Category: Archive


Suppliers of the Year 2011

12th October 2011

Ocarina Workshop has been shortlisted in the 2011 Music Industries Association (MIA) Awards, appearing in the Best Supplier (Small) category.

“We are surprised and delighted to be nominated. As a small family business, we enjoy giving a high quality service and are pleased to have been noticed!” commented Ocarina Workshop Director, Christa Liggins. Read more

Return to the Andes: Ocarina Workshop in Peru

1st September 2011

David and Christa Liggins arrived home yesterday after two and a half weeks researching and playing ocarinas in the Peruvian Andes.

“Seeing so many ancient vessel flutes in museums and then playing ocarinas at Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca was a great experience for us. We’re bringing it all back to share with new audiences in schools around the UK” said David. Read more

“Fool-proof music theory”

28th March 2011

Today we received this email from Italy, from a 56 year old first-time ocarina-player who has never played a musical instrument before:

Dear Christa and David, last week I received my splendid ceramic ocarina and the greatest fool-proof music theory book ever conceived – and dived into it immediately. Your book makes everything easy – and ocarina playing is so easy – in the past music was always presented as a sacred language for the initiated. Thanks a lot – I know I can always consult you for assistance with my playing. Thanks for your labour of love. Read more

Ocarina Eisteddfod

18th March 2010

In recognition of the first 100 years of Kettering Music Eisteddfod and the popularity of ocarina classes in recent years, Ocarina Workshop has donated the Ocarina Workshop Ocarina Award for most promising ocarina player in the Junior Key Stage 2 Music Class.

David Liggins presented the trophy, a silver star, to Louisa, its first winner, and congratulated all the young players from St Peter’s School, Kettering who performed so well individually and in groups, accompanied by their music teacher, Julie Cruickshank. Read more

ITN Ocarina film released Cameras, Action, Roll!

27th March 2009

Well actually there’s only one camera… and a very busy cameraman!

Tommy Relph has filmed in the Arctic and in Afghanistan: his mission today, to “capture” ocarina-playing children in Kent.

He found children at St Lawrence’s CE Primary in Seal and at Sevenoaks Primary all playing their Oc® and demonstrating their skills to intrepid news reporter Nick Thatcher. Read more

Ocarina in Parliament

29th January 2009

ED Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, introduced an Ocarina to the House of Commons yesterday. The Guardian Newspaper reported:
“The schools secretary struck a musical note at question time by producing an Ocarina. But he stopped short of playing a tune, opting instead to hold the yellow plastic instrument aloft and declare: ‘That, Mr Speaker, is an ocarina.’ He was responding to an unrelated question from Tory Philip Hollobone, whose Kettering constituency is the centre of the UK’s ocarina industry.” Read more

Ocarinas and the New Instrument Purchase Fund

28th January 2009

Figures just released by Government show that ocarinas formed 8.6% of all musical instruments bought in 2007/2008 using the New Instrument Purchase Fund.

The Fund was set up to enable every primary school child in England to learn to play a musical instrument free of charge.

In 2007/08, the first of four consecutive years of £10Million investments provided nearly 100,000 musical instruments at an average price of just over £100 per instrument. Read more

Ocarina Concerts in Brazil

10th January 2009

Our Brazilian friend, Marcia Contador, wrote to us from her home near Sao Paolo about twelve ocarina concerts that she presented in 2007. She commented:

“the acoustic inside the church was heavenly. My Bass Ocarina filled the whole church and echoed beautifully, especially when played on the rear balcony”. Read more