Membership Secretary Events Secretary Martin Williams Marian Janes 3 Frinton House 15 Crescent Road Rushcroft Road London N3 3AL London SW2 01 348 5563 01 737 7987 President Rev Kenneth Loveless VRD FSA FSA Scot Hon RNR

Treasurer Editor John Entract Colin Turner 16 Mandeville Rd 309 Uggmere Court Rd Saffron Walden Ramsey Heights Essex Huntingdon Cambs PE17 1RJ

No 333 January 1966

In the last Newsletter I gave TWO different dates for the next Bloomsbury meeting - AND BOTH OF THEM WERE WRONG! The next meeting, which is also the Annual General Meeting will be held on SATURDAY 15th FEBRUARY at the Bloomsbury Community Association Hall. The Agenda and further details are included with this Newsletter – Ed BUTTONHOLES The first in a series of snippets culled from players on the folk scene by Maggy St .George. UNSEASONAL NOSTALGIA By the time this is in circulation it would be topical to look ahead, the gleam of New Year Resolution radiating from the concertina buttons. Yes, I will master Sidney Smith's March in '86, and that gorgeous tune I think I pinched from Gerald Trimble, but can't remember the title. However, at the time of writing I make no apology for a nostalgia trip - especially for what was my Concertina Weekend of the summer of '85, Towersey Festival.

It's one of the classic festivals that never disappoints; and last August was its 21st birthday, occasioning a line-up crowded with nostalgia as well as the new and exciting things that are happening on the folk circuit. Alan and I, complete with our Jack Russell, Hobo, (whose response to the concertina deserves a Buttonhole to itself - later perhaps) took the weekend off. For the squeeze-box it was a brilliant event; the Mexborough Quartet not only increased their following but also ran some of the best attended workshops I've ever been to. Apart from some lively ensemble playing, there was a dismembering session by Steve Dickinson, and of course Dick Miles obliged in his solo role as well as being part of the Quartet.

Proving that the ICA addict is a gregarious and thriving species, there were splendidly appreciative audiences for Ralph Jordan and Jo Fraser; as a duo they're one of the best things that happened last year and, as a McCann Duet player, Ralph's mastery and sheer musicality makes him one of the nicest guys I love to hate!

I know I shall be rebuked for this, but one of the best reasons for being a lady concertina player is the number of lovely fellers there are around. Take John Kirkpatrick, for example - he and Sue did an enchanting set in the Tillage Hall, and he uses an Anglo for song accompaniments like no one else.

There will be space in other issues for Chris Coe, Dave Whetstone, Dave Townsend and more, but my last Towersey recollection is of Roger Watson borrowing my Wheatstone English for the memorable Muckram Wakes reconstruction. Pure, unadulterated nostalgia - and a suitable note on which to start a New Year!

* * * * * * * *

MORE ABOUT THE TANZBAR PLAYER CONCERTINA

Following Phil Inglis article about the unusual 'instrument' in his possession, Pat Robson writes...

This (the Tanzbar) I found very interesting as, a few years back, I had a long telephone conversation with a Mr Loveland of 2 Ingworth Road, Branksome, Poole, Dorset. He had one. Paid around £1500 for it. It worked OK and he had had some extra rolls cut for it by Pete Watts of Chipping Norton, who sakes automatic instruments and cuts rolls for them. Loveland told me he played it in old people's homes, etc, for which he had suitable music on the new roils. He also had one of the original roils. He said there were only three instruments in the country, one of them in 'Portobello Road. The name 'Tanz(i)bar' means 'Dancing Bear' and it was meant for the people who travelled around the country fairs during the last century with a bear that danced. The advantage was that the instrument always played the same tune, in the same way, which the bear recognised and could dance to without any mistakes. Quite a sensible arrangement should the bear's master imbibe too freely. I am told by a model-maker friend and engineer with a small 4' cube fairground organ that uses postcard size folded 'book1 music, that the hard paper type material used by transformer winders, called Presspahn, is ideal for this purpose as it's thin, stiff, and compact, and cones in rolls. It can also be used for bellows-making. I hope this information will be of use to Phil Inglis. YOUR LETTERS.... A serious subject Together with my late father's Lachenal McCann Duet Concertina, on which he played only classical music at many concerts, I am passing down to my great-nieces all his collected literature on the concertina and the literature which I now receive from the ICA. To my father this was a serious subject - as it is to me - and in order to present it as such to my great-nieces who are playing members of a Youth Orchestra, I would like to see our Newsletter as it used to be - without the drawings and the decorations. Miriam Connerton 48 The Roundway, Anlaby Park, Hull.

Delightful 'Dream' I recently went to a performance given by the Ballet Rambert of their production 'Sergeant Early's Dream'. It was a good ballet, consisting of a number of short dances performed to British, Irish and American folk songs and tunes. There were seven musicians who took it in turns to play either singly or in groups but the thing that really delighted me was a young lady who played both English and Anglo - not at once, I might add! Gwen Dilke 16 Shelvers Way, Tadworth, Surrey.

