International Concertina Association

President: Father Kenneth Loveless FSA

MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY EVENTS SECRETARY Martin Williams Marian Janes 3 Frinton House 15 Crescent Road Rushcroft Road London London SW2 No. 360 N8 8AL 01 737 7987 01 348 5563 TREASURER NEWSLETTER EDITOR John Entract Sept.88 Alan Dyer 16 Mandeville Road 27 Horton Avenue Saffron Walden Thame Essex Oxon CX9 3NJ 0799-25859 084421 2702

SUBSCRIPTION RATES U.K. Ireland Europe £5.00 U.S.A. Canada S.America S.Africa £6.00 Australia £7.00 Due: 1st January. (New members at 1/12 of the above rates per month to the end ofthe year.)

Make a note.... A.G.M. 11th FEB. 89

see diary

1 ADDRESS CHANGES Mike Dearlove Marie Robson Brian Creer 29 Cringles Park Cornerways Cottage 25 Beresford Rd. Silsden 10 West End Parkstone W. Yorks Wirksworth Poole BD20 ONS Derbyshire Dorset DE4 4EG BH12 2 JR NEW MEMBERS Sue Evans Andrew Pickering Greenacre Mexborough Concertina Band Club Horsegrove Lane 9a Dolcliffe Rd Rotherfield Mexborough E. Sussex Rotherham TN6 3JX S. Yorks

A REMINDER FROM THE HON. TREASURER

The Hon. Treasurer would like to remind members that subscriptions for 1989 (with the exception of Life Subscriptions already paid and new subscriptions recently received) are due on the 1st of January. Those subscriptions for 1988 paid late in the year are also due for renewal.

************************************************************************************ Jenny Cox wrote to me to say that bookings for the 1989 Halsway weekend are coming in steadily and that £10.00 will secure you a place . So far there are participants from U.K. , Sweeden and France. Advert in this N/L. *********************************************************************************** Frank Butler sent me a cutting from the Enfield Advertiser showing Olympic runner Steve Crabb (1500m semi-finalist) Receiving the freedom of the city of London. *************** ****************** ********** Derriek Hale is keen to obtain/borrow /copy 'classic concertina music ' of the Victorian era, band pieces and "particularly those arranged by Henry Stanley of Birmingham. If you have any such music for sale or loan please contact Derrick, Telephone 0332 761903 ******************************************* My thanks to Jin Emmett for the two pieces of music in this N/L. Also his letter, about future aims of the I.C.A.

2 FRANK. BUTLER WRITES A GOSSIP COLUMN

I have often thought of doing so. This year it looks as if my annual total of letters will far exceed its usual four hundred, and I am sure that news and views that do not reach your editor would often interest members of the I.C.A.

A few years ago I was shown a picture of Arthur Austin playing at an I.C.A. Meeting. Full of vim for all his years, and with his old comic props in full use. There was also a picture of Mrs. Austin in characteristic pose. Last May Arthur had a fire at his flat, and phoned to tell me about it, but of course I could not hear. This month his son phoned, and I managed to establish written communication. Arthur, now 91, is being care for in a home, having lost his wife. He has decided to sell his concertinas, and his son, another Arthur Austin will take enquiries at 01 459 3551.

I was sorry to hear of the withdrawal of concertinas from the Taunton Festival. I have no doubt from letters to me that dislike of the Advanced Test Piece, and the compulsory linking of it with "own choice" deterred entrants. It is a pity that the disgruntled ones did not tell Jenny Cox, who in the face of such opposition, might have made a last minute alteration of the syllabus. I wonder if the I.C.A. will take notice of this objection.

Vena MacDoggall who was making such a splendid re-entry into the concertina world, suffered a broken wrist and other injuries at Victoria Station. Not deterred, she tells me she can already stretch an octave on the piano (she is a very good pianist), and you can expect to see her back at meetings.

With the A.G.M. in mind I hope somebody is preparing appropriate thanks to Marian Janes who relinquishes the post of Events Secretary after a truly memorable term of office. I wondered if she had run out of celebrities to persuade to delight the members.

A nephew of mine from Devon told me that Western Television recently gave a showing of "Sheep May Safely Graze " as performed by my group in 1975. He is not a reliable informant, knowing nothing of music. He said "Of course it was you, Uncle Frank, bow-tie and all", I would like to think that that performance was considered good enough to be retained in the B.B.C.Archives. I was given a tape of it, at the B.B.C. impossible speed - quite useless to me.

