Mandolin with Simon Mayor

Courses
Music
Arrival
Mon 2 Feb 2026 / 4pm
Departure
Fri 6 Feb 2026 / 10am
Tags
Mandolin with Simon Mayor

Pricing

Full board

Including accommodation, tuition and meals

Single in ensuite room

£460

Shared in ensuite room

£420

Single in non-ensuite room

£420

Shared in non-ensuite room
(exclusive use for you plus your partner or friend[s])

£380

A single bed in a dormitory style room
(room 1, 3, 6 or 11)

£340

Camping

Including tuition and meals

Per person

£290

Course only

Includes tuition and lunch and dinner

Non-resident

£240

Don't forget we have bursaries available if you're lucky enough to be 30 or under! Apply here.

Join Simon Mayor, possibly this country’s finest mandolin player, for Spring Mandolins, an extended chance to work on techniques, musicianship, and an eclectic range of repertoire. Simon will cover all right & left hand techniques including position shifting, tremolo, decoration, tone production & more.

Workshops will take place each morning, with afternoons free for personal practice, exploring the local area, delving into the library, or impromptu ensemble work.

Who is it for?

Mandolinists, mandola players, mandocellists and mandobassists (are there any out there?) are all invited to this group experience involving some ensemble playing (with easy parts to follow).

All ability levels are welcome, with the exception of complete beginners who may find themselves struggling. Ideally you’ll be able to get from start to finish of a fairly simple tune without stalling, and you’ll be able to read music or tablature to a reasonable standard (if you’re an experienced player but have only ever played by ear, tablature is very easy to learn). If you’re a guitarist or violinist trying a mandolin for the first time, you should be OK, but this is otherwise not going to be suitable for a beginner. Simon will send out PDFs of music/tablature and sound files in advance.

The Tutor

Simon Mayor is one of the world’s leading mandolin virtuosos and composers for the instruments. His many faceted career includes his own series on BBC Radio 2, an album in the Classic FM Top Ten chart and causing mayhem at a Canadian humour festival, but his most thrilling moment was a journey through the square window on BBC’s Playschool!

Simon moves effortlessly between classical, traditional folk, jazz & blues. His dazzling technical skills grace all the music he plays. He’s also a fine guitarist & fiddle player, with a delicious sense of humour & great teaching ability. In 2022, he and Hilary James were awarded honorary directorships of The Classical Mandolin Society of America.

“Sheer musical brilliance”   BBC World Service

“Matchless playing and breadth of genres, from classical to ragtime. Superb.” Musician Magazine

“A master musician at his absolute best” The Living Tradition

www.mandolin.co.uk

Simon will be joined by Hilary James with her mandobass, she will bringing another instrument along for any aspiring mandobassists!