Anachronistic Twist I wonder if any other members of the ICA noticed the concertinas appearing in the recent serialisation of Oliver Twist on BBC1 on Sundays? During two street scenes a sort of one-man-band chap appeared to be playing a modern English - probably Italian made - of the highly coloured sort, red predominant. At least, that's what it looked like during the brief glimpses I had. In another episode, depicting the interior of a public house, there were lengthy scenes of a Duet player; all quite effective. I noticed from 'Radio Times' he was Peter Honri and he is listed in the 1974 ICA membership list, though not in the 1985 list. Oliver Twist was written c 1837 and I feel it is unlikely that concertinas of the type shown in the TV adaptation were around in the streets and pubs of that time! Partly through lasiness and partly from ignorance of all the necessary facts and 'qualifications' I havd not written to the BBC about this. I rather hoped someone more worthy than I would be writing to the Beeb. Incidentally, during the serialisation of another 'old time' drama a character was shown playing an - and even held it upside down to do so! I should have written in, shouldn't I? Whenever an oldy-worldy-folksy subject comes up for dramatisation the producers always throw in a concertina. Why? Isn't it time someone gave them the gen? Mira Curtis 14 Stoney Lane, Winchester, Hants

And... Honri plays a fine concertina, but this was ridiculous. Oliver Twist was first published in 1838, some years before Wheatstone's 'Improved Concertina' patent so the hexagonal instrument Honri plays is quite out of keeping with the period. Even if it had been available, no low-life character such as Honri portrays could have afforded it. The only concertina available at this period would have been some type of 'Square German1. Possibly the simple 20-key box 'The Blind Girl' in Mllais1 painting of 1850 is playing. This painting is in Birmingham Museum. Pat Robson Meadowlands, Crookham Village, Aldershot, Hants

...An account of how Peter Honri created the character of the concertina player for the film version of Oliver Twist can be found in his family history 'Working the Halls'. together with a startling close-up photograph. ... Ed. Whither the I.C.A? - A Personal View I haven't much time for organisations or committes who are continually asking for directions from the membership on how they should be planning for the future. Most memberships elect committees precisely so that they don't themselves have to worry about such matters. But the ICA hasn't, as far as I know, looked critically at itself for a good long while and changes have recently been happening which mean it should start. First, we're getting bigger: membership topped 200 last month for first time for years and, maybe, the first tine ever. An excellent development in every way, but new members could mean fresh ideas on what the ICA should be up to, and I think now is the tine to ask them. Second, the last few years have seen regional concertina groups set up to meet and play together in ever-increasing numbers. First of course came the famous West Country Players but, since then, groups have formed in Leighton Buzzard, Wales, Nottingham and are probably forming in other areas as I write. Once again, a fantastic boost for concertina playing and standards, but one which raises questions about the proper role for the ICA in this new world. Once upon a time it was the principal forum where concertina players could meet and play together. How most playing is done outside London, at local meetings, and it looks as if the centres of concertina activity will remain there for a while to come. Yet the ICA, one of whose functions is to represent the interests of all concertina players, is firmly based in London with a committee who have to be able to travel to London if they are to attend committee meetings. This may well be perfectly acceptable to everybody but we should at least be thinking whether it is inevitable or desirable. So, I offer some views and suggestions with which anyone and everyone is welcome to disagree. The ICA's main services to the wider concertina world are to produce the Newsletter and to maintain the library. The Newsletter seems deservedly popular, but the next ICA committee could devote some further thought to the library. With adequate support for the Librarian, it could be possible to expand it into a full collection of concertina music and relevant books. The committee should also elect or co-opt a representative from each of the regional concertina playing groups at present meeting regularly. The people put forward would probably not be able to attend many ICA meetings, but would have a regular chance to let the committee know if members attending their groups wanted the ICA to provide any service it wasn't already offering. This should mean that members outside London felt they had an official channel into the group controlling what the ICA does. For example, I'd be particularly interested in a wide range of views on the ICA Festival and how it might become a true celebration of the nest concertina playing available. All this in practice would mean accepting that there are two parts to the ICA; the running of the monthly meetings, which is a service for London members and should be tailored to their wants, and serving the needs of concertina players everywhere - which is a task which perhaps should not be left exclusively in the hands of a London based committee. What do YOU think? The ICA Annual General Meeting looms; if changes are wanted, now is the time to let us know - and the more the merrier. Martin Williams, Membership Secretary The way ahead On the subject of the AGM. I have two points which I think are worth an airing. They have undoubtedly been raised before but, as a 'new boy1 I do not have the benefit of past knowledge. 1) Increase.membership. I am certain that an increase in the number of ICA members could only .be beneficial - also the number of active members. I know of more than 30 pro/semi-pro/amateur players of the concertina who are not members of the ICA. There must be many more! The future strength of the ICA will depend upon more concertina players being encouraged to join and then more younger people being encouraged to start playing the instrument. I expect many potential players have never even heard of a concertina, let alone heard one played. 2) Establish sound archive. I believe that this is essential for future generations of concertina players. I often wonder about the style of concertina players of the late 1800s and early l900s. If an archive could be established future players could listen to, and understand, current styles and choices of material. Peter Trimming 20 Haslemere Rd, Thornton Heath, Surrey OBITUARY Andrew Blakeney-Edwards 1966 - 1985 Andrew Blakeney-Edwards was killed in a serious traffic accident involving a heavy lorry on the Limuru Road near Nairobi in Kenya, where Andrew was working for a year in a voluntary capacity before returning to England and a well-earned place at Medical School.

