the gap between magazines, so if there are events you want us to mention, do let me know. contact [email protected]
YouTube
The HarmonicaUK YouTube channel has some very good videos from previous festivals and Saturday workshops: https://www.youtube.com/c/HarmonicaUK . Over the next few months, we aim to begin more events.
Facebook
Our Facebook page is very active – thanks to Charlotte and Gary, who moderate and upload the posts. It’s a great space to share your experiences and thoughts.
WE NEED YOU
We really want to see HarmonicaUK flourish. To do this, we need support. The difficulty with any voluntary organisation is that the work we do for it is only a small part of our everyday lives. The people who are actively involved are passionate and very committed; however, if there are too few of us we can become understandably tired. So please consider helping – or if you know someone who might be interested in some of the roles, let them know about us – they don’t need to be harmonica players.
So the idea is that if we can build teams of people to work on the various activities and projects, then we can support each other, and we can have a sustainable succession plan where people can shadow those in some of the key roles that we need to have in place to remain compliant with the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
The Charity Commission requires all charities to have a board of trustees
Trustees have ultimate legal responsibility for the charity’s governance, finances, and compliance. Key legal duties of trustees.
- Ensure the charity delivers its purposes for public benefit.
- Comply with the governing document and the law.
- Act in the charity’s best interests.
- Manage resources responsibly (money, assets, risk).
- Act with reasonable care and skill.
- Ensure accountability and reporting
Currently, we have three trustees: Lee van Crugten (membership secretary), Darren Lampon (Treasurer), and Simon Joy (Secretary/Safeguarding). I will become a Trustee as Chair and Barry Elms will become a Trustee as IT lead.
We will be featuring some of the key roles over the next few months, as several Trustees want to step down as soon as possible and hand over to someone in a thorough way. The main roles for Trustees are Chair and Secretary. Membership Secretary, Treasurer, Safeguarding Lead. Other operational roles do not necessarily involve being a Trustee but are critical, including Magazine editor, advertising, social media outreach, archivist, production, and news desk.This month, we are highlighting the role of Treasurer:Treasurer (Financial Oversight Role)Not legally required, but essential for compliance in practice.Role:
- Oversees financial management and reporting
- Helps trustees understand accounts and the budget
- Ensures proper financial controls and accountability
- Supports filing of annual accounts and returns
These roles are not necessarily discrete – we support each other. So, if you have these skills, or know of someone who does and might be interested, get in touch. Email:[email protected]
FESTIVAL NEWS
Festival 2026
SAVE THE DATES!
SUNDAY 27TH SEPTEMBER ONLINE EVENT WITH THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING.
SUNDAY 25TH OCTOBER ONLINE EVENT
______________________________________________________
SUNDAY 27TH SEPTEMBER ONLINE EVENT WITH THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING.
We are running a one-day event that incorporates the annual general meeting. We are finalising guest performers and a detailed schedule.
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
We are very much looking forward to returning to hosting a face-to-face festival in 2027. We are currently looking for an appropriate venue. Once we have secured a venue, we will be able to confirm dates and begin planning. Also, you may be able to help here. We have a good venue in mind for next year – but we are keen to continue exploring other potential venues for future years. So if you know of venues that would work well for a three-day event, let us know at contact [email protected]
Other events
Below are some of the events happening this 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. contact [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
June
Pärnu Harmonica Festival Estonia (June 12th – 14th) more information www.piccolo.ee/en
July
BluesWeek 2025 (24th Anniversary) University of Northampton (26th – 31st July) A chance to spend a week learning to play the blues and make new friends. For more information, call (+44) 01242 701765
Adam Glasser Summer Harmonica Course:
' Exploring Favourite Songs' (online)
Four Mondays in July: 6th - 13th - 20th 5 pm - 6 pm
27th July: Open mic 5 pm - 6.30 pm
Dear Harmonica Friends
In July, I am offering a 4-week harmonica online course in which we explore our favourite melodies of any genre: film themes, pop & folk songs, nursery rhymes, classical tunes, jazz standards, etc., no limits!
• With access to my vast library of harmonica resources (PDFs, videos, audio files), each participant will compile their own short list of songs meaningful to them personally and be given supporting material to master a variety of tunes to performance level. (TAB, musical notation, learning by ear - strategies to your learning style).
• You will choose songs ranging in difficulty- some ambitious long-term projects, others will be simple melodies playable within a short space of time.
• You will receive expert practical guidance with exercises on how to develop the range of practical skills needed to perform on open mic jams or more formal settings.
• We will work intensely over 3 weeks, with the final open mic session ( 27th July) open to all HUK members, to whom participants on the course will perform!
NB This is the first harmonica course I will be running in many months - there may not be another occasion for a good while, so do take up the opportunity!
I hope to hear from you soon!
Warm wishes
Adam Glasser
Details:
• Four Mondays in July: 6th - 13th - 20th 5pm - 6pm
27th July: Open mic 5pm - 6.30pm
• You will need a chromatic harmonica in C or 8 hole Hohner Melody Star
• Course takes place on Zoom - recorded for you to keep.
• Cost £160 payable in advance - email Adam for details: [email protected]
August
Yellow Pine Harmonica Festival – Yellow Pine, Idaho (30th July–1st August 2026)
Long-running community harmonica festival.Info: https://www.yellowpinefestival.org/
2026 SPAH Convention – St. Louis, Missouri (11th –15th August 2026)
World-class performances, seminars, and nightly jam sessions. Hosted by the Gateway Harmonica Club. More info: https://spah.org/convention-events/2026-spah-convention/
September
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
November
Harmonica Masters Workshops Trossingen, Germany (28th October – 1st November) more informationwww.harmonica-masters.de/en
February 2027
Broadstairs Blues Bash (17th -21st February 2027) more information www.broadstairsbluesbash.com
