Some Observations on Witney

Slightly apprehensive ... leave work and drive down to Witney (or rather join the traffic jam going in that direction!). Eventually arrive - a little put off by the new road layout - it's all changed since last year ... then I spot the church - at last - a landmark - there's the Henry Box School - and at last I know where I am! Track down the Greystone Court Hotel and sign in (apparently all but ane guest is there for the Concertina weekend). Shower etc., and set out to find the Friday night session at the Ceewood Hall - the map says it is just around the corner. As I leave I'm joined by two other guests from the hotel also looking for the session - we have all left our instruments back in the Hotel. Mind you, after a week at work, I'm more than happy to be a member of the "l can always go back and get it" brigade!

Arrive at the Ceewood Hall to find 50 or 60 people already well ensconced - with our Director David Townsend setting out the rules for the session (essentially to respect the person who starts the playing - listen and join in if you can/want - but don't "take over" - samething that I wish would happen in all sessions). Visit the bar and study the gathering - recognise a few faces from last year - identify a few others as people I "must meet". Reflect that, considering the diversity of the people present, and bearing in mind the quality of the musicianship - the atmosphere is remarkably relaxed...

David starts to play a medley of Morris tunes ... as I struggle to identify them I become aware that like a melodic dawn chorus - first one and then another 'voice' joins in - the trickle of melody gradually becomes an unashamed roar of concertinas playing "as one" (almost) - it is enervating - and yet at the same time slightly terrifying - thank God I left my instrument quietly sleeping in the Hotel - (not that anyone would have noticed my fumbles in that rich tapestry of sound) - a feeling that is further confirmed when David announces that we are going to turn this into a real session - and "go around the room" - he looks in my direction - and I go to the bar!

And it wasn't all concertinas - unless they have started to make them in recorder/Northumbrian pipe/cello bagpipe and melodeon shapes - and one even looked Iike a guitar - what ever they were they all added to the richness of the music.

... And the "real" concertinas - what joy - just about every shape and size and system - a wonderful testimony of this simple but beautiful instrument. The music they played was as varied as the instruments and their owners - from slow Irish airs from Robert Harbron, from the gentle playing of Brian Hayden to the vigorous precision of David Townsend. Jenny Cox presented us with a mini beauty of a "ladies parlour piece", Harry Scurfield played the blues - and a Gentleman whose name I missed) performed with magnificent energy on a duet a piece, that escaped - unaltered by time - from the Music Hall; for me, one of the highlights of the evening.

By the end of the evening there were some 70 to 80 people crammed into the hall - probably representing more than 1000 years of concertina playing between them - not to mention the priceless value of all the musical instruments.

All this is before the weekend started in earnest. Mind you I can't help but wonder where all this musical talent performs when it isn't at Witney. Even if you take out the Folkies and the Morris musicians there must be a good collection of players left over. I can't believe they practice all year just to come to Witney to perform - mind you that isn't such a bad idea ... my first resolution of Witney must be to learn a "party piece", that I might play at next year's gathering.

SATURDAY

To try to comment on the whole of the Witney weekend would be silly - as any one individual can only experience one sixth of all that is on offer.

After the Friday night session, the registration/signing in was almost an anticlimax ... the faces were all the same only now they held apprehensive happy, eager, hungover smiles! Somehow I'd managed to arrive all too early and was quickly volunteered to help clear/set up some of the rooms - an interesting task which also allowed me to get to know other "volunteers".

9:50 am (ish) and we are all called to order by David Townsend - the hall falling to an almost instant hush at his call for silence, with not a tweet or twiddle to be heard! A fact that drew comments of amazement from David! After the normal parish notices - where the fire exits were, no smoking, