Who Is The Dancing Concertinist?

[Helen]

Oh Lee, ouch.

 

Good for you, Kim. On the beat is a good idea with dancers. Now if only we can do it.

[Mark Evans]

Well, the dancing concertinist in question is....(drum roll)....Alistir Anderson. Dominique actually remembered his first name ("Alistir something").

 

I think this is very cool, two Baroque Opera Divas discussing concertinists and celtic music whilst in the midst of a Handel opera in Madrid (the name of the opera is "Altanta" ). A mind bender for a southern boy from the middle a' nowhere Florida!

[JimLucas]

I think this is very cool, two Baroque Opera Divas discussing concertinists and celtic music whilst in the midst of a Handel opera in Madrid (the name of the opera is "Altanta" ).  A mind bender for a southern boy from the middle a' nowhere Florida!

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Interesting, isn't it, how we can be surprised to discover that other people -- even those we know well -- have interests and curiosity beyond what we've assumed.

[Animaterra]

Hi, Mark! Yes, it is cool! We already knew we had an international appeal

Now we're finding out just how much more than we knew!

[Mark Evans]

Yes! The soprano is an avid fan of Alistir's and told Dominique she will send me a video recording of him dancing. What a nice bonus for ole' Marky boy.

 

Still a mind bender though. This is my experience with "classical" colleagues to date since sharing my odd musical proclivity: After showing up for a rehearsal of American Masters of which I was to present Stephen Foster, I pulled out the EC (I organized the concert so it was my right to decide the addition of said concertina). The astonished pianist said "Mark, are you...well?" Then after a very warm reception of my efforts with Foster at the concert another pianist colleague complemented me with "you almost make that thing sound like a legitimate instrument" . Grrr.

 

Nice to know me darlin' doesn't try to hide her husbund's musical proclivities as a dark family secret and has found a respected colleague who is evidently a folk music fan in general and a concertina fan in particular.

[Henrik Müller]

-- Then after a very warm reception of my efforts with Foster at the concert another pianist colleague complemented me with "you almost make that thing sound like a legitimate instrument" . Grrr.

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Simply be grateful, Mark, that the said pianist didn't deliver the usual:

"You obviously don't know the best way to play the concertina?"

 

"- and what is that?"

 

"With a sharp penknife..."

 

This (not the penknife ) actually triggers another Alistair Anderson memory: around, hmm, 78/80, Alistair was invited to Copenhagen to play at the 50-year debut anniversary of a lady pianist (Elvi Henriksen). It so happened that the concertina (EC) had been an instrument in her family, in fact Elvi's sister had often performed with full orchestra at the luncheon concerts at a well-known restaurant (Wivex). Eeee - all memory is coming back!!

 

She used to get her concertina tuned very often, since the orchestra used another concert pitch (I know this sounds wacky, but I have it from the source: the man who did the tuning).

 

Back to Alistair. On being asked if she had any requests for her anniversary, Elvi had specifically asked for a concertina player (or Alistair specifically, I don't know). Anyway, after Elvi had played a piece with the with full orchestra, properly conducted by a well-known, and rather self-aware conductor, Alistair appeared and played a lovely (Italian, I think) piece, accompanied by Elvi on the piano.

 

The elderly couple who sat behind me were not at all delighted by this extraordinary happening. When Alistair had left the stage, the woman turned to her husband and said: "Well - I don't know what you think, dear, but I think that this was very, very weird!".

 

Don't ever try surprises with the audience at a classical concert!

 

If I am not mistaken, I have photos somewhere of this. If you want them, yell at me!

 

 

Henrik

[Mark Evans]

Consider this a yell Henrik....Yee-Haw!

 

No, most classical audiences are not very flexible. To have the opportunity to hear Alistair Anderson perform live and not recognize what you are honored to hear is, well, sad. However, I am not suprised, sigh.

[Helen]

Hi Henrik,

 

I AM YELLING TOO.

 

Helen (yelling)

[Henrik Müller]

Hi Henrik,

 

I AM YELLING TOO.

 

Helen (yelling)

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Ups! What have I said?!

 

Naw - that will force me to look through old photographs and who knows what other goodies I may find?

 

Give me a few days - SSI is coming up on Friday, and I am pressed for time.

 

Henrik

[allan atlas]

FOLKS: in the Fall of 1960, i appeared in a broadway show called LAUGHS AND OTHER EVENTS. . . . .it was in the main, a one-man show featuring Stanley Holloway, who recreated an evening's worth of music hall entertainment. . . . i was one of the four musicians who "backed" him up. . . . .there was one point in the show at which i danced for about four measures worth of music. . . . .but only on those evenings on which Holloway could bear the thought of it. . . . .

 

Allan

[Henrik Müller]

Hi Henrik,

 

I AM YELLING TOO.

 

Helen (yelling)

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In response to yelling: I have taken a fast look where I thought (hoped?) the photos of Alistair Anderson's classical performance in Copenhagen (around -79, in the concert hall of the Tivoli Gradens, actually) would be... but nada.

 

But I did find something - a photo from the "dancing" concert in the old folk club:

 

 

 

Found a few more items . we'll take them next week. Got to pack for SSI 2005!

 

Henrik

[Helen]

Thanks.

 

Looks like people are dancing in the poster behind him, so that counts!!

 

Enjoy the SSI.

 

Helen who mercifully has stopped yelling

[pauline de snoo]

Yes Alistair is definitely even if not always really "dancing" while playing, he always does move as if dancing. Another classical musician told me after a concert in Witney in September that he felt embarassed by it but then after a little while he understood that Alistair's moving during playing was functional.

And ideed it is. It is like I have mentioned in another thread very similar to Jacqueline Du Pré's movement in her performance on cello in classical music. Lots of people did not understand that. That is the way they very naturally perform and play their music with a lot of feeling and it is real not for effect. They just have the music in their body; internalized as we would all wish for. At least I do.

And one clogdancer told me that when Alistair plays for them it is as if he lifts them off the floor.

Pauline

[Henrik Müller]

Thanks.

 

Looks like people are dancing in the poster behind him, so that counts!!

 

Enjoy the SSI.

 

Helen who mercifully has stopped yelling

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Yelling helps! I have now found the photographs, and they are all marked "May, 1979". That makes sense: Alistair was invited to play at the anniversary concert and did a gig in the folk club as well.

 

The concert

 

The man pondering the strange performance (lower right corner) is the conductor.

 

Elvi Henriksen at the piano - it was her 50 years debut anniversary concert.

 

Thanking Elvi -

 

The folk club

 

High energy on the Amboyna wood, gold buttoned Æola

 

An Air?

 

Rocking away on the 56-key Wheatstone

 

Finally - at the risk of going off-thread, but we are into history, aren't we - someting I found among the photos: a bill from the Central Hotel, Miltown Malbay, 1982:

 

Note the phone number -

 

To round off, a few words from Mr. Chopin:

 

 

Don't show this to your wifes and husbands!!

/Henrik

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Edited for mistakes

Edited April 30, 2005 by Henrik Müller

[Mark Evans]

I always thought Chopin had a screw loose. Next time I have to teach one of his compostitions to a general music appreciation class I'll not turn handsprings getting them to see more than passing value in it.

 

Oh got the recording with Alistair on it sent by the lovely Scottish soprano. It's from a live concert in Newcastle of period music from the middle 1800's, and she is actually singing on the program with Mr Anderson thank you very much .

 

Northumberland piper, forte pianist, violin, cello, the soprano and Alistair. Very nice concert indeed. Audience goes wild ( in a very British way) everytime Alistair finishes a number.

 

I must write to thank her for I will cherish this.

Edited April 30, 2005 by Mark Evans

[PeterT]

The first time that I met Andy Turner (about 1984/5, at the World Marbles Championship, Tinsley Green), he was living in Kent, and dancing with a local Morris team. Andy performed a double jig, whilst playing the concertina.

 

Matthew Green (Bampton Morris) has been known to perform a solo jig, whilst playing the fiddle (fiddle on the arm, in the "old") style.

 

I read, somewhere, that Andy and Matt perform as a duo. Have they ever performed a double jig, with both of them playing instruments? If not, how about it, lads?

 

Regards,

Peter.

[Galley Wench]

I just have to know...who is the dancing concertinist?

 

 

What do you mean DANCE!!! I am still struggling to get into a standing position! Hats off to all of you who play whilst standing - me - I'm afraid I will have to stick to sitting with concertina resting on left knee - for the time being anyway.

[Mark Evans]

He does indeed dance, I just kind of shake like St. Nick on crack. My lovely dear children gave me a little impersonation of my playing at table last night . Hmm, I can only hope I sound better than I look. However, I refuse to believe that I shake my behind like that...ever!