Arthur Clements, whose original compositions for concertina were given as supplements in the Newsletter, and well received, is now engaged on a sonata. He has bowed to majority wishes, and is keeping it within the compass of a "48" English. One hopes for a Festival piece.

Douglas (Regondi) Rogers has done wonders in preparation for the playing day at Butleigh Court Tower. By the time you read this, those who were lucky enough to go to Butleighwill know all about it, and some will undoubtedly tell me.

Motto for 1989 Increased Concertina Activity.

3 Steve Desmond should read Dr Dunkel's book. P.17 quotes Paris, 1839, as the date of Leclerc's Melophone, and 1842 for the virtuoso, Louis Dessane, playing one in Vienna - two years after Regondi had been there and played a Wheatstone Concertina that he called a "Melophone". The Oxford Companion to music quotes "Melophone" as being also an English name for an accordion. The Nomenclature,"Physharmonika" came to mean a stationary job like a harmonium, "Mundharmonika" - one mouth blown - Mouthorgan, Melodica, the Symphonium and maybe the Tscheng. "Handharmonika" one held and played in the hands, a general classification still used by the USA customs today. It covers all accordions, concertinas, bandonikas and lap organs. The term "Accordion", so Dr Dunkel informs me, was used on the continent for any form of handharmonika where one could play chords either by using one button, or two or three fairly adjacent ones. The term "Concertina" was not used until after they started exporting. Records show that in 1839 the Paris reed organ builder , Debain called one of his instruments that used differing air pressures to strengthen melody over accompaniment, a "Concertina" (P.17), while P.39 shows a Keyboard diagram for an accordion with 5 keys a side and a standard diatonic layout in C, as used on an Anglo, and later used and modified in the various types or German square concertinas. So the the 1831 reviewer was correct in his description.

Sticking to the facts, we know that in Austria, Germany and France, many people were producing various free reed instruments, the first of note being Eschenbach's Aeoline of 1810 (P.13) the ancestor of all handharmonikas, No records can be found of Buschmann's instruments of 1821/2. It would be an interesting research for someone willing to travel and spend a long time in Germany, It is possible that he was the originator of the keyboard shown on P.39, Demian's 1829 instrument we know, Wheatstone imported and sold them, and their music. Capable of more chords for accompanying hymn singing processions than Buschmann's, it was played "up and down", hence the need for an angled keyboard. Before this however, Fr, Hotz and Chr, Messner had started harmonika industries in 1825 & 1827 at Knittlingen and Trossingen in W.Germany and Glier in 1829 in the Klingenthal, and both Germany and France exported instruments, Wheatstone produced a good instrument in his day , covered by his 1844 patent, unfortunately it calls for a lot of specialised work and to be a viable manufacturing proposition giving adequate return to the makers, distributors and retailers,along with profit to cover sales promotion, it would have to sell at around £2000, which is not on for a mass market. To compete with the accordions one has to be realistic, look forward, not back, and re-appraise matters never forgetting that the end product is the music, not a reproduction of an example of Victorian ingenuity. To those that still think the drawings in wheatstone's 1829 patent prove he invented the concertina; look again, he also shows a Tscheng. That patent is only for his keyboard with examples showing how it can be applied to various types or instrument whose basic characteristics already existed. Regondi produced a Method for fingering the German instrument in 1854, the keyboard of which is shown on P.38 (It is the same as Uhlig's original, but pitched a minor third higner). Presumably Regondi played this instrument, but where and when? By adopting a square format and Hayden's keyboard*, it should be possible to produce a reasonably priced ana good sounding instrument using standard parts wherever possible, including top quality Italian reeds, maybe in stainless steel as Crosio of Paris used in bandoneons c.1970 where tone is all important. This direction of thought offers possibilities of both very cheap learners instruments and top quality ones for the experts as well as competition for the accordion/melodion market. The 39 & 52 button Chemnitzers are another approach for those that can't read music but don't want to busk. Pat Robson, Oct 1988. * Bastari make them . A.D.

