Booking Form – Carolan At Settle 2025

Simon Mayor Mandolin Retreat: Falcon Manor, Settle. 28 Sep -2 Oct 2025

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Explore the music of Turlough O’Carolan in the lovely North Yorkshire town of Settle. The Falcon Manor Hotel has become firmly established in the calendar of my mandolin workshops, and some particularly popular ones have been themed on Carolan’s music.

For this workshop (after successful trial runs at some festivals) I’m returning to Carolan, for mandolinists but with other instruments welcome. 

So if you play the guitar, fiddle, mandolin, whistle, harp, double bass or whatever, it would be great to see you. Ideally, your instrument will be fully chromatic, or you’ll have access to instruments in different keys (eg. whistle players).

Read an article on Simon’s ‘Carolan’ project in The Irish Post 

The emphasis of the weekend will be very much on ensemble playing, but of course I’ll be happy to talk technique whenever necessary.

How good do I have to be?
Carolan’s tunes have such broad appeal not only because the melodies are so strong, but because for the most part they don’t require virtuoso musicianship. That doesn’t mean we’re not setting our standards high, but if you can get through one of his tunes without stumbling, you should be fine. You’ll need to be acquainted with standard music notation, or tablature if appropriate for your instrument.

What form will the workshop take?
I’ll be sending music out well in advance: melodies, harmony lines, bass lines, chord charts. Be prepared to be flexible: we may not be playing tunes in the key that you know them, and we’ll be playing arrangements rather than using a ‘pub-session-everybody-plays-at-once’ approach.

Ensemble playing will be at the heart of this workshop, and we’ll be aiming to polish the sound of our group as much as possible over time we’re together, but there will also be a chance to share a solo performance if you wish.

There will no doubt be playing in the bar in the evening too. And if you prefer to do something non-musical at any point, you can explore the lovely town of Settle, go for a walk in the surrounding countryside, seek out the famous Settle to Carlisle railway, go down a cave (and come back up again).

Costings (prices include tuition and full board from evening meal on 28th to breakfast on 2nd)
£1008 Single participant.
£1192 for two people, room sharing, only one of whom is a participant.
£1642 for two people, room sharing, both participants.

We ask for a non-refundable deposit of £300 per person to secure your room and place, balance payable one month before the event.

 

 

What’s included in the price?
All tuition, accommodation, breakfasts, evening meals (three courses) and teas and coffees. Lunches are not included but light snacks are available at the bar or at many cafés in the town.

The Venue

Falcon Manor is a cosy, country house hotel.

Accommodation is all single rooms – unless you choose to share.

We have had nothing but glowing comments about the hotel on previous visits. It’s comfortable, characterful, and set in very beautiful North Yorkshire countryside. The food has always been unfailingly good and the staff warm and friendly. With just sixteen rooms, it’s also much smaller than other venues I’ve used. Oh, and it’s got real ale if that’s your bag.

Included in the price are substantial breakfasts, three course evening meals and teas and coffees. Lunches are not included but light snacks are available at the bar or at many cafés in the town.

Accessibility: the hotel does not a have a lift, and there are no bedrooms on the ground floor.

Booking Form