Just a note to let Forum readers know that my collection of transcriptions of William Kimber's tunes is now available from the EFDSS website: http://folkshop.efdss.org/publications/mor...ance/index.htm#. The book contains notation for 28 tunes showing both melody and chords as played by Kimber, including suggested fingering for left and right hands. There is some discussion of the elements of Kimber's style as well as some historical notes on the anglo concertina.

The book includes a Foreword from Roger Digby, who suggested the publication and was extremely helpful at all stages of the project. Additional thanks go to Randy Merris, Robin Harrison, and Bob Gaskins, who all helped in various ways. All proceeds benefit the EFDSS. I understand that the Button Box will soon have copies on hand in the US.

I've attached an example of a first page from one of the tunes; the numbers refer to suggested buttons and fingering on each hand.

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Absolute bril!
I am a late entry into concertina playing and play Irish only right now, but I would like to extend into other styles. I collected my new Claire (spelling?) model Dipper from Colin just a few weeks ago and he played a chord style that just made the instrument honk and shout. The two styles are a world apart: I will certainly purchase a copy. Is there a disc with it?( maybe you've already said if so), it always REALLY helps.
Looking forward to getting my copy, Alan Caffrey.

The disc, which has been around for a couple of years, is called "Absolutely Classic", and is also available from the EFDSS web site.A very good buy for all sorts of reasons.

Chris

It's a great thing for us anglo players to see this music book in print and available to everybody.Using it, you can now easily play Morris tunes EXACTLY how William Kimber played them and it thus provides the basis of one style of Morris accompaniment.
I've listened to Kimber's recordings regularly since the mid 1970's and play for the Toronto Morris Men in (I think ) his style. Using these transciptions ( I helped proof read the fingerings) , I would get a moment of bliss ( yes!!) during certain passages............the shock of sounding not to close to Kimber, but identical ! It brings his playing alive in the way I felt about it 30 years ago.
This , for me, is the most valuable aspect of Dan's work.The Kimber style is very appropriate way to accompany some Morris traditions and this book make it accessible.
Another aspect is that it is just great fun to play along with Kimber using the CD Chris T. mentions in the previous post.
Anyone interested in the anglo should put in a Christmas order right now. Get Dan' s book, a copy of William Kimber on the "Absolutely Classic " from the EFDSS and let January, February and March take care of themselves.
Robin

Nifty. I really should take a look at this.

I've ordered my copy. This is the style I would like to be playing. For morris and sessions, would it be fair to say that the G/D is best suited to this style, particularly taking into account what instruments others may be playing? Dan, what keys are most of the tunes in?

Did Kimber play a G/D?

I meant to ask that myself!

Kimber's Jeffries was a G/D (7 fold bellows). I don't think there is any evidence for the two-row he owned before it broke so famously!
Best wishes
Roger

DO tell ... I've not heard the story!
Samantha

I think Roger meant to say it was a C/G Jeffries. All his recordings are in C and G, as was the instrument. It is true that we don't know what brand the two row was, but we do know that it existed and even have a photo of it, published in Sharp's Morris book (see below). The photo seems to have been taken sometime around or before 1909, although the Morris Book came out a few years later. The story is indeed interesting and worth retelling.

Firstly, it now seems clear that Kimber learned on a two row german or anglo german concertina, as did his father. Of all the tunes I transcribed, he seems to use the top row only for one single note of one ballroom waltz, where he needed a Bb....the rest is all played on the C or G rows. This puzzled me ten years ago, because at that time I knew only of the three row CG Jeffries Kimber owned, via Rev Ken Loveless' writings. Why would such a master musician not use some of the other notes available? I did not know then that the early nineteenth century imported concertinas were mostly two rows, and that these were the instruments most widely played until the English makers got busy perfecting better English-made versions. But I concluded he must have learned on a two row from the music itself, and the attached photo, which I noticed only a year or so ago in Sharp's Morris Book, shows clearly that this was indeed the case. The photo I had, from a fifth generation reprint, was too murky to tell much about the instrument, but this photo from a first edition (at the EFDSS' library) shows it clearly.

Kimber was busy playing the concertina (probably the one in the attached photo) for one of Sharp's lectures in Steinway Hall in 1909 when it broke. The audience, realizing his predicament, took up a subscription and bought him the CG Jeffries three row that you usually see him pictured with (see the photo on the first posting on this thread). You can read a fuller version of this story in Ken Schofield's biography of Kimber, in the EFDSS CD mentioned above in this thread. All the recordings made of Kimber are of him playing this three row Jeffries, but of course by then he had long since put together his Morris repertoire on a two row, and he never seems to have much used the additional row.