4 SHEEPSKINS by JOHN KIRKPARTRICK SQZ 125

"I like him, you can review that one yourself," said Val, as I opened the unexpxected jiffy bag from Shropshire, Inside was 'SHEEPSKINS' , the latest from Squeezer Records. You will need about seventy minutes to listen to this cassette and then you will probably want to play it all over again. It consists of a selection of the tunes used to accompany dancing by the Shropshire Bedlams and Martha Rhoden's Tuppenny Dish: Border Morris teams started by John Kirkpatrick and Sue Harris in the early 70s. Most of the thirty tunes are traditional but there are several compositions by John, Sue, and Sally Turner. Many of the tunes are previously unrecorded. John plays all the tunes solo and without electronic assistance using a mountain of Melodeons and three anglo Concertinas ( Treble, Baritone and Bass) on twelve of then. The tape was digitally recorded and mastered and on CrO2 producing sound of very good quality. It is refreshing to hear Morris tunes (and tunes for Morris) not played in the 'chest expander' or 'wall of sound' styles so common amongst players of push- pull instruments; it is the precision and control of John Kirkpatrick's playing that makes it so good to listen to. One still gets the impression that he is enjoying what he is doing,, The notes with the cassette are interesting and extensive, covering a wide range of subjects related to the sources and styles of the music. Also included are some useful addresses for people interested, but not yet involved in Morris and its music. At £5.50 mail order I rate this as good value and of interest to many people, not just 'Folkies'. Alan Dyer

£5.50 (£6.50 overseas surface mail AVAILABLE FROM - sterling cheques only please)

5 Mill Street, Aston on Clun, Craven Arms, Shropshire SY7 8EN.

IDEAS FOR THE FUTURE Jim Emmett writes.... Of all our different needs I feel that to satisfy those of us who cannot attend meetings the answer is tape recording, or going further still, Video recording. Make a library of these or publish a list in the newsletter so that members can send up for them, because I feel that we need desperately to hear the soloists,bands or groups of members. I don't mean the professionals, we've bought those already. You see those of us who are playing on our own, at home and never hear another player have no standard to go by and just to hear somone else playing would be very nice. There is Radio and T.V. and never a concertina on these, our professionals must have some very poor agents to be missing out on such lucrative work, even Jimmy Saville has never had a concertina on his programme. If we are never on Radio or T.V. we are not keeping up with the times, we should be trying to do this mainly for the benefit of future players. I should imagine that the I.C.A. is the main organ for the concertina in the world today, and as such shoulders a great responsibility. If ever there is a great resurgance of the concertina, there are certain people who will benefit from this, and I feel that these people should now be helping to try and make the concertina more popular, possibly by approaching Radio and Television people who I think will be crying out for material of any description when they get the new chanels going, and that will be our chance- get in and strike while the iron's hot. 5 DIARY

December 1988 Sat. 10th ICA Christmas Social, 1.00-7.00 pm. Working Men's College, Crowndale Road, London NWl. Admission £1.50. Usual opportunities for solo and ensemble playing, and the Butleigh Court Concertina Band will be travelling to London especially to entertain us from 3.00 pm. Mon. 12th Alistair Anderson will perform on "Thekla", the Old Profanity Showboat, 8.00 pm in the Bristol Docks.

January 1989 Sat. 7th Charlotte Oliver is the guest at the Lewes Arms Folk Club, 8.00 pm, playing concertina, guitar and singing silly songs. Sun. 8th WCCP New Year Party at Butleigh Court Tower, Glastonbury, from 11.00 am. Bring packed lunch. More information from Jenny Cox, 0272 629931.

February 1989 Sun. 5th WCCP Playing Day at Freshford, nr. Bath. Bring packed lunch. Details Jenny Cox, 0272 629931. Sat. 11th ICA AGM, 2.30 pm at the Working Men's College, Crowndale Road, London NWl. Admission £l.OO. Usual opportunities for solo and ensemble playing, both before and after the AGM.

March 1989 17th-19th Sixth Annual Halsway Weekend, organised by the West Country Concertina Players. It will be led by Dave Townsend, with Andy Turner on Anglo and Jean Megly on Crane Duet. Inclusive cost £56.70, and a deposit of £10.00 secures you a place now. We advise early booking for this weekend, which is a very popular and en­ joyable event. Bookings to Jenny Cox, 26 Hill Grove, Henleaze, Bristol, BS9 4RJ. Tel. 0272 629931.

April 1989 An ICA meeting will be arranged, details to follow.

May 1989 The ICA Festival will take place, date to be announced shortly.

June 1989 Sat. 3rd ICA Meeting, Working Men's College, Crowndale Road, London NWl, 1-7 pm. Dick Miles will entertain at 4.30 pm. Admission £1.00.

Regular events South Wales Concertina Players meet on the last Monday of every month at Marcus Music, Newport, Gwent. All West Country Concertina Player's Freshford meetings are 12 noon to 6.00 pm. Tea and coffee will be available, but bring your own food. For full details of all WCCP events, phone Jenny Cox on 0272 629931 English concertina classes at the Working Men's College, Crowndale Road, London, NW1. Wednesday evenings during term time. Teacher DOUGLAS ROGERS Telephone 01 578 0690

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