October 2019
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October 2019 The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama RWCMD and BBC National Orchestra of Wales seek Head Technician Grand Accordion made by Polyester Training Day GianCarlo Francanella At the Caradine’s Workshop 2 CONTENTS Editorial — 4 President Writes — 5 Membership News — 6 Scottish Autumn Lunch — 7 May 2019 Visit to Rome — 8 Polyester Training Day — 10 Job Opportunity in Wales: Head Technician Sought — 12 Tuning Those Bottom Bass Notes — 14 Accordion Visit to Castelfidardo — 16 Training Days Update — 19 Broadwood’s Folly — 20 Letters to the Editor — 22 Why Extend the Range of the Piano? — 24 Letters to the Editor — 29 Council Report — 30 PTA Diary of Events — 31 To advertise in PTA News, at very reasonable rates, please contact: Tania Staite, Tel: 020 8677 4422 Text: +44 7508 560 950 Flat 8, Deepdene, 15 Streatham Common Northside, London SW16 3HQ Email: [email protected] The next deadline for PTA News is: Friday 29th November 2019. PTA News is the Newsletter of the Pianoforte Tuners’ Association. All views expressed are those of the contributors, not necessarily reflecting those of the PTA or the editorial team. Please send items for publication to ‘The Editor’, preferably via email with photographs sent separately from the text. Posted items can only be returned if accompanied by an SAE. Please obtain the necessary permission before submitting copyright items. PTA News, 49 South Hamilton Street, KILMARNOCK KA1 2DT Email: [email protected] 3 EDITORIAL ANNE BURTON There is the marvellous opportunity for a PTA Member to become the Head Technician for the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama and for BBC National Orchestra of Wales. See p12 although more details of the role should be had from the Music Manager [email protected] Thank you to Mario Campanale for his photographs and articles about his two Italian trips earlier this year. I hadn’t known that he was a keen accordionist but did know about his singing prowess, see pp8 and 16. Thanks to Roberta for her pics of the Polyester Training Day that she and Barry gave at their workshop and thanks also to Paul Shearman for his article (p.10) and photos about the day. Please note the new Training Day date on 17 November that Andrew Giller updates us about on p19. Booking is possible either by going to the PTA website or by using the inserted form. On p14 the difficulties of tuning bass strings are addressed by Adrian Carpenter. This useful article is a bit longer than the ‘Quick Tips’ we have had before but very welcome and important. Please send in any tips you can share; email and postal address for PTA News at the foot of p3. I’m looking forward to my trip up to Glasgow for the Scottish Autumn Lunch and the visit to Glasgow Piano City. If you would like to attend or if you have any questions about how to get there, please phone me; details are on p7. We have the concluding instalment of Paul Corbin’s article about extending the range of the piano on p24. The PTA is very grateful to Paul and to Stuart & Sons for permission to print the article in full in the Newsletter. I’m delighted to have the photo from Bruce Hayes of his Oscar Peterson autograph. I hope that Bruce was able to stay on for the concert. I was most disappointed not to have shared Broadwood’s Folly with Roy O’Neil, see p20. Finally, John Thompson has kindly given me advanced notice of a PTDAE 2-day Seminar to be held on Monday and Tuesday, the 24th and 25th February 2020. Precision Touch Design is a fascinating subject and very worth looking into, particularly if you are a new Tuner/Technician starting out. I hope to include an article from John about PTD in the next issue of the Newsletter. Photographs throughout this Newsletter from the Convention in Bedford this year were taken by Andrew Jamieson. 4 THE PRESIDENT WRITES BARRY CARADINE We must all be prepared for change. Change, or what we might also call progress, is a fact of life and a necessary evil. We might not always like it, but more often than not it is for the best. To this end we recently held our first Executive Council meeting via Skype. So, why the change? We are doing this for the benefit of those serving on Council, who give up a considerable amount of their time to help our Association. Executive Council meetings have, since their inception, always been held face to face at various venues in London, latterly and for many years at Morley’s in Lewisham. Travel to and from these meetings has become increasingly difficult and time consuming, as well as expensive. It is also restrictive for those who live at a distance and would be happy to get involved in the Executive Council. Skype meetings put an end to this, save the Association and Members of the Council a not an inconsiderable amount of money as well as time and (being very trendy) reduces the carbon footprint of the Association significantly. I am not saying that this was easy as it was outside the comfort zone of most of us who took part, but it did work and with a little perseverance I am sure it will work really well. Only by pushing a little outside of our comfort zone can things change, or should I say progress. Our next meeting in November will also be held this way and we will see how that goes. Of course, you are all entitled to “attend” Executive Council Meetings as an Observer. If you wish to, please contact Annette and we can arrange for you to do so via Skype. If you think with this change you would like to help us by joining Council, please also contact Annette as your assistance would be welcomed. Sometimes change is not of our making. Next year our Convention, traditionally Thursday to Saturday, changes. Due to the May bank holiday moving back 4 days to coincide with the 75th Anniversary of VE Day (and so to the Friday of our Convention), we have had to change our plans. Therefore, the Convention will be a more condensed affair on Tuesday 5th and Wednesday 6th May 2020. Reducing the traditional two and half days to two days had been planned (in an attempt to make it a little cheaper for all to attend), but the change to the day of the week not. It will be interesting to see if all of us can change to accommodate this. An exciting programme is in the process of being planned with many travelling from abroad to join us. We are planning to hold the AGM on the Tuesday evening as this first evening of the Convention is traditionally the busiest, so the greatest number of people will get the opportunity to attend. Change is not always welcomed and we all know that there are those that do not like change of any kind and even fight against it. But if these changes 5 (whether of our own making or out of our control) work for the majority then they are for the best and should be considered as progress and this progress should be welcomed by all. As I finish writing this President Writes it is with great sadness that I have heard of the passing of Gill Sherlock who many of you will know from the numerous Conventions she attended with Les. Our thoughts go out to Les and the whole family at this difficult time. Barry Caradine PTA President MEMBERSHIP NEWS ANNETTE SUMMERS Please note this change in the 19/20 Directory: 1378 Mr Roger C Parham (new address) 56 Marshall Avenue BOGNOR REGIS PO21 2TN Please send all changes of address, telephone and email to The Secretary using the contact details on Page 31. Les and Gill Sherlock at the PTA Convention in Hereford in 2015 6 SCOTTISH AUTUMN LUNCH, 9 NOVEMBER For a change this year, we will be combining the Autumn Lunch with a visit to Glasgow Piano City. GPC is situated in Unit X in the central part of Shawlands Arcade, Glasgow G41 3RX next to PureGym. At 11 am Tom Binns who runs the venture will show us round the facility and explain the aim of the project. The Autumn Lunch will be held after the visit at the Italian restaurant ‘Oro’ at 1pm. Oro is on the main road almost directly opposite GPC. Advanced payment is not necessary but we require an idea of numbers interested and please be prepared to pay as part of a group on the day. The arcade is easy to reach by FirstBus buses, numbers 57, 38E or 3 from Renfield St or Union St across from Central station in the city centre or train from Central station to Pollokshaws East station. (Bus gets you nearer!) The restaurant’s menu is on the PTA website but please contact Anne Burton (telephone 01563 551530) to book your place. Glasgow Piano City and Oro have their own websites which are worth looking at. Glasgow Piano City visit at 11 am. Autumn Lunch meal at 1 pm. We supply B2B to self-employed piano and musical instrument technicians, repair workshops and manufacturers of upright and grand pianos, as well as specialized piano and music shops. We also supply historical keyboard manufacturers, workshops and manufacturers of instrument strings. 7 MAY 2019 VISIT TO ROME - ITALY BY MARIO CAMPANALE On 18th May I met with the AIARP (Associazione Italiana Accorditore e Riparatori Pianoforte) for the celebration of their 50th anniversary of their foundation.