Accidental death is, of necessity, shocking and traumatic; when the life that is lost is young, good, full of charm, of ability, of promise, then you know that if and when the emotional loss passes there will still remain the rational feeling of potential unfulfilled and talent thwarted. Nevertheless, it is the wish of Andrew's family that his life should be celebrated, not mourned, and indeed Andrew had done much to celebrate in his nineteen years.

The 'Folk World', so full of failings, has perhaps none greater than that it sees characters in only one dimension; Pop Maynard - a fine singer, Oscar Woods - a fine melodeon player. What? That and nothing else? Enthusiasts do this - "A fine tenor", "A fine opening bat" - but that this gross injustice should be so entrenched in the 'Folk World' where the essence of the tradition is that it is a part of life, is particularly inappropriate. Andrew Blakeney-Edwards must never be dismissed as just "A fine Anglo player". He was one, of course, - the best I've heard - but this was only one facet of an energetic, lively, and still developing personality.

I have been a regular visitor to Andrew and his family in Cheddar for ten years, but when I joined the hundreds who crammed into Cheddar church for his funeral I recognised only a small proportion. Nothing could indicate more clearly the breadth of Andrew's life. Friends were gathered from school, from the village, from the local Morris sides, as well as from the music world, and none more so than the Vintage Car enthusiasts who knew Andrew from his involvement with the family's Frazer-Nash which, over the years, he - with his brothers and father - had lovingly restored. Not, incidentally, as a museum piece, but as a functional vehicle. Andrew was as careful and precise with the lathe and the spanner as with the concertina.

My first meeting with the Blakeney-Edwards family was at the first 'Fairlands Ale' in 1975 and these and similar events fostered not just my friendship with the family but also the family's enthusiasm for English Country Music. Sue, Piers, and their four, children all took up instruments and formed a band under the warm encouragement and expertise of Sue, a very talented and formally-trained musician.

Andrew's choice of meant that on my increasingly frequent visits we would spend hours and hours playing together and it soon became clear that Andrew's determination was producing a unique talent which continued to grow and develop so that when we did the Anglo workshops together at the '83. Sidmouth Festival, the assembled musicians immediately recognised that a very special young player had arrived.

Andrew was a person of breadth and intelligence. He would listen while his father and I argued - endlessly - about politics, sifting, thinking and selecting. He approached music with the same open mind, but made his own decisions. In addition, he was adventurous. In his life this led him to spend a year at the Limuru Boys' Centre in Kenya. In his music it led him to Mozart, Bach and, most notably, Scott Joplin, whose piano rags Andrew strove to recapture as accurately as possible on the Anglo - a breath- taking achievement of technique and application.

Andrew's playing, was always careful, precise , and intelligent. With a wide repertoire of left-hand styles and great competence at 'cross-rowing' he selected appropriately, playing Morris and other dance tunes with full use of left-hand chords and the double action, but for Renaissance style tunes employing a droning left hand, necessitating great dexterity across the rows on the right hand. Furthermore, on all occasions his left hand was never a compromise. There was a full range and knowledge of chord inversions so that there was often a noticeable bass line below the chords which would themselves be played more lightly and staccato to emphasise the effect.

I have by my a newsletter of the Limuru Boys' Centre, a charitable institution where Andrew was teaching English and other practical skills, mainly for agricultural use, to boys, who would otherwise be unlikely to receive any education. It is clear from their tribute to him that he had made a. deep impression on everyone these, and earned their respect and true friendship.

The newsletter bears the Centre's motto; 'Learn to Live'. They could not have had a better example than the short, full life of Andrew Blakeney-Edwards. Roger Digby

******* GOOD THINGS AT LEIGHTON BUZZARD The Leighton Buzzard meetings have been running for a year now; they were instigated by Colin Turner, who turned up at a Sunday lunchtime session in the area and was a bit surprised to find five concertina players among a dozen-or-so musicians. By the end of the afternoon he had persuaded us that a concertina meeting in this area would be a Good Thing and date had more or less been decided upon.

We found a cheap hall, handy for the station, and told as many people as we could think of. We tried to benefit from a number of people's experience in the same field - thanks especially to Jenny Cox and WCCP - and decided to send out some music, very varied in difficulty and type, and a tune list of folk tunes. The latter was an attempt at ensuring that people who'd been playing a while, but who had a fairly limited repertoire, could practise at least some tunes that were likely to be played. Much of the other music was in different parts, some specially arranged for us by Frank Butler. We were trying to ensure that people didn't travel to Leighton and then spend the afternoon looking at each other wondering what to play; nor did we want to provide an over-structured afternoon. We were also anxious to avoid the customary division between Anglo players and The Rest.

In the event, the first and subsequent meetings seem to have been a success, and the format seems to work. The emphasis on folk music is probably greater than we originally envisaged. We have quite a high proportion of people who are no longer beginners, but not yet happy playing at usual session speed, so we try to provide quite a bit of time for playing standards rather more slowly than usual. There is a great deal of collective secondhand advice from Kirkpatrick/Chippindale/Anderson/Pickles workshops; none of us feels sufficiently competent as a teacher or musician to take on a more formal musical director's role.