This summer, during Chris Timson's thread "English Style of Anglo Playing" (http://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=2625), several early anglo tutors came to light via Randy Merris and Stephen Chambers that show that Kimber's style of playing the two row concertina with left hand chords and right hand melody was well established from the very beginning of the instrument in 1840's Germany and London. Thus it seems that it should perhaps even be expected that Kimber learned in a two row style, and that he and/or his father heard others play in a similar "English" style.

Well, Samantha, that is probably more than you wanted to hear about this....



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Well I'll be doggoned. That *is* a two-row in the picture!

You'd think I'd remember that. We had those books in the house from the time I was 9 or so, and I actually read them. More than once.

Well, I know what I'll be asking Santa for this year, Dan!

Thank you, Dan, not too much information at all!
Samantha

Is there any audio examples?

Thanks, Dan, for correcting my mistake. Thanks also for telling the story for Samantha.

What Dan didn’t add is that the concertina is now back in Headington with Julie Kimber-Nickelson (William’s grand-daughter). Dan and I, together with Dan’s wife Mary, visited Headington Quarry on Whit-Monday this year and we were invited to join the dancers for their social evening after the dancing. Julie brought the concertina over to us. I had played it before when it was in the possession of Ken Loveless, but I had not remembered how very robust it was nor that it had 7-fold bellows and masses and masses of air. Talking to John Watcham a few weeks ago, John said that he had a 7-fold Jeffries. I didn’t ask how many buttons! A 7-fold Jeffries bellows is not usual and possibly unique on a 30 key. Also unusual is the lack of decorative papers and the slightly lighter green.
Now, let’s speculate!! Kimber’s (father’s) concertina broke. How? A broken strap, a broken spring, even a broken reed could be replaced. The most likely break which is serious enough to write-off an instrument is for the bellows to burst. The concertina was already in its second generation of Morris work; it’ s easy to imagine well-worn bellows with home-made patching finally giving up!
Now what DIDN’T happen next was that Kimber popped into to Jeffries next morning on his way down to Paddington Station and the train back to Oxford and bought a concertina off the peg! The concertina was formally presented to him a few weeks later. It is easy to imagine the representative of the Steinway audience visiting Jeffries and explaining the situation. Certainly, if I’m right that it was the bellows that had broken there would be a real incentive to make specially robust and 7-fold bellows for this vigorous player. Perhaps the change to the usual visual element was to draw attention to this. All speculation of course......
Our visit to Headington brought me another piece of information. It’s a commonplace that collectors record what they want to hear. Traditional singers were seldom asked for their comic songs; nearer home, Scan Tester’s huge repertory of popular songs, his standards when busking and entertaining on charabanc trips, was not recorded though his step-dances were recorded over and over. At Headington I met an old dancer and asked him whether Kimber had a repertory of popular songs. Yes he had. He also accompanied another dancer who had some traditional songs. Of course when the microphones came out, the ‘Father of the Morris’ played what was expected of him.
Best wishes
Roger

I believe that what Dan has produced is transcriptions from existing and readily available "audio examples", specifically the recordings (and history) of Kimber on the "Absolutely Classic" CD produced by EFDSS. CDSS in the US also carries the CD.

Hi all,

For those of you who want to learn more about William Kimber I can recommend two CD's from Folktrax.

http://www.folktrax.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/m...ssprogs/382.htm
http://www.folktrax.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/m...ssprogs/383.htm

Regards,

Lennart

Thank you for the Folktrax link, Lennart. The Kimber cd and several others are now on my Christmas list.

Greg

What Roger was much too modest to add is that he brought the Headington house down that evening with a smashing rendition of "Double Set Back" played on Kimber's concertina. Attached below is a picture of him with that instrument, just before he stood up to play it to the throng. I've also attached a picture of the Headington Quarry side performing in front of The Chequers pub. The fellow just to the left of center is Kimber's grandson. And just for fun, two shots of the Bampton side that same day; the fiddle player is Reg Hall, who wrote Scan Tester's biography.

Back to the G/D topic, I gather that many Morris angloers play G/D instruments now. No problem. 80% of Kimbers tunes are in C and the rest in G. Played on a G/D with Kimber's fingering, the C tunes naturally transpose to G. Moreover, you can use the pitch alteration device on the Roni 'Amazing Slow Downer' to change Kimber's recordings into G and D. Everything, it seems, is possible these days.

