Oxford Slow Session

Happy May!

May 1, 2025 Leave a comment

May’s Slow Session is Sunday, 4th May 2025, from 4pm, upstairs in The Slow and Steady, Abingdon Road (former White House pub).
See link for menu if you would like to come along to lunch there beforehand –
NB Burgers and/or brunch (and the brunch menu is especially good!) have to be ordered by 3pm, but the other pizzas and sides continue until 5pm.

The tune of the month for May is McLeod’s Farewell

If you want to start planning ahead… I’ve added tunes for the rest of this year (I’ve been given a lot of good suggestions recently!)

1st June Foul Weather Call
6th July The Hundred Pipers
3rd August 250 to Vigo
7th Sept The Bonny Miller
5th Oct Pull the Knife Out and Stick it Again
2nd Nov Kilnamona
7th Dec Three Around Three

And if you have a favourite musician, this Friday 2nd May is an opportunity to pay and download their music on Bandcamp without having to pay commission (all the proceeds goes to the musicians) at BANDCAMP FRIDAY!

Just in case you fancy a reminder of some of the new tunes added to the website in 2024-25…
The Teetotallers
L’Air Mignonne
A Fig for a Kiss
Father Kelly’s
I Buried My Wife and Danced on her Grave
King of the Fairies
Lord Frog
Maid Behind the Bar
Midsommerschottish
Brennan’s
Millhouse in G
Go to Berwick Jonny
Tes Jolis Patins Blancs
The Wise Maid

If you can’t make it to Oxford on Sunday, you can join on Discord.
Discord link: https://discord.gg/eGSrrYCXTF

Instructions for Discord: https://oxfordslowsession.com/about/how-to-listen-in-on-discord/

Hope to see you on Sunday!

Happy Oxford Folk Festival 2025!

April 11, 2025 Leave a comment

The Oxford Folk Festival 2025 is starting today. It is quite hard to be in more than one place at once… so you are likely to find it quite frustrating! However, it is an opportunity to hear for free many many local musicians, support the festival and pay for some great concerts and ceilidhs and enjoy lots of sessions in different venues…. Good luck!

Please visit the Folk Festival Linktree and the Info page on FolkinOxford… Both are very useful for maps of the many venues… and here’s the list of the local performers who can mostly be heard for FREE!

Friday at the Folk Festival
Saturday at the Folk Festival
Sunday at the Folk Festival

There are also workshops for learning new skills; singing, melodeon, intermediate guitar, special educational needs, and balfolk dancing.

The Oxford Slow Session as part of the Festival is at 4pm, Sunday 13th April, upstairs in The Slow and Steady as usual, but an extra session for this month.

If you fancy trying other sessions, there are lots to try this weekend:

Hope to see you all in many places at once!

Happy April!

April 4, 2025 Leave a comment

April’s Slow Session is Sunday, 6th April 2025, from 4pm, upstairs in The Slow and Steady, Abingdon Road (former White House pub).
See link for menu if you would like to come along to lunch there beforehand –
NB Burgers and/or brunch (and the brunch menu is especially good!) have to be ordered by 3pm, but the other pizzas and sides continue until 5pm.

The tune of the month for April is King of the Fairies

This month, we will have TWO Slow Sessions. Our normal one on 6th April and an extra one on the following Sunday 13th April as part of the Oxford Folk Festival (both at 4pm at The Slow and Steady).

Oxford Folk Festival Sessions are likely to be these:

or another way up!

And I’ve had lots of requests for new tunes for the website and I’ve added them now:
4^th May McLeod’s Farewell
1st June Foul Weather Call
6th July The Hundred Pipers
3rd August 250 to Vigo
7th Sept The Bonny Miller
5th Oct Pull the Knife Out and Stick it Again
2nd Nov Kilnamona
7th Dec Three Around Three

Just in case you need a reminder of some of the new tunes added to the website in 2024-25…
The Teetotallers
L’Air Mignonne
A Fig for a Kiss
Father Kelly’s
I Buried My Wife and Danced on her Grave
Lord Frog
Maid Behind the Bar
Midsommerschottish
Brennan’s
Millhouse in G
Go to Berwick Jonny
Tes Jolis Patins Blancs
The Wise Maid

Hope to see you on Sunday!

Happy March!

March 3, 2025 Leave a comment

March’s Slow Session is Sunday, 2nd March 2025, from 4pm, upstairs in The Slow and Steady, Abingdon Road (former White House pub).
See link for menu if you would like to come along to lunch there beforehand –
NB Burgers and/or brunch (and the brunch menu is especially good!) have to be ordered by 3pm, but the other pizzas and sides continue until 5pm.

The tune of the month for February is The Wise Maid

A date for your diary… in April we will have TWO Slow Sessions. Our normal one on 6th April and an extra one on the following Sunday 13th April for the Oxford Folk Festival (both at 4pm).

And some tunes coming up in the future:
6^th April                       King of the Fairies
4^th May                        McLeod’s Farewell

McLeod’s Farewell is a great but not easy tune so I thought I’d give everyone plenty of time to start learning them!

Hope to see you on Sunday!

Happy February

February 1, 2025 Leave a comment

What is the best way to cheer up a grey day? … play some tunes together!

February’s Slow Session is tomorrow, Sunday, 2nd February 2025, from 4pm, upstairs in The Slow and Steady, Abingdon Road (former White House pub).
See link for menu if you would like to come along to lunch there beforehand –
NB Burgers and/or brunch (and the brunch menu is especially good!) have to be ordered by 3pm, but the other pizzas and sides continue until 5pm.

The tune of the month for February is Tes Jolis Patins Blancs

And some tunes coming up in the future:

2^nd March                    The Wise Maid
6^th April                       King of the Fairies
4^th May                        McLeod’s Farewell

The Wise Maid and McLeod’s Farewell are excellent but not easy tunes so I thought I’d give everyone plenty of time to start learning them!

Hope to see you on Sunday!

Happy 2025!

January 4, 2025 Leave a comment

Happy New Year and may you learn many good new tunes in 2025!

Our first Slow Session for 2025 is tomorrow, Sunday, 5th January 2025, from 4pm, upstairs in The Slow and Steady, Abingdon Road (former White House pub).
See link for menu if you would like to come along to lunch there beforehand –
NB Burgers and/or brunch have to be ordered by 3pm, but the other food continues until 5pm.

The tune of the month for January is Go to Berwick Jonny

And some tunes coming up in the future:
2^nd February               Tes Jolis Patins Blancs
2^nd March                    The Wise Maid
6^th April                       King of the Fairies
4^th May                        McLeod’s Farewell

The Wise Maid and McLeod’s Farewell are excellent but not easy tunes so I thought I’d give everyone plenty of time to start learning them!

Just in case you need a reminder of some of the new tunes added to the website in 2024…
The Teetotallers
L’Air Mignonne
A Fig for a Kiss
Father Kelly’s
I Buried My Wife and Danced on her Grave
Lord Frog
Maid Behind the Bar
Midsommerschottish
Brennan’s
Millhouse in G

Hope to see you on Sunday!

December is fast approaching… and so is the next Slow Session!

November 28, 2024 Leave a comment

Given it is a December Slow Session, expect to play some Christmas tunes…
Also expect vegan mince pies rather than brownies! (Feel free to bring / make more!)

This Sunday, 1^st December 2024 from 4pm, upstairs in The Slow and Steady, Abingdon Road (former White House pub).
See below for updated menu if you would like to come along to lunch there beforehand –
NB Burgers and/or brunch have to be ordered by 3pm, but the other food continues until 5pm.

The tune of the month for December is The Maid Behind the Bar

In the meantime, I’ve been busy preparing tunes for next year…
5^th January 2025         Go to Berwick Jonny
2^nd February               Tes Jolis Patins Blancs
2^nd March                    The Wise Maid
6^th April                       King of the Fairies
4^th May                        McLeod’s Farewell

The Wise Maid and McLeod’s Farewell are excellent but not easy tunes so I thought I’d give everyone plenty of time to start learning them!

Hope to see you on Sunday!

Upstairs at the Slow and Steady:

Menu:

PS Box weekend is 15-17 November

November 1, 2024 Leave a comment

So the Wolvercote session at the Plough is Friday 15th November.

Happy November!

November 1, 2024 Leave a comment

The November Oxford Slow Session is on Sunday 3rd November at 4pm…
in the old White House pub… now called THE SLOW AND STEADY.

Obviously they have renamed the pub after their monthly regulars! : )

Unfortunately the pub is cashless… but they do have food if you would like to come for lunch beforehand. (They do good pizzas and chips until 5pm, but bear in mind that the kitchen closes for burgers at 3pm on Sunday but you are welcome to come early and help us set up for the session!)

The tune of the month is The Millhouse in G.

If you would like an extra session this weekend, everyone tells me that there is an excellent Box workshop on this weekend in Wolvercote and they will be hosting (other instruments very welcome) a session at The Plough, in Wolvercote from 8pm on Friday 1st November.

Today is Bandcamp Friday – so if you buy any digital music today, 100% of the proceeds goes to the musicians… so treat yourself and your favourite musicians?

Just in case you need a reminder of some of the new tunes added to the website since Christmas…
The Teetotallers
L’Air Mignonne
A Fig for a Kiss
Father Kelly’s
I Buried My Wife and Danced on her Grave
Lord Frog
Maid Behind the Bar
Midsommerschottish
Brennan’s
Millhouse in G

Hope to see you on Sunday!

Happy October!

October 4, 2024 Leave a comment

The October Oxford Slow Session is on Sunday 6th October at 4pm…

in the old White House pub… now called THE SLOW AND STEADY! (see below for pic!)

Obviously they have renamed the pub after their monthly regulars! : )

Unfortunately the pub is cashless… but they do have food if you would like to come for lunch beforehand, but bear in mind that the kitchen closes at 3pm on Sunday, so come early and help us set up for the session!

The tune of the month is Brennan’s reel.

Today is Bandcamp Friday – so if you buy any digital music today, 100% of the proceeds goes to the musicians… so treat yourself and your favourite musicians?

If you can’t make it to Oxford on Sunday, you can join on Discord.
Discord link: https://discord.gg/tGqJ7sng

Instructions for Discord: https://oxfordslowsession.com/about/how-to-listen-in-on-discord/

Hope to see you on Sunday!