Folks,

Today at the Baggeridge Folk Festival (South Staffs) I picked up a Peter Bellamy LP, "Second Wind", for the princely sum of a quid. Not only is it in excellent condition, but there are several tracks on which Bellamy is playing concertina, which is something I've not heard before - other material I've encountered is either solo voice or accompanied by other instrumentalists.

The playing style, voicing of chords etc. indicate that he's playing anglo. However, curiously, the playing on a couple of the songs seems to suggest that the home key of his instrument is (approximately) B major - and yes, I did adjust the pitch on my turntable before checking! Would this most likely be a Bb/F instrument in old pitch?

Finally, are there any other Bellamy LPs that feature his concertina-playing prominently?

Cheers
Stuart

One of the people at Pinewoods this year (see my report) showed what was "Peter Bellamy's Anglo." It never occured to me to ask what key it was in...I assumed it was a C/G. I have some LPs (and CDs remastered from LPs) where the pitch is clearly off thanks to variable speeds on some studio tape recorder. Try playing along with Altan's "Snowy Path" (a slip jig I recently learned). I have trouble believing Altan was tuned nearly a semitone off A440! More likely a technical problem, as cuts of later vintage on the same anthology are dead on A440.

I figured most folks knew anglo playing was among Peter Bellamy's many achievements -- see for example the Free Reed collection, "This Label is Not Removable." Maybe we need the experienced experts to write about some of this...

Ken

My Bellamy recordings run mostly to tapes, but some fine stuff. Try his Kipling stuff, e.g.

In live performance I only heard him solo, and the only instrument I ever heard him play was the anglo.

Meeting him for the first time is a story in itself, which I may tell another time.

I have heard many stories about Peter Bellamy over the years, we have our own too. You could have a forum devoted to them.

The Bellamy concertina style, like his singing, was pretty distinctive. So far as I could see it depended on a) holding the drone button permanently down; b) holding most of the rest of the buttons down for most of the time. I heard of a Bellamy fan over Sheffield way who was so enamoured of the style that he had a clip fitted to his concertina to keep the drone button permanently depressed (opportunity for a Jim pun here).

Chris

Take a look at "Wake the Vaulted Echoes", the CD set from Free Reed Records of Petter Bellamy's works.

Details at

Wake the Vaulted Echos

I agree with Chis, the anglo style is distinctive but I remember this style amongst singers here in the UK in the 70s - perhaps copied from Peter's playing.

Howard Mitchell

I remember similarly, and that is my belief.

Talking of huge chords, who else remembers father Kenneth Loveless? I've got a tape of a gig I recorded back in the 70s and I was listening to it the the other day. It remains a great tribute to Crabb Concertinas that it could stand the punishment Rev Ken gave it! Prhaps the nearest modern equivalent, for volume of voice and instrument at any rate, would be David Cornell.

Chris

I remember playing at a morris ring meeting. I had adopted a stance with the right leg forward and the instrument held aloft and was giving it welly for all I was worth. When I finished a voice behind me boomed "well done my boy". I hadn't realised, much to the mirth of those around me, that I had unwittingly been imitating Ken Loveless's style (without the pipe) and the man himself had been stood behind me.

Howard Mitchell

I have been asked by Free Reed to consider putting a few lines together on this very subject for their projected release of an extended reissue of The Transports. I knew Peter well and was very fond of him. Let's say that playing the Anglo was not his strongest suit.

Thanks for the suggestion - I ordered it from Free Reed online on Sunday night and it arrived, impressively, this morning.

I'm only on track 4 of the first disc at the moment, but it's fabulous stuff.

one of the things that isn't generally known about peter bellamy is that he was absolutely fanatical about the rolling stones. in the early 80s, i picked him up in the bay area, and drove him down to santa cruz for the concert i was helping to produce. the very first thing he wanted to know when he got into the car was whether there was anywhere in santa cruz to look for rolling stones bootlegs. he was impressed that i not only knew where to look, but i knew a place that had several bootlegs that peter didn't already have.

the point of this story, though, is the sound check before the concert that night. after our sound guy thought he had things ready, peter stepped up on the stage and played the most beautiful, soulful rendition of 'tumbling dice' that you can imagine. we all had chills going up and down our spines ...

the sad part is that while we normally had tape rolling during the sound checks, for some reason we didn't have tape ready that night. so peter's 'tumbling dice' only exists in memory.

sarah

I was not aware of this discussion having joined the site more recently, but it has sparked off some lovely memories of Mr Bellamy and Father Ken.

I remember seeing Peter Bellamy at several occasions at Whitby Folk Week in North Yorkshire. He certainly was not your average folk performer. We are talking about twenty years ago (or more) but I seem to remember he approached everything at full speed all guns blazing holding nothing back. He was a performer rather than a musician in my opinion To this day I have never seen another folk performer look more like a rock star. Leopard skin print spandex trousers, open shirt and a hair style I can only describe as "Rod Stewart". I'd love to be back there now in the Metropole Bar or Friendship Club listening to him perform. [Where's the smilie for I've got a tear in my eye?]

As for Father Ken, I've got several memories but the strongest one, was at Kiveton Park folk club my first close hand view of an anglo concertina. I was sitting at the front and absolutely enthralled by this weird little box which produced such a huge sound. Father Ken was playing Williiam Kimber's concertina that night and in the interval let me have a little hold and play. I attribute this act directly to me always wanting a concertina and learning how to play.

Happy memories

Many years ago, Father Ken came to the Broadside Folk Club in Portsmouth (the English one) and played and sung as a guest.
Afterwrds, he stayed the night at a friend's house, regaled him with stories for about three hours before retiring to bed, during which time he (Father Ken) drank a bottle of his best Calvados! What a splendid chap!

Although Peter Bellamy's playing may not have been technically 'correct', I think it worked extremely well with his singing style. His singing style was also quite quirky but it works for me. One of my great regrets is that I never saw him perform live but I'm told by friends who did see him that he was a powerful presence on stage, particularly with his concertina.

I accompany myself with the english but I'm learning the anglo now, partly inspired by Peter's performances.

I have a picture of me standing next to Father Ken at the Morris Ring weekend standing on the steps of Guildford Cathederal,with other Morris musicians.If I knew how to post it it would be attached.I was in full beard at the time but shaved it off shortly after the picture was taken.A real character and showman.
Al

Which, Father Ken... or you?

Well Jim I will let you decide,if I can post this.With a little help from Dave Barnert.
Al
Well I think I have messed this one up.I think I will leave computer work to those that know what they are doing.If you do get the photos it is no 2 with Ken.
Sorry Dave I did try

Hi Al

If that's you in the centre in picture 2, I see you were quite a bit plumper back in those days. I also note your beard was already turning grey! On the other hand, Noel Edmunds on the left of the picture looks much younger

Pete

Al, you did it and I could open it. The beard was very nice, but do prefer the clean shaven Al. Quite an esemblege in that first file. Was that Rosbif?

That first picture Mark is "The Biggest Trio In the World" (there were five of us) and we were playing in front of about two thousand people at the Ris Orangis Festival near Paris.Luckily the lights were so strong I could not see them.Four of that group formed Rosbif shortly after this picture with the addition of Richard Smith Hurdy Gurdy Player.
Al

Excellent - Father Ken in trademark cape - why do priests and vampires dress from the same wardrobe?

Oh Peter, as an ex-music director in a parish church this is a subject I could get wound up on . I'll be lookin' over me shoulder all day long. Where did I put that clove a' garlic, 'cause the crucifix doesn't work very well .

Rats, I can't open it.

I'll just have to use my imagination.

Wow, Al, super pictures. And you hang out with pa players!

Thanks to Jim for emailing me the pictures. Scary what my imagination might have wrought!

Thanks Helen,the first picture was my idea to get members of this site to post action photos playing the concertina, but I could not post it.So if any of you have action photos,please start another topic.
As far as the PA player is concerned, we all make mistakes !! (only joking)

Peter the cape is all part of Father Kens presentation a simple dog collar would not be his style.
Al

Goodness no, a soutaine, worn with gaiters and a crucifix hanging from his waist (with which to beat time whilst adjudicating at an ICA Festival) would have been much more like it !