Finally, thanks Lennart for mentioning the Folktrax recordings. One of them is all talking, and the other has almost all of his recorded tunes, including homemade field recordings of many country dance tunes not included on the EFDSS CD. I've transcribed most of them, and there are some not-often heard gems among them. Still, the EFDSS CD ("Absolutely Classic") is a better buy if you only will own one, because it has DVD old videos of Kimber and the Quarry dancers, and a wonderful biography by Derek Schofield.Click to view attachmentClick to view attachmentClick to view attachment[attac
ment=1303:attachment]

Dan,
I tried to order one copy but they don´t deliver to Germany. I wrote a mail but they did not answer. Mmh....

Try the Button Box. They are pretty accommodating and efficient.

Klaus,
I sent an email of my own to EFDSS to find out what the problem is. Their sales site is new and I think they are still ironing out the wrinkles. One of these problems is that they give a price for UK shipping, but then ask the non-UK purchaser to send an email inquiry for shipping to "Europe and the rest of the world"! Very traditional outlook (or inlook). This is of course incongruous with the concepts that the net is an international marketplace, and that there are several times more Morris folk now living outside the UK than inside it. But they are a fine old Society, so lets cut them some slack and see if they can work it out. I'll email you if I hear from them first.

It was the same for me, a mail and no reply.

/Lennart

Lennart,
Sorry for the hassle! It is the weekend, so I haven't yet heard back from EFDSS, but I have sent both complaints to the CEO and expect to hear back early next week. Will post results.

Meanwhile, there is another emerging source in Europe. I've heard from Gill Noppen-Spacie of the Music Room in Cleckheaton (UK) that they are planning to carry the book, and that their e-sales desk is fully international in capability. Absent any success with EFDSS, you might try them...although their shipment has not yet arrived. Try checking with them (attn Gill) at http://www.themusicroom-online.co.uk/

Cheers,
Dan

Klaus, Lennart,

I heard back from the EFDSS shop this morning. They are working on the problem, checking into adding a price structure for Europe shipping. I don't know how long it will take them. You might prefer to buy it from The Music Room in Cleckheaton UK or The Button Box in the US, both of whom should soon have some copies, and both of whom have functioning international online shops.

http://www.themusicroom-online.co.uk

http://www.buttonbox.com/

Good luck,
Dan

Do you think CDSS will carry it? They carry the "Absolutely Classic" CD.

They might if you ask them to.
But The Button Box and CDSS are fairly close to each other, both geographically and socially. Why not just order the book from the BB?

So I did yesterday, thank you Dan.

Mostly just to cover all bases, in case not all morris musicians are BB patrons.

There's a nice review of the book by Andy Turner on the Musical Traditions web site: Musical Traditions review

~ Becky

Inspired by Reverend Ken and recordings of Kimber, I switched over from English to Anglo for morris about 15 years ago. Playing a 20 key Lachenal C/G.

Since then I have bought a G/D and played a number of different 20/30/40 key instruments in between.

From my experience, to get the brightness and speed required for the Kimber style it needs to be a C/G.

A G/D has longer reeds on the G row - they are slower to react.

Also there is a real benefit in playing a 20 key - it is physically lighter, and thus more easy to manipulate to get that animated style (unless you relly have super biceps)

The G/D is more useful for sessions, but for morris I would choose a C/G.

The fact that other morris musicians may only have G/D melodeons should not deter one from playing solo for morris in C when the tune demands it. When I'm dancing I much prefer the sound of a solo concertina or pipe and tabor, or fiddle for morris, than a band.

Dan,
The photo was taken in 1906. The first edition of the Morris Book was published 1907 (a slim single volume) and dates this photo in the caption. The second edition of the Morris Book, in five volumes (which most of us are familiar with from reprints) was published in 1912, but doesn't date the photo.

I have both editions if anybody wants a further scan.

Wes, Many thanks for the information; I've often wondered when that photo was taken. And thanks, Strolls, for the thoughts on twenty button playing for Morris...interesting to see others who play without the third row. I had always thought that most Morris players would naturally go for more buttons, not less, which is why it surprised me to learn that Kimber played only the lower twenty.

I'm beginning to get a few errors pointed out to me by readers, which is no suprise at all! I'll list them below, in the interest of full disclosure...and will periodically update them by editing.

ERRATA
1. Page 1 and others: caption should read British Library, not British Archive.
2. Page 10: Abingdon is in Berkshire, not Gloucestershire, and is actually quite near Headington (about 10 miles or so). Regardless, melodeon playing amongst Morris sides in William Kimber Junior's youth seems to have been quite rare.
3. Page 74: Over the Hills to Glory is a schottische, and as such should have been written in 4/4 time, not 6/8 (see for example the Moonlight Schottische on page 66, which was properly written in 4/4). In practice, the difference in timing is very slight...play it as on Kimber's recording and you won't go wrong.
4. Page 66 and elsewhere in transcriptions: a close inspection will show that the triplets are shown as triple quarter notes rather than the more correct triple eighth notes. The software I use was very cumbersome on making triplets, and I shamelessly left this error in, only to be found by two eagle eyed readers so far.
5. Hunting the Squirrel, p. 56. The first note on the right hand in measures 2,3,6,7 should read P1, not P4.

I was early for a gig on Saturday at Cecil Sharp House and reading all the literature on display in the entrance hall there at the reception desk was a copy of "The Anglo Concertina Music of William Kimber" marked for display "Not to be Taken away" which was a shame as I was very impressed with it.
The first part features the man himself,the second the dances and then the written music with the chords above.It is very professionaly put together,with obvious loving care by Dan Worrall and I compliment him on a job well done and one which he can be proud of.
Al

Well the weather outside is awful but I don't care because I have the book inside in the warm and i am spending the time learning 'Hunting the Squirrel'. I have had the Absolutely Classic CD for some time but I have never been clever enough to work out how to play in the Kimber style. Now I can just follow the book. There are some errors, especially with the finger numbers (eg with the low G in or out), so its best to follow the notes.

The introduction is very interesting and the discussion about modern anglo style being passed on from melodeon players rather than the older Kimber style.

Geoffrey Wells

Alan and Geoffrey,

Many thanks for the kind words. I'm especially happy to hear that someone is actually working through the tunes to play around with Kimber's phrasing...it is really a unique style, and surprising in many ways. Geoffrey, on the errors you found in Hunting the Squirrel, you are quite right....the fingering of the first G in measures 2,3,6,and 7 should read P1, not P4. I've been keeping a running tally of the inevitable errata on the note in this string dated Nov 28, and have edited it today for this newly found error number 5. Noting and proscribing fingering for anglo is very tedious and finicky work (I don't think I shall ever try this again!), and amongst those +/- 8000 fingerings are some hiding clinkers. If you or any other readers find any more, please email them to me and I'll keep the errata sheet updated.
By the way, Geoffrey is right to point out that, if a problem is found, the notes are a better reference than the fingerings. There was a way in my software to play back the notes on a speaker, so they were much easier to correct.

Gentlemen (including the better part of the humanity)!
I just got William Kimber CD from the Button Box.
Unfortunately it is not to my liking.
I'd like to either swap or sell it to anybody who would like to help me with this
transaction.
$20 and shipping is on me.
Thanks.

This is to encourage all Concertina players that would like to improve their ability to play by 110%! The tutor is called The Anglo Concertina Music of William Kimber by Dan M. Worrall. For myself it is a godsend because I've been playing the 2 row Concertina for 17 years and this is the first book I have discovered Irish and English music for the concertina with the chords actualy written in with the melody line. There are 28 tunes in the book all transcribed dilligently by the author Dan M. Worrall. If you never bought a music book for your Concertina then this is one that you should purchase!! Hats off to
Dan Worrall for a job well done!! I can now enjoy my own playing all because of two men that took the time to assist other Concertina players, these are William Kimber and Dan Worrall. Thank you and the book can be purchased at teh Button Box in Sunderland, Mass.

Edward M. Wagner

kimber surely played straight up and dowh the rows in their home keys if he had a g d or an bflat f
he would have played in those keyswhich is more the point stylewise .so why not a gd or bflat f .dick miles

Dick -
He didn't just play up and down the rows (see previous threads including this one: http://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=3365). And although the fingering and playing style would have been more or less the same whatever the key of the instrument, the sound of Kimber's music depends very much on the fact that he used a relatively high-pitched instrument, in C/G.
All the best,
Brian

Dick,

Just to add a bit to Brian's comments above, with which I agree, Roger Digby and I had the rare opportunity (and honor) last May to play Kimber's concertina, so I know first-hand it was a CG. But beyond that (and to follow up on the thread Brian quotes), there are certain chord choices that show you for sure that old William didn't play just along the rows. The pulled C chord is one of them, but there are enough other examples so that you can see, with some study, that he plays his right hand melodies moving through both the C and G rows in a fairly set way (see discussion of his scales in that thread). If you try out some of the tunes I transcribed, you'll see there is not much option otherwise in many if not indeed most passages.

I'm sure you'll agree this is one of the real joys of anglo playing. Unlike most instruments, there are lots of choices how and where you play either individual notes, chords, or passages on this thing, especially in terms of fingering and bellows direction, let alone style and cultural differences. I find it fascinating to see how various people will approach the same box in such amazingly different ways.

Cheers,
Dan

ps. Thanks, Edward for the kind comments, above. It is great to hear that someone enjoys learning the Kimber arrangements!

I've an old LP ' The Art of William Kimber' with exactly the same photo on the sleeve as on Don's book.
It's a Topic record, published in 1974 with sleeve notes by the Rev. K. Loveless. According to the sleeve the recordings are taken from the original 78's and a booklet with the record gives details of where the tunes were originally recorded. The earliest set is from July 1935, the latest from June 1948.
Quote from the booklet on the instrument used by William Kimber on this record ......''The concertina is a 30 key chromatic Anglo-German concertina made by C.Jeffries of Praed Street, Paddington. The instrument has silver plates affixed at each end, one reading 'WILLIAM KIMBER. From the Audience, Steinway Hall, March 4, 1909' and the other 'Bequeathed to KENNETH LOVELESS by WILLIAM KIMBER, ob. Headington Quarry, Boxing Day, 1961, aged 89'

Interesting..............I must say I've never thought that.I believed it was to do with the instrument itself.........a Jeffries...........rather how it was keyed.
I'm now wondering if in fact it had anything to do with it's temperement as well..............I'm wondering, Dan, if you and Roger had any comments re.the temperement of his instrument after having played it.
Regards Robin

Robin,

I think Brian was saying that Kimber's C/G playing sounds high pitched relative to that of those modern morris anglo players who play G/Ds; a tune played in G would be an octave lower on the G/D than Kimber would have played it.

I am still kicking myself that I don't know anything about the temperament of Kimber's instrument, although I had it in my hands (however briefly). It is an interesting question. Kimber plays so many thirds, it seems it must have been in some sort of non-equal temperament, because thirds sound so grating in ET. Yours truly blew a chance to check it out...I wasn't thinking about that when a held it. Roger played it much more...let's see if he remembers that.

Dan

Hi Dan,

I was doing a booking in Regent's Park, last Saturday, so paid my first visit to CSH since 1991! I bought a copy of your excellent book on William Kimber, and am working my way through one or two tunes.

From what I recall of the brief period that I had Kimber's concertina in my hands, it sounded particularly "sweet" in the key of C. As William played much of his music in this key, it is not un-reasonable to speculate that it might have been fine-tuned to sound best in this key.

Three thoughts spring to mind:

(1) It would be interesting to compare recordings of William Kimber and Father Kenneth Loveless playing the same tunes on the same instrument. Although Kenneth learnt from William, over a lengthy period, their playing was significantly different (in my opinion). This would help establish whether it was the instrument, or the musician, who produced that "unique" sound.

(2) Bearing in mind point (2), does anyone know when Kimber's instrument was last tuned, and by whom?

(3) Kimber's instrument could be played, nowadays, in C and other keys, to establish how it is currently tuned, and whether it sounds "off" in keys other than C/G and related minors.

Regards,
Peter.

Is any information to be gained (re the temperament of Kimber's concertina) from digital analysis of extant recordings?

I've just spoken to Colin Dipper, and thought to ask him about Kimber's concertina. Notes as follows:

(1) Colin re-tuned this instrument about five years ago. It is currently in equal temperament, and was when he received it for tuning.

(2) Colin advised that during the period that Father Kenneth Loveless had the concertina, it was tuned by Crabb.

(3) When Kimber's playing was recorded, the instrument may, or may not, have been in equal temperament. As indicated, above, by David, digital analysis of the recordings would be the only way to determine the tuning.

Regards,
Peter.

Peter,

Good sleuthing, and thanks for the information. I hadn't thought of asking Colin.

I'm not the one to do the digital analysis...way beyond me...but my first thought is that that task would be really difficult, as the notes are not long enough to get a good reading for such a fine measurement. Maybe someone else would know better.
Also, we should remember that that concertina was a gift to Kimber in 1909 or so....its temperament might not have been his choice, or even something he knew much about. His 'real' instrument was the two row he learned on, in my opinion (regardless of the fact that the 1909 instrument is that he used in the recording). That older instrument had a higher likelihood of being in unequal temperament, and that one (or an older one still) is that one that generated his style. But we will never know for sure much about that one.

BTW, if you are learning some tunes, please remember to check the errata found earlier in this thread...and let me know if you find more bugs!

Best,
Dan