Carnival Band Drumming Workshops

Carnival Band Drumming Workshops get going at St Vincent's Chapel on Tuesday 20 October, and they run right through the winter. It's a long stretch of Tuesday nights: 20 and 27 October, then 3, 10, 17, and 24 November, followed by 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29 December. Each session runs from 7pm to 9pm, so you're looking at a regular mid-week slot rather than a one-off.

The workshops are run by the Carnival Band, and their whole approach is built around the long game. The idea is to bring people together to learn and practice over the winter months, and then get out performing around Edinburgh in the spring and summer. It's a slow build-up rather than a quick crash course, and the sessions are open to all ages from ten upwards. You don't need any musical experience to join in, so if you've never picked up a drum before, you're in the right place.

There's more to it than just the drumming, too. The group is starting a Horn Section for brass and woodwind, which will eventually join the drums to form the full band. If you play one of those, there's a spot for you as well. Places are limited and allocated on a first-come-first-served basis, so it's worth getting your name in early if you're keen.

The chapel is at St Vincent Street, at the junction of St Vincent Street, St Stephen Street, and Circus Lane, in the Stockbridge and Canonmills area (EH3 6SW). Each session is £10 per person, and it's cheaper if you book in blocks. With the dates running from 20 October right through to 29 December, it's a good way to keep a regular thing going through the dark half of the year.