"why do priests and vampires dress from the same wardrobe?"
No one else could dress out of Kens' wardrobe as it contained every morris kit in the country but he never got them mixed up.

Being a new member I missed this thread first time around, and am not quite sure how come it's suddenly been revived after going way off topic. However, for what it's worth, here's what I think:

Bellamy was technically a relatively limited player. As far as I know he never played instrumentals, only song accompaniments. His approach to anglo was very much "along the rows", ignoring the top row and the reversed duplicates so that when he picked out a melody, it was in a very jerky, in-and-out style. He also didn't go in much for sustained chords behind the vocal line, so his accompaniments tend to sound pretty busy.

Having said that, while they could a little clunky on some songs, on others they were devastatingly effective. Whether through musical theory or (more likely) trial and error, Bellamy could conjure up the most haunting, often dissonant chords which added whole new layers to songs like his version of "The Housecarpenter" (originally on Both Sides Then) or "My Boy Jack" (on one of the Kipling albums). Chris Timson was right about his use of drones, but the clever bit was in holding part-chords down at the same time as the drone, resulting in interesting clashes. My memory is that it was Peter himself, not just his imitators, who had clips fitted to the instrument to hold down the drones, at least one of which was located on the left hand top row, not the usual thumb button.

I could go on at greater length but won't for now. Stirrings magazine (www.stirrings.co.uk) published a Bellamy special issue a few months ago, which is worth reading if you want to know more about an enormous but controversial and fragile talent.

Brian

I remembe them both well! Anyone who doesn't know what we are going on about should really try Bellamy in the Young Tradition 'Galleries'(Transatlantic, still available I think). I always thought his anglo style to be good for song accompaniment, I was always enthralled! As for the Rev Ken..... As a youngish dancer I was 'in charge' of him at a Ring Meeting, cape, pipe, bargees cap, pewter tankard and all! Oh and of course 'the very concertina' that WK had been given by the Ding-Dong society (EFDSS for those of you in the States etc.) He and Maurice Sutherland. A daunting prospect for all but the stout hearted. Misserable pair, as I recall.

Chris

And, whilst looking for something else entirely, I was reminded of this thread when I stumbled upon a photo of the Rev. Ken in full clerical garb and playing William Kimber's concertina:

This just makes me remember how much I enjoyed the times I saw Peter in East Lansing. Great Player and a wonderful player. Just wish I could have seen him more.

Alan

I just saw this thread for the first time because of Alan's post yesterday.

A minor correction, Stephen; I don't think that that is Kimber's concertina that Rev. Loveless is playing in your photograph. Two things are wrong: 1) It appears to have bone buttons; Kimber's had metal buttons, as many photos show. 2) Roger Digby and I had the rare treat of examining Kimber's concertina in 2005; his granddaughter showed it to us. It had a set of bellows that were much more worn, and had a dull, almost greenish-black cast. Loveless is holding one with a newish set of shiny black bellows. Unless Ken really put those bellows through the wringer, the wear was due to a half century of Kimber's own playing. I've attached a picture of my homely mug with that instrument.

I only bring this up because I know from a recent post of yours that you have a penchant for buying instruments once owned by famous players, like Alf Edwards!

Best,
Dan

ps. So what happened then to the concertina Rev Ken is playing? That would be a collectible in itself...

Click to view attachment

Hi Dan,

No idea what happened to this instrument, but I recall from a talk which Father Kenneth gave (about William Kimber) that after meeting Kimber, and agreeing to be his pupil, he was instructed to go to Wheatstone and order a 40 key C/G instrument. I know that Father Kenneth had an Anglo of his own, so I would speculate this it might have been the one in this photograph (which I've tried enlarging).

I can't say for certain, but this instrument could have metal buttons. It's at least 36 + drone, and appears to be the Wheatstone layout. Only a better view of the right hand would shown whether it has the additional three buttons needed to take it up to 40. The bottom fixing of the hand straps looks like that used by Wheatstone on post-war Anglos, however, Father Kenneth bought his in the mid/late 1930's. The gold-tooled bellows are puzzling me. They look too thick to be Wheatstone originals. Could they be Crabb replacements?

