We first met Reg Meuross when I booked him to run a songwriting masterclass as part of the London Song Company summer school. It didn’t take long until I was completely spellbound, by Reg’s songs and by his gentle generosity working with other songwriters of all levels and ability.
There are two great opportunities to learn from the master coming up:
SAT 22nd Nov – St Anne’s Centre for Creative Arts, Barnstaple 4-6pm. Reg will reveal his writing process behind a couple of his songs and listen and critique your own. You can just come and listen and ask questions too – this is for any level – even absolute beginners. I promise you’ll learn something valuable. MORE INFO & BOOKING HERE
FRI 28 NOV 4pm – SUN 30 NOV 5pm – Halsway Manor, Nr Crowcombe, Somerset. TA4 4BD MORE INFO & BOOKING or call Tel: 01984 618274
This is a fully residential songwriting weekend with Reg As well as songwriting tuition and exercises you will have a chance to perform during the informal sessions. Concert on Saturday night with Reg & Guests
Reg says: “The best song is the song that speaks straight from the heart. Write what you know…speak with your own voice and then people will hear what you have to say.
Of course there is craft and skill and practised intuition involved in coming up with the goods every time, but you don’t have to be a professional songwriter to write a song any more than you have to be a full time artist to paint a picture, a playwright to write a letter or a poet to make a rhyme.
Song writing is not about being great or better than anyone else or working to a formula or following rules. It is about personal expression, speaking the truth in a way that people can hear you. How you get to that place where you are ready to dig deep for that inspiration and speak in that way is up to you. Once you get there the rest is just writing. I can offer you tools to help you dig deep and ways of unlocking words and inspiration.”
Reg has earned a reputation as a ‘Master Storyteller’. From gigging in village halls to playing the Royal Albert Hall (where Mike Harding introduced him as ‘one of the finest singer songwriters this country has produced) Reg consistently entrances his audiences with songs of life, love and injustice, soulfully delivered with melodic high tenor vocals and exemplary guitar playing.
Pennyblack Music says:
“Calling Meuross a singer-songwriter really doesn’t do the man justice. Meuross doesn’t write lines of lyrics. He writes short stories then sets them to some of the most captivating melodies you’ll ever hear.”
Pete Townshend says:
“Reg’s composing and performing is not bound or influenced by trends or fashion or the need to make a display. Reg will be a good man to listen to when the time comes to look at developing your own way to be your own singer-songwriter.”
Reg has given lectures and presentations on songwriting, and has run workshops and courses in the following places: Durham University; La Grande Gennerie, Francel; festivals including Shrewsbury, Beverley, Trowbridge, Ely, Southwell, Weymouth, Towersey, Wath and Wombwell; London Song Company Summer Fest; several English schools (ages 9-16); West Coast Songwriters in California; Kerrville Folk Festival Texas, and Uncle Calvins Coffee House Series in Texas
Video Link: I SAW A WOMAN LYING IN A FIELD Reg Meuross at Bath Folk Festival
Soundcloud Link: REG SONG TASTER