We have had visits from the New Mexborough Quartet, who valiantly overcame the Forster Institute's now legendary heating system to play in sub-zero temperatures; from Dave Townsend, who provided a very useful and stimulating workshop for both experienced players and beginners, and from Dick Miles who gave a very inspiring talk on, and demonstration of, song accompaniment. Steve Dickinson and Phil Inglis have both come with instruments, spares and records (and in Phil's case, with his Kitchen Concertina group). Most people seem to come for the opportunity to meet other concertina players and to play informally and discuss problems/repairs/bargains/the one that got away; so most meetings are likely to provide just that.

Both organisers are anxious to be involved in as little hassle and administration as possible, as we both have many other commitments. So there is no constitution, no committee, no AGM; as long as enough people to cover the cost of the hall want to come we'll book it every three months or so. Between 15 and 30 people come each time. We made one loss, which has now been repaid. When we make a loss two meetings running, we'll drop them for a while. Neither of us was really convinced of the value of concertina-only meetings at first, but I think that the contact with other players is valuable. If you play fiddle of whistle, for example, you learn from people wherever you go in the folk world and outside it, but there aren't that many concertina players around.

We now have a reasonable heating system in the hall. Next meeting is February 2nd from 12 noon to 6pm as usual. Tea and coffee will be provided, rolls and sandwiches on sale. Further information from:- Alan Dyer, 7 Stoke Rd, Leighton Buzzard, Beds. LU7 7SW Tel 0525 375 889 or Pippa Sandford, 9 Mardle Rd, Leighton Buzzard, Beds. LU7 7VR 0525 375 794 Pat Robson reports... THE WEEKEND Warner's Holiday Camp 18th - 19th October

It is always interesting to see and hear what other 'Free-Reeders' get up to. There were over 600 booked in for this 'do'. Maybe over 100 had instruments, and many attractions were laid on - a 30-strong accordion orchestra from Irun in Spain, playing classical music. Well drilled and interesting but little contrast of tone colours from en masse is possible and it sounded a bit 'top heavy' - a family of mouth organ blowers , complete with chord and bass instruments, a combination I haven't seen since Borrah Minnevitch and the music hall days - there was Pearl Fawcett, whose top star solo spot was a real treat - up in the trade display section Brian Hayden demonstrated his new concertinas, while Tom Prince's rendering of 'The Bella' held the audience in the packed ballroom spellbound.

It was hoped that some of our West Country Players would come and do a turn. If they did, I must have missed them when I left the fuggy, crowded ballroom for a short stroll and a breath of sea air.

The day's programme of events ended at 10pm, when the camp Hammond organ took over for general dancing. An hour of its banshee wailing was followed by an informal bucking session that carried on until 3am. I have joined in melodeon-led sessions of intermina Morris-type tunes in D or G and I wanted to know what accordionists did. Same as Home Organists - middle-of-the-road Sinatra-type stuff; Spanish shawl was the favourite. Most tunes were in C with the odd one in F or G, which made a change for me on Bandoneo Most players had full size piano accordions - but why? Few were already pianists or would venture into the extreme keys. The chromatic Continental is far easier for the non-pianist to learn. Three scales and you can play in any key!

It was a melodeon-free weekend, though there were a couple of those curious Gaelic affairs Jimmy Shand used - a 3 row diatonic in B, C and C sharp, with a full size piano accordian 'Stradella' bass end. I admire those who can manage a system that seems to combine a lot of disadvantages. I came to the conclusion that the two 'Zimmies' on thei square Chemnitzers made a much louder and better balanced sound at our ICA meeting and at Halsway than did any group of six to eight piano accordions I heard at Seaton. I don't envy piano accordionists; they carry a great weight on their shoulders.

It was a very interesting weekend. The camp facilities were adequate, the food good, and the resident staff cheerful and obliging. Seaton is a nice little town that has changed little since I went there occasionally as a nipper in the 1920s when we lived at nearby Lyme Regis. Well done, Malcolm Gee, the Accordion Monthly News, and all your helpers. You save us excellent value and it all seemed to run very smoothly.

********

Please reserve me a place for the 3rd. Annual W.C.C.P. Halsway Manor Weekend, 14th.-l6th March I enclose £5:00 deposit (rest to be paid by 1-2-86) name: address:

to BOB AND ETHEL HAYES 44, ROTHESAY RD., DORCHESTER. DT 1 2DX (0305)- 66809 INTERNATIONAL NEWS

from our own correspondent

The Swedish Concertina Association took two major steps forward in their November meeting. The ensemble playing was conducted by a lady who brought not only considerable experience of choral work but an almost military discipline so that the players accepted her "attention" and "at ease" to the manner born, and her firm control resulted in a marked improvement in the performance.

The second step was the introduction of a bassoon player to contribute the bass line. How very suitable! How very fortunate, too, that a bassoonist was available and willing to help. Bassoonists are scarce because of the cost of the instrument and also the difficulty of playing it. The chances of finding a bassoon player free and willing to help in England would be very rare indeed.

Another meeting was organised for younger players and Goran Rahm, who speaks for the ICA in Sweden says that he discovered four members of a Morris ring who played really well, many tunes that must be familiar to English players. He also reports hearing from an English concertina player resident in Sweden who, unfortuantely, is living too far from Stockholm to be active with them - yet. A pity, for he is a good player.

