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Donald Pullen Duet


Pikeyh

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I've just acquired an 81 key Wheatstone McCann Aeola duet, made in 1923 , that was formerly owned and played by Donald Pullen of Barwick in Elmer ,near Leeds .

 

Does anyone have any memories of Donald , and even better , any recordings ?

 

I do remember seeing him play this instrument c 1978 at a concertina convention in Pontefract .

 

Ta

 

Kevin Holland

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Yes I can remember him attending meetings of the Yorkshire Concertina Club in Leeds in the mid 1970's.This was the original YCC which has no connection with the current organisation.From memory Donald was a very technically accomplished player on both the duet and English and played from music most of the time.He was an ICA member and no doubt competed in the annual ICA competitions.

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Apologies for the considerable delay in replying .I have only just seen your last post. I have about 200 plus cassettes dating back to the early 1970's(but including tracks re recorded from reel to reel tapes from the early 1950's and 60's)and I do not have time to go through and identify every player. They are largely poorly documented and as all of the players are now dead I am one of the very few who would recognise who was playing. I will try to narrow down the cassettes and identify Donald Pullen's playing. Geoff Crabb would certainly have heard him playing at the monthly ICA meetings in London and at the annual ICA Festival.I think he played at the Concertina Convention the YCC organised at Pontefract in the mid 1970's.

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Hello, just read your thread about Donald.

Yes he did play at the Pontefract Concertina Convention, I was one of the organisers.

I remember him, on stage, reading from music that was supported by a lengthened music stand, which held about 8 sheets of music, so he did not have to stop to turn the pages!

He was quite active in the Yorkshire Concertina Club and played both English and Duet instruments, but always from the music.

He did compete at the ICA competitions, but memory does not serve me well as to whether he won anything or not.

He also tuned and tinkered quite a bit, experimenting with ways of baffling the bass side of his duets.

Living on his own, he was a bit of a recluse, but very definitely one of life's characters.

Sadly I do not have any recordings for you, but I wish you well with your quest

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That's great , thanks ! It could be mine , but I understand that Donald had a large collection . Mine has a modified hand support , much deeper than just a rail . I think I can see one on the photo .

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