Ex Libris Posted December 28, 2017 Share Posted December 28, 2017 (edited) Hello C'Netters. Following a request from the British Film Music Encyclopedia to the ICA, I asked on facebook for information relating to Billy Reilley, or the tune he is playing in the 1938 film Devil's Rock. Devil's Rock was the first film to be made in Northern Ireland, it also featured an all Northern Irish cast. About 25 minutes into the film there is a concert in which the miniature English Concertina is played - possibly by Billy Rielley. Does anyone know anything about the player, or the tune he is playing? The clip can be found at the link below.https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-devils-rock-1938-online Many thanks for your help. Jeremy Edited December 28, 2017 by Ex Libris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Taylor Posted December 28, 2017 Share Posted December 28, 2017 Cannot be played outside the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex Libris Posted December 28, 2017 Author Share Posted December 28, 2017 Thanks Don - that's a pity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Franch Posted December 29, 2017 Share Posted December 29, 2017 But I loved the three 'tinas in the photo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex Libris Posted December 29, 2017 Author Share Posted December 29, 2017 But I loved the three 'tinas in the photo! So did I Mike! Does anyone have an idea how you might describe the large Aeola? Apologies that the photo isn't clearer, but it was the best screen grab I could get of a fleeting view. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted December 29, 2017 Share Posted December 29, 2017 (edited) Does anyone have an idea how you might describe the large Aeola? To get a complete button count, I would need to see the other side. 38 buttons on the visible left hand end. The same or nearly the same on the other end would give it a 5½-octave range. The end is a bit larger* than my 56-button bass Aeola, which leads me to suspect that the bottom note is "cello C" (2 octaves below middle C), or maybe even lower. The configuration of the lower buttons adds a constraint, but it doesn't remove all ambiguity. E.g., it matches the configuration of a standard treble, standard baritone, tenor-treble, etc., but not a standard "bass" (like mine mentioned above). This suggests that either it's a bass-baritone (laid out like a tenor-treble, but sounding an octave lower for the same fingering) or a "G-bass" (laid out like a treble, but sounding 2 octaves lower for the same fingering). I'm inclined to favor the bass-baritone, since I expect the G-bass variant would have to be even bigger than that instrument appears. (In comparison to my 56-button bass, the added size might be attributed entirely to the additional 1½ octaves of range. Even though those would be higher, smaller reeds, there would be nearly 50 of them.) * Exactly how much larger, I'm not sure, since I measured with my fingers, not a vernier. (10"? 10½"? My bass is 9½" across the flats.) I compared the distance from the edge to the finger plate with the distance across the array of buttons. Edited December 29, 2017 by JimLucas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex Libris Posted December 29, 2017 Author Share Posted December 29, 2017 (edited) Many thanks Jim. Fascinating information. I've never seen a bass-baritone in the flesh (in the bellows??). I believe that's what Juliette Daum plays and it's the only other bass-baritone I've ever seen. There can't be many people who own one. Edited December 29, 2017 by Ex Libris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted December 29, 2017 Share Posted December 29, 2017 Many thanks Jim. Fascinating information. I've never seen a bass-baritone in the flesh (in the bellows??). I believe that's what Juliette Daum plays and it's the only other bass-baritone I've ever seen. There can't be many people who own one. Not many, but I've seen a few. Juliette's, if I recall correctly, is the same size as my own baritone-treble... 8-5/8" (22 cm) across the flats. I believe that's unusually small for a bass or bass-baritone. Of course, hers has far fewer buttons (56? 64? I don't recall) than the one in your photo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Laban Posted December 31, 2017 Share Posted December 31, 2017 (edited) All other things aside, the Devil's Rock is noteworthy for its closing sequence which features R.O'Meally playing the pipes. The only existing footage of him playing, as far as I am aware. I didn't recognise the tune played on the concertina although it sounds, in part at least, somewhat familiar. Video played fine in Ireland, by the way. Edited January 1, 2018 by Peter Laban Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf Molkentin Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 Video played fine in Ireland, by the way. In Germany it didn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 Video played fine in Ireland, by the way. In Germany it didn't. Nor in Denmark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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