Alex Richards, the Australian virtuoso, has composed a trio for concertinas; 'Marche Chromatique', which promises well, if players with adequate technique can be assembled. Douglas Rogers has the only copy in England at the moment, probably the most likely chance of performance for the time being. Alex also composed a Wedding March and other pieces for performance on his own English concertina, an unusual instrument with a vast middle compass. For the music he uses two staves; treble and bass. It is questionable if the pieces could be played on a standard; instrument. They were attempted in London, on a baritone, with fair success considering the unfamiliar double stave.

Alex Richards composes to satisfy some inner urge, not for a wider public, but if he could be persuaded to discipline himself to write within the limitations of the standard instruments his undoubted talent would make valuable contributions to the repertoire of modern compositions.

Marian Janes reports... CONCERTINAS FOR OXFAM

On Saturday, 16th November, Douglas Rogers once again delighted his audience with three of Bernhard Molique's 'Characteristic Pieces' - Consolation, Rural Scene, and Serenade, this time in the imposing surroundings of St Martins in the Fields Church as part of a Charity Concert in aid of Oxfam.

He was accompanied on the piano by Dominic Seligman and shared the platform with such celebrities as Carlos Bonnell, the guitarist, and members of the London Symphony Orchestra. The music was as charming as ever but some of the faster concertina passages were lost in the echoing acoustic of the church.

I should also like to mention another excellent performance by this artist on 1st November, which was part of a series of concerts and recitals in a Guitar Week, organised by Douglas himself, at the London College of Music. This time he played the same three Molique pieces mentioned above and the andantino from Regondi's 'Morceau de Salon', having transcribed the usual piano accompaniment for guitar, which was played by Robert Brightmore. Their performance was very warmly received by a predominantly young audience, including some leading guitarists and music critics.

It is concerts such as these which should be of great benefit in the revival of the classical concertina. THEIR BOOTS ALL POLISHED BLACK...

THe New Mexborough English Concertina Quartet in conversation with Maggy St George. * * * ....High noon in an end-of-summer Festival beer tent. I pinned down all four members of one of the more remarkable bands to emerge this season....

MStG Nigel, you started it all - tell me how and when. And why.

Nigel The first record was something I really wanted to do: all those lovely instruments and all that music, couldn't be allowed to moulder away and die. Anyway, it made what you might call considerable impact, there was immense interest. But it was immediately very frustrating not to be able to take it any further. I couldn't exactly stroll down to my local folk club and rip off all sixteen parts at once! Dick and I had talked about it all at Norwich some years bade. We thought we'd get a duo going but it needed more than that really, to do the music justice. It was & matter of finding the right talented players with the right commitment to learn the art of ensemble playing, very different from your average folk club performer.

MStCr So where did you find this particular talent?

Nigel Oh, fate chipped in and lent a hand. There was Steve, only just down the road really, at Wheatstone, and then Rob chanced along in the nick of time to move in and work with Steve. It all fell into place, really. We decided on being a quartet for two reasons. It's a very manageable sort of size to be and, anyway, there was a quartet within the original band so there were plenty of arrangements all raring to go. There's absolutely stacks of music, incidentally. You think, "About time we had a go at a new march," or something, and in five minutes you've picked out two dozen of the things to choose from, all ready to play.

Rob Except that I had to learn to read the music, in three months flat!

Dick You can't print that - we want the world to think we're doing something fine and educated in an intellectual sort of way.

MStG (lying) I shall delete all references to the band's illiteracy from the records. When was this, then?

Steve Oh, 1887, not '97 as it says on the sleeve. No, around last September, actually, when we first got started.

Nigel And the first foolish thing we did was to enter the Taunton Music Festival last November. I tell you, it concentrated our minds most wonderfully! But as luck would have it, we won the Amy Earwaker Memorial Cup, would you believe? This wonderful lady was on the music halls in the 1880s and her niece is now with the West Country Concertina Association - plays the original instrument.

MStG What sort of presentation are you aiming for? Did you get your act together before you took it out?

Rob No, we deliberately didn't. We started doing concerts and local clubs in March this year, seeing what people would make of the music and seeing how we should present ourselves.

Nigel Yes, and we should make it quite clear right away that while we're aiming to be thoroughly entertaining, and we can tailor an eveing to suit the audience or the venue', we're actually dead serious about the music. We want to preserve it, keep it alive, not take the piss out of it. We found, for instance, that people like to be told a hell of a lot if you don't make a boring history lesson out of it. And of course we can cover the whole range of music available to the concertina. This is where it's new for all of us, really. We each happen to have our roots in folk, but what we're doing now isn't people's generally accepted idea of folk music.

Steve It's folk music of the 1900s, though.

Rob Sure, it certainly fits into a slot in the tradition. Their boots all polished black....

Steve It's really music for the working classes of that time. The concertinas were made to emulate the sounds of brass instruments, which Mexborough folk probably couldn't afford anyway. This kind of music has only moved away from fashion: it's been largely ignored because accepted folk music has taken other direction!.

Dick But we haven't left it static: we include songs because audiences don't want to listen to tunes all night. We're still working on that, on the contrast, on having the right amount of light touches.

Rob It's important to create the right atmosphere to suit the music.

Nigel That's right. We dress it to take it out to other people who might otherwise never have access to it.

MStG And that's the reason for all the sartorial elegance on stage? You'd even combed your hair - I hardly recognise any of you! ..

Nigel Absolutely. Pull evening dress to complement the Edwardian aura, of it all.

Rob Not much Edwardian aura about Dick's shoes, though...

MStG Ah yes, I wasn't going to mention Dick's shoes. What an undemocratic lot, I thought, that poor guy can't afford his boots all polished black, he has to scruff on stage in brown ones!

Dick (Unsuccessfully trying to retain some dignity) I have got some, honest. I forgot to pack them this weekend, that's all... the formal dress is tremendously effective, though. After one gig I tottered into this Indian restaurant and I've never received such service!

Rob He got embarrassed; people don't usually call him 'Sir'.

Nigel Looked the part when he was doing the washing up, though, didn't it? Back to the subject - we have such a variety of material that we can suit it to almost anything. Three hours playing on the prom, a full Edwardian evening, or an informal folk club. For a club set we include things like the 'Tommy's Lot' set - all the well-known jingoistic tunes like 'Goodbye Dolly' and then the sudden contrast of the Dominic Williams song. A bit of realistic pathos.

MStG Yes, "a town that she can't even spell". Lovely stuff.

Steve That's all for scene-setting, really. It leads the audience towards the rest of the original Mexborough repertoire. Nigel's solo record was a huge success as library material, re-created history if you like. What the New Mexborough Quartet can do is take it further, take it out live.

Nigel What the songs do is basically they add a bit of innovation, broaden the repertoire. Like the title track on the quartet record, which Dick wrote to illustrate what we're at. Your ''boots all polished black". And we've got the material for a hundred LPs in that collection.

Steve It's interesting, the tremendous increase there's been in ensemble playing. The ICA's had a lot to do with it, of course. But the person who simply wanted any old concertina has completely gone - people play so much more ambitiously now, they go for all types of music - they really have created a demand for a decent instrument.

Rob The biggest gap is in good bass instruments. There aren't enough around, and it costs around £2000 to make one now.

MStG You've done a lot in a very short time. Where to, now?

Nigel Everywhere, really. The Ministry of Culture is setting up a tour for us in France and there's been lots of overseas interest, including the States and Holland, where we've got an agent.

Dick But we haven't been around long enough yet. The act went really well at Broadstairs and Chippenham but the point we have to make is that we can offer a whole package; the band, the history, solo spots, workshops for players and repairs, and song accompaniment - plus Dick as a soloist as well, of course. Their boots all polished black...

MStG Are there any songs within the original repertoire, or didn1 the band do any?

Steve Oh yes, there are full song arrangements. But the band would have hired a singer for the occasion.

Nigel They employed the inimitable Miss Daisy Squelch to play the cornet in the Mexborough Hippodrome.

Steve He's making it up.

Rob No he isn't - she brought the house down. That's why no one goes there any more.

Nigel It isn't even there any more! They would trot out their aspiring protegees for a night's entertainment. Great days, they were.

Dick There simply isn't anyone on the folk.scene at the moment who's doing what we're doing, though.

Nigel Shall we tell Maggy the story about the time we went for the photo session for the record sleeve and there was a power cut and Dick went to the gents?

Chorus NO!

Nigel Oh all right, then. Family mag, this, is it? Tell you this one instead. In 1909 the Mexborough band came fourth out of four in contest and the sad part was the band that came third was doing its debut - they'd never even played together before! And we have in our proud possession the adjudicator's notes which read, "They lacked taste on this occasion."

Dick Unlike the Quartet, of course.

Rob Who never had any in the first place...

MStG Why did you record the Quartet in a church?

Nigel Well., it was just down the street for a start. The weather wasn't too wonderful. We had several Calor gas burners roaring away for a ten-minute warm up but you couldn't keep them going through a take, so we devised this incentive scheme. If you didn't get it right first time, you froze to death!

Steve On consecrated ground, of course. The worst live take was 'Mountain Breezes' ironically enough. We nearly died of exposure doing that one. But there was this amazing six-second reverb in the building, made the concertinas sound really nice.

Nigel Any sound engineer will tell you the ghastly problems you can have with recording concertinas. Pete Reynolds has had more experience with them than anyone we know.

Rob It was a great record to make, and it's going really well. If we don't know yet where it's going to take us it's only because we've none of us any strict preconceived ideas. Basically, it's Nigel's band because it all came from his original work.

Dick I think we have to concentrate on the complete package we can provide, the adaptability. It works because of the varied input we can all provide. We don't want to be one front-man and a backing group, or one vocalist for that matter.

Rob Dick's being a bit self-effacing there, actually. His songs are essential to the mix we're trying to get.

Dick I agree it's a different direction for me as a singer.

Nigel But the 'entertainment package' is the thing. One of the best opportunities to demonstrate that is coming up next March, when we're doing the complete weekend at Halsway Manor. 13th to 15th March '86. Be sure to put that in, won't you?

MStG What's it worth? Whose round is it, anyway?

*********

This interview first appeared in the December 19&5 issue of 'Folk Roots' (formerly 'Southern Rag') and is published here by kind permission of the editor, lan A Anderson. MEMBERSHIP MATTERS....

Subscriptions received The Treasurer wishes to thank the following members who have renewed their subscriptions. Edward Jevons, Bill Blakeman, Leonard Laieski

Change of address MICHAEL PENNY is now at 92 Blackford Avenue, EDINBURGH EH9 2ES. AMICK BARDIAUX is now at 27 Rue Marche aux Herbes, 1000 - BRUSSELS, Belgium

NEW MEMBERS A warm welcome to:- Babs Goodyear 28 Purbrook Road, Tadley, BASINGSTOKE, Hants RG26 6PH

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Jayne Bibby-Cox Flat 4, 9 Broadway North, WALSALL, W Midlands NEW SUBSCRIPTION RATES At their meeting on 2nd November 1985, the Committee of the ICA decided to introduce new subscription rates for overseas members, based on the current cost of sending an 8-page Newsletter to each of the three Postal Zones.

The new rates are:

Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland £4.00 Europe £5.00 USA, Canada, South America, Africa £6.50 Australia £7.00

These rates come into effect on receipt of this newsletter. Many thanks to those overseas members who have consistently - and insistently - overpaid in the past.

1986 SUBSCRIPTIONS ARE DUE NOW

WANTED Wheatstone Anglo. C/G 36 or 40 key. Would consider a good quality Jeffries at a reasonable price. Peter Trimming 01 689 5550

FREE TO CARING OWNERS "Patchwork" Concertinas. As seen in "Santa Claus - The Movie". These instruments are guaranteed to transform your powers of musical elf-expression Complete with free pot of reindeer-hoof glue. Apply in the usual way to: Dudley Moore, North Pole. Your attention is drawn to these... FORTHCOMING EVENTS Cecil Sharp House If you live within reach of London, try to make it to Cecil Sharp House on Wednesday 12th February when JOHN KIRKPATRICK will be holding AN EVENING OP SQUEEZING, starting at 8pm. Admission £2.00 John will be playing and talking about all his various free-reed instruments.

Bloomsbury Community Hall At the meeting on Saturday 15th February, DAVE TOWNSEND will be demonstrating his remarkable skill on the English concertina, starting at 4.30. On Saturday 12th April, TIM LAYCOCK will give his talk, originally scheduled for the AGM shortly before appearing in the final performance of 'Far From the Madding Crowd’.

Queen's Head, Kimberley, Nottingham 1st March Spend the day with Alistair Anderson and a friendly crowd of Midlands concertina players. Meeting starts at 12.00 Admission £4

Man in the Moon Theatre Club. 392 Kings Road. London A dramatised version of Thomas Hardy's 'Far From the Madding Crowd' will run from 1st March to 12th April. The play includes music composed and performed by TIM LAYCOCK.

Halsway Manor 14th - 16th March The WCCP field research team have discovered a caravan site 2½ miles from the Manor. If you wish to be independent, contact QUANTOCK ORCHARD CARAVAN PARK, Flaxpool, Crowcombe, Somerset. Tel 09848 618. Caravanners will be charged £5,75 per night, plus £1,00 for electricity hook-up. If you decide to sleep away from Halsway Manor the organisers will charge you a reduced rate to attend the workshops BUT you will have to make your own arrangements for meals.

WORKSHOPS AT CECIL SHARP HOUSE Anglo Concertina Workshops re-commence on January 6th and will continue on alternate weeks under the capable leadership of ROGER DIGBY.

Roger Digby reports on progress so far...

Anglo workshops were introduced into Cecil Sharp House last autumn as part of a programme of instrument instruction. Numerous problems were encountered, not least that everyone was at a different standard - and no two instruments were the same! The chaos was enhanced by lack of time for practising and complete beginners turning up half way through the term. Fortunately, none of this dismayed our doughty instructor, as it is what always happens at workshops at folk festivals.

The best plan, therefore, was to introduce a lot of ideas at many different levels - and written support - which could be used as a learning base over a much longer period than just one term. These appeared to satisfy the company, who pronounced themselves pleased.

Clearly, this term there is a need for a different approach and so we shall be concentrating on BEGINNERS, and basic problem-solving. The alumni still intend to meet informally on a less regular basis - and remember that ALL musicians are invited to the bar session that begins at 9pm after the workshops.

Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regent« Park Rd, London. Tel CSH on 01.485 2206 or Brenda Godrich on 01 607 8975 if you require further details. Nearest tube: Camden Town (Northern Line) Buses 74 53 5

****** LATE NEWS PETER HONRI is appearing in his one-man show 'WORKING THE HALLS' at Croydon Warehouse Theatre from Tuesday 28th January - Sunday 2nd February. Previews on 2Jrd, 24th 25th. All seats £3.50 (Concessions £2.00) Previews £2.00 (Concessions £1.25) Peter's show is billed as 'The Songs and The Story of a Music-Hall Family’ and chronicles the history of popular entertainment as well as telling the story of his own concertina- playing family. Croydon Warehouse Theatre, 62 Dingwall Road. Nr East Croydon Station. Tel 680 4060 681 4087 DIARY DATES March 1986 Sat 1st CONCERTINA MEETING AT NOTTINGHAM Start at 12 noon Queens Head, Main St, Kimberley. Near M1 junction 2G Special guest: ALISTAIR ANDERSON. Admission £4 January I986 Tei Derby 761903 or Nottingham 384479 for more details. 8th - 21st Steve Turner on tour in Germany Mon 20th and following alternate Mondays Tim Laycock in Far From the Madding Crowd ROGER DIGBY'S ANGLO WORKSHOPS AT CECIL SHARP H0USE, LONDON Man in the Moon Theatre Club,392 Kings Road, London Special attention will be given to beginners Thurs 23rd Dick Miles at Orpington Folk Club, White Hart, High St l4th-16th THIRD ANNUAL HALSWAY MANOR WEEKEND • 24th Steve Turner at Eversiev Folk Club THE NEW MEXBOROUGH QUARTET wll be in residence 24th-26th John Kirkpatrick at Halswy Manor Anglo and Duet players will be well catered for by NIGEL CHIPPENDALE Guests of Bristol Folk Tradition Total cast: £42 from Friday dinner to Sunday tea 2Gth Steve Turner at Cheddar Folk Club Send £5 deposit NOW to Bob Hayes, 44 Rothesay Rd, Dorchester 28th Peter Honri in 'WORKING THE HALLS' Dorset Tel 0305 6809 Croyden Warehouse Theatre until 2nd February 28th Steve Turner at Dorchester Folk Club May 1986 29th Steve Turner at Plymouth Folk Club Sun 11th WCCP at Freshford(AGM)' 31st Steve Turner at Bocain Folk Club July 1986 NMCQ at Norwich, Folk Club, York Tavern, off York St WCCP at Freshford

February I986 1st Steve Turner at Titchfield Folk Club 2nd Stave Turner at Bridgewater Folk Club 4th Steve Turner at Chester-le-Street Folk Club 7th Steve Turner at Bingham Folk Club 8th Steve Turner at Coventry Traditional Folk Club Concertina Workshop at 2pm • 9th Steve Turner at Nuneaton Folk Club Dick Miles at Holmfirth Folk Club, Rose and Crown 10th Steve Turner at Nottingham Folk Club 11th Dick Miles at Chester-le-Street Folk Club Camoton Arms 13th Steve Turner at Huddersfield Folk Club NMCQ at Black Swan York 14th Steve Turner at LLandrindod Wells Folk Club

Sat 15th ICA MEETING BLO0MSBURY ASSOCIATION HALL 1 to 7pm Guest DAVE TOWNSEND. The Annual General Meeting will start at 2.30pm. Dave will play at 4.00 Please make every effort to attend Nearest tubes: Holborn or Tottenham Court Road Nearest pub: The Plough, Museum St Admission 50p. Tea and biscuits I5p

NMCQ at Rotherham Arts Centre NMCQ at Retford Arts Csntre 16th Steve Turner at Wicken Folk Club Sun 16th WEST COUNTRY CONCERTINA PLAYERS Meet at Freshford village Hall.Bradford-on-Avon, Wilts (Sec. Jenny Cox. 0272 48796) 17th Steve Turner at Tonteg Folk Club 18th Steve Turner at Chepstow Folk Club 20th Steve Turner it Billingham Folk Club 21st Steve Turner at Bradford Folk Club

23rd Steve Turner at Marsden Folk Club 2Gtn Steve Turner at Kirby-le-Soken Folk Club THIS MONTHS MUSIC

Both pieces were contributed, by NIGEL CHIPPENDALE who has been taking advantage of an enforced rest, brought about by his recent illness, to catch up with jobs he's been putting off for ages - such as contributing to the Newsletter. Nigel's latest news is that he's still having treatment for a lymphoma but hopes to be at the disposal of Anglo and Duet players at Halsway Manor in March. We wish Nigel a speedy recovery.

For anyone who wants to get in touch with Nigel, his present address is 31 Sewerby Ave, BRDIDLINGTON, Yorks Y016 5DG Tel 0262 676 264

BOB AND ETHEL was written as a Christmas card for Bob and Ethel Hayes, who have done so much to get things moving on tho concertina scene. Nigel thinks it's a achottische -but it may be a hornpipe! Its written as a duet for English concertinas; keep it light and bouncy. Bob and Ethel has already been road-tested and approved at the WCCP New Year's do.

AT SUNRISE was written by Penny Ward. She showed the tune to Nigel, who was impressed with it and offered to write it out for publication in the Newsletter. It's not a jig - it's quite a bit slower than that. The semiquavers towards the end should be kept fairly steady.

This Romanian Gypsy song, pronounced "teeneretse", is from Art Hemenway of Seattle. Art explains that the title means "Youth! Youth!" and it is the song of a very old man. A good Romanian violinist would add even more trills and embellishments. Art says that he usually plays the song through twice as written and then repeats it an octave higher. The above air from the Carpathian mountains should be played slowly with great pathos, There appears to be no longer lyrio than the' two lines quoted. It hardly needs more. . Arrangements by F. E. Butler

An adaptation for English concertina of a celebrated pianoforta solo by a composer from Czechoslovakia. There is a version for violin and piano by T. Kubelik published by Ksith Prowse which should appeal to ooncertina players of greater ability.