This year's festival will be happening on 27 and 28 September in Portsmouth New Hampshire. While we've always had concertina players in the ranks of performers, this will be a banner year for our favorite instrument in that fourteen of the scheduled singers are also concertina players, amounting to what John Roberts once called "...an embarassment of concertinas."

In addition to the usual run of Wheatstone, Lachenal and Jeffries ECs and Anglos, there will be some more uncommon boxes to include a Dipper baritone, a Dipper McCann duet, and a Crane duet, maybe a Morse or two as well.

Late September is the nicest time of year in New Hampshire; foliage is starting, room rates are down, lobster is less dear. Portsmouth is only an hour north of Boston, and the festival is free!

Check out the website at: http://www.newenglandfolknetwork.org/pmff/

Questions & queries to: pmff@comcast.net

Hope to see some of you fine folks there - Tom

Looks very interesting Tom.

I agree. I wish some of you fine shanty folks would come visit our Elissa (Galveston) so I could hear you sing!

Fine ship that! I was living in Houston when she came back to life. It makes my heart tighten a bit to think back on it.

Delighted to be there, Crane akimbo.


Anyone wanting a look at how the Crane works, come up to me and say "You are Crane Driver and I claim my prize"


Should get yourself a reputation quite quickly


Andrew McKay
Crane Drivin' Music

I hope to be there! I went to the first festival, I think, and it was great. Didn't make it to any since then, but things should work out this year. Looks like a great lot of performers.

I may drive up for just one of the days, now, of the Portsmouth Maritime Folk Festival. Had to cancel my reservation to stay one night in Rye, N.H. (a short drive away -- couldn't seem to land a good reservation right in Portsmouth) so as to be there both days. Husband's in the hospital and I don't know what September will bring... must be around to feed the pitbull, etc., etc.!

I'll check the website for info... waiting to see the schedule for 2008 (last check, it was still for '07). Though, if I just get there, I know it will be easy to find something good at any time.

The schedule for this year's Matime Folk Festival is now available at the website,

http://www.newenglandfolknetwork.org/pmff/

The concertina players now number fifteen, and we will be having a "Concertina Event" on saturday.

Hope that some of you can make it - Tom

Well, we're setting off for the States in a day or so, really looking forward to this festival.

An 'embarassment of concertinas' indeed.

Hopefully there'll be some more players amongst the attendees as well as the performers.

This is us

Andrew

In the event of rain, a most likely event, the "Concertina Jam" and other events scheduled for the Warner House garden, will be moved to the Discovery Center (the old public library) at the corner of Islington and Maplewood - parking across the street. We only had six concertinas at last night's session, but lots more are due today - Tom

Ahoy! 'T'was a fun time this afternoon in Portsmouth.

(edit added)
...didn't join any concertina playing today, just had fun listening and eating too much. My husband enjoyed our few hours there, too. Drove home before dark so I could figure out where I was going. At least I know to keep the ocean on the right when going TO, and on the left of me when going FROM.... that helps...

It sounds as though a wonderful time was had by all!

Someday I'll get back there! This year I was a bit... busy. But next year....