The NHM consists of lectures, workshops, allspel, singing, dancing, jamming and more. Those who wish may arrive already on Thursday, 13th October, at 6 p.m. and join us in allspel, singing, dancing, jamming, socialising. The first lecture will also be on Thursday evening, as well as an open ballad circle.

Workshops will start on Friday morning after breakfast, and continue to Sunday afternoon. Instrument makers are welcome to exhibit their various instruments during the meeting. On Friday and Saturday evening, there will be concerts (8 p.m. - 10 p.m.) with those musicians who wish to perform, followed by allspel, singing, dancing, jamming and more.
The NHM ends on Sunday 16th October after the final allspel.
How to participate
How much it will cost

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Lectures
Following lectures are planned:

- Erik Axel Wessberg (Denmark): The viking age lyre and musical possibilities on 6 strings
- Maja Lillian Marcussen (Norway): Music at the Norwegian court between 1200-1340
- Trine Opsahl (Denmark): The power of harp music against sorrow and pain
- Göran Carlström (Sweden): Psalmodikon, a bowed monochord
- Thilo Viehrig (Germany): Strings of medieval lyres

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Storytelling
- Astrid Selling Sjöberg (Sweden) and the harps of Blekinge: Kung Byxlös
- Nancy Thym (Germany): Travelling harp ladies of the 19th century

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Basic workshops (no prior knowledge required)
- Sally Sehlin and Susan Enochsson (Sweden): Harp for beginners
- Helena Tuupanen (Finland): Kantele for beginners
- Thor Ewing (England): Lyre for beginners
- Göran Carlström (Sweden): Psalmodikon for beginners

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Specialised workshops
The specialised workshops are not restricted to specific instruments, but focus instead on some aspect of music. You can participate either singing, or playing, or both. As an instrumentalist, you are considered "advanced" if you have been playing for some time and are able to pick up tunes by ear. The "intermediate" level is somewhere between beginner and advanced.

Following workshops are planned:

- Mari & Harald Foss (Norway): Medieval ballads from Telemark with voice, harp and lute
- Thor Ewing & Anne Marie Summers (England): Skop and Skald. Poetry and music from the Anglo-Saxon and Viking world with lyre and harp (advanced level)
- Nancy Thym (Germany): Music of the travelling harp ladies (intermediate level)
- Helka & Yrjänä Ermala (Finland): Ballads and songs from Finland with voice, harp and flutes/pipes.
- Bára Grímsdóttir & Chris Foster (Iceland): Icelandic tvísöngur, rímur, sagnadans and other story songs
- Chris Foster (Iceland): English ballads with voice and guitar
- Falsterpiben (Denmark): Danish ballad dance with voice and feet
- Niss Stricker Jørgensen (Denmark): Danish ballads with voice and harp (advanced level)
- Sally Sehlin (Sweden): Scottish ballads with Scandinavian ingredients, and Scandinavian tunes with British flavour. For all instruments including voices (advanced level)
- Marie Länne Persson (Småland): Ballader & sånglekar: Swedish ballads and song dances

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Allspel
Every evening, there will be an hour of allspel (ensemble playing), focussing on traditional tunes from the common repertoire. The allspel will be led by different specialists from all Nordic countries:
- from Denmark: Niss Stricker Jørgensen with Danish ballads
- from Finland: Anna Kattainen or Patrik Weckman with Finnish tunes
- from Iceland: Bára Grímsdóttir and Chris Foster with Icelandic songs
- from Norway: Stein Villa and Marit Steinsrud with Norwegian langeleik music, and Maja Marcussen with historical tunes
- from Sweden: Erik Ask-Upmark or Astrid Selling Sjöberg with Swedish dance tunes


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Dance
In the evenings, there will be dance tunes played on harps and other instruments, and since it is more fun to play dance tunes for dancers, we will put the chairs aside to make space for dancing. You are welcome to encourage the present musicians to play a ballad dance, branle, allemande, polonaise, quadrille, contra dance, engelska, polska, halling, schottis, waltz, polka or whatever... And since we have specialists for the simultaneous singing + dancing of ballads, this will also be included in the evenings!


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Instrument exhibitions
Instrument makers and distributors are welcome to exhibit their instruments, in particular plucked string instruments which are in the focus of this meeting. Up to now, following people will exhibit instruments:
- Göran Carlström (Sweden): Psalmodikon
- Helena Tuupanen (Finland/Sweden): Kantele
- Jeanette van Nieulande (Netherlands): Harps
- Kate Fletcher & Corwen Broch (Britain): lyres, kantele, gusli, jouhikko, Shetland gue, bone flutes, pibgorn and more
- Sally Sehlin (Sweden): Harps, psalterium, mountain dulcimer
- Thilo Viehrig (Germany): various lyres
- Yrjänä Ermala (Finland): Pipes, flutes, harp


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