Our workshop plus two show ticket allocation (couples package) is completely sold out. We do have a last few workshop plus one show ticket packages available (singles package), but you will need to move fast!
We can say with certainty there won’t be any show tickets left for general release in January. A huge thank you to everyone who has signed up for HBTS 2024. If you haven’t yet committed, please don’t leave it too late!
Just click the poster (and don’t forget to tell all your friends!)
Dear Harpin’ The Sea Team,
I’ve just wanted to send another massive THANKYOU !!! to all the fantastic festival team. Having your support means so very much to us and as you know, your donation will go a long way in ensuring that the joy of music gets taken to where it is most needed.
I so enjoyed the event. Big congrats for branching out and having the Harmonicas for Health focused sessions and the panel. I loved hearing people relating how music helped the recoveries of their bodies and minds and really enjoyed the workshop too. I chatted to quite a few people over the time I spent with you, including a hospital physio and social worker in youth justice settings and I think you really ignited a spark in everyone to incorporate more music into their work. Brilliant!
You’ve created a gathering and a community with such heart and soul and we have been very grateful to have been a part of it all once again. All the very best to all the team.
Jo White and at Wishing Well xxx
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Dear Harpin’ By The Sea organisers and attendees,
It’s Marie here, the Chair of Trustees at Wishing Well. I just want to extend huge thanks, from me and all of the trustees, for your continued support of Wishing Well through Harpin’ by the Sea fundraising. What a fantastic amount you’ve raised – I very much hope the latest event was a success and you had fun in the process. Thank you for thinking of us once again.
Best wishes to you and yours
Marie Benton
A huge thank you to all our artists, sponsors, attendees and crew for the fantastic return to our live format at this year’s festival. We enjoyed another sell-out event, welcomed Mark Hummel back to the UK for the first time in over twenty years, held our first Trade Expo, and raised £735 for our chosen charity, Wishing Well Music, providing bedside music therapy for children in critical care.
In addition, we launched our first ever Harmonicas for Health workshop and symposium, which proved to be a popular and humbling new feature to the event programme. Watch this space for news of HBTS 2024 and, in the meantime, visit our YouTube Channel to enjoy coverage of this year’s artists and activities.
You may be aware that early on Friday morning this year our Festival Producer, Richard Taylor, was already launching proceedings in the company of BBC Radio Sussex reporter Hanna Neter.
Hanna was challenged by Breakfast Show host Alison Fearns to learn and perform her first ever harmonica tune live on air. Richard and Hanna duly got to work and within half an hour Hanna was playing When The Saints Go Marching In! You can hear what everyone got up to right here…
Preview our Official 2023 Programme here. Workshop attendees will receive their souvenir hard copy at registration.
Show Tickets
Advance ticket sales for our Saturday night show have exceeded expectations and our complete allocation has been taken up by the day’s workshop attendees. We have no additional show tickets to release.
We are sorry for any disappointment, but there are additional opportunities to see Mark Hummel in action at other UK venues in the week following Harpin’ By The Sea. Thank you to everyone attending Harpin’ By The Sea 2023 and helping to resurrect our live event after a three year Covid-19 hiatus.
Tickets for workshop places in each ability category are still available (without the evening show) as are tickets for our Sunday children’s workshop.
HBTS welcomes Louise Maggs to the team
Our Saturday afternoon acoustic jam will be hosted by Louise Maggs (Guitar) and Stuart McKay (Harmonica), both of whom you may recognise as members of the Southern Slamdoor Band.
Graduates from our Beginners workshop are encouraged to take their first steps playing live in our round-robin section. More experienced players can strut their stuff too and should sign up in advance with details of the piece they wish to play.
Our acoustic jam is for Saturday ticket holders only, but don’t forget we also have a full electric blues jam on Sunday afternoon. The electric blues jam is open to the public and access is free, however we do encourage donations for the house band.
HBTS welcomes Joff Watkins to the team
Our Saturday afternoon Masterclass will now be delivered by Joff Watkins, who many of you will recognise as leader of the fantastic Jimmy Regal & The Royals. and harmonica workshop leader at Morley College in London.
You can listen to our study piece, William Clarke’s Blowin’ The Family Jewels, and download the Harp Surgery tab on our dedicated page here.