Entertainment

Summer strumming at Derry guitar festival

Declan Zapala will be teaching guitar workshops at the City of Derry Guitar Festival next week
Declan Zapala will be teaching guitar workshops at the City of Derry Guitar Festival next week Declan Zapala will be teaching guitar workshops at the City of Derry Guitar Festival next week

BUDDING guitarists and ukulele enthusiasts are in for a treat at the City of Derry Guitar Festival next week.

Running from Thursday August 20 to Sunday August 23, the Festival's new Guitar Overdose programme offers four two-hour workshops at North West Regional College at Strand Road.

Featuring acclaimed players Alberto Grollo, Amir-John 'El Amir' Haddad, Martin Harley and Declan Zapala, the workshops are open to all guitarists hoping to broaden their musical horizons across the genres of acoustic, flamenco, slide blues and contemporary classical / acoustic guitar.

Each can each be attended as a single event or as part of the full Guitar Overdose package. Course fee range from £130 non-residential to £265 residential for a full week end of classes – £50 for the single Guitar Overdose workshops, £180 for all four.

The festival also offers its signature three-day classical guitar course with Carlos Bonell and Wiktoria Szubelak, the BB King Riff Library Electric Guitar Course and a Beginners Ukulele Course under the tutelage of local musician and composer Rónán Kearney.

There will also be a series of guitar concerts featuring these artists in the Foyle Theatre of the North West Regional College.

:: For application forms, full course fee information and festival concert tickets, visit Cityofderryguitarfestival.com.