I'm certain that one or two Forum members will either be able to confirm my speculation, or replace it with facts.

Regards,
Peter.

OK, fair cop guv'!

I guess I should have put my glasses on and looked more closely, rather than believing the photo caption on the Morris Ring website, which says Father Kenneth Loveless, M.B.E., a past Squire of the Morris Ring, playing William Kimber's concertina. Father Ken died in 1995, RIP. Only you'd think they'd know!

But I can understand the confusion since at a glance it does look rather similar, with its plain seven-fold bellows and gold tooling on the frames, and presumably he deliberately had it made that way, to look like (puts on loud and pompous voice) "dear William's".

Anyway, my whole point wasn't about the concertina but about the way Father Ken dressed; I don't recall ever seeing him "in civvies", even (or especially!) when he was adjudicating at an ICA Festival. He was always "the Rural Dean" or "the Morris Squire" in my memories of him, and you got the feeling that he was rather fond of "dressing up", the pipe was almost a "prop" too - though I believe he had quite a collection of them... Definitely a "larger than life" character!

I'd forgotten about his 40-key Wheatstone, but that probably is the instrument in the photo; I don't think I ever saw it myself but Paul Davies (who visited him one time) told me that it was very good. Features like those "duet clip" bottom adjusters on the handstraps started to become normal on Wheatstone Anglos from the mid-'30s onwards (so in the period when his was made), along with plywood action boards and hook actions (just like Alf Edwards' Æola!), but the quality of the instruments only went into serious decline after WW2.

I only saw it because Stephen posted roughly an our before I did.

And I meant great player and wonderful person.

Alan

Dan,

As a matter of fact, far from having a penchant for them, the Alf Edwards instrument (which is now my "favourite squeeze") is the only one I've ever bought knowing for a fact that it was once owned by a famous player. However, coincidentally I have just been offered another very famous English concertina, but "mum's the word" for now...

Just seen the date on this post as 2003 Dam I knew that Vaulted was out of stock. I'm really trying to get hold of this Bellamy epic !!
I know It's in the States. but Neil says it's to be re-printed soon.

Sad to say I never saw him live and can only listen to his rechordings in wonderment. (He's better when not trying to sing like an old man).

Chas

Yes did do some variable chords

Great news. I'll certainly be getting it.

It was the CD reissues of some of Peter's stuff that made me want to pick up the anglo after a gap of *cough* years.

Hi Stephen,

Even with just Alf's you are in a different league than most of us!

The only concertina I have that even comes close to celebrity status (and not very close) is an Aeola that once belonged to Whistling Bill Anderson's father. Anderson was a country music star of sorts back in the 50s and 60s. I bought that instrument because it is a good player, and had never heard of Whistling Bill or his father before I bought it. Once I knew its story, I spotted a $2.00 used book...an autobiography of old Bill...in a used book store. I snapped it up to see what Bill and his father were like. Apparently, old Whistling Bill was not on good terms with dear old Dad, and called him 'completely unmusical'. So I have a Wheatstone that once belonged to the completely unmusical father of a B list country crooner!

Actually, shouldn't that be Whispering Bill Anderson?

Alan

Wow...somebody knows him. I have a famous concertina!

You're right Alan, my mistake. He whispered, not whistled.

Cheers,
Dan

This "aged" topic just now caught my eye because of my fondness for Peter Bellamy and his unique style. Back in the mid 1970s...right around the time I SAW and HEARD my first concertina player...I was hosting a "folk" music program in southern New Hampshire when I got a phone call from this guy with an English accent....he said his name was Peter Bellamy and he was bouncing around the USA doing some gigs...heard about my program and wanted to know if he could come on the air and play? I'd never heard of him...but thought why not.

I wish the story had a great ending...but Peter wasn't sure exactly WHEN he'd be in the area...we weren't able to co-ordinate a date...and he fell from my memory. Then in the early 80s when I started PLAYING concertina...I stumbled upon his music and felt VERY cheated that fate hadn't delivered him to my studio that distant year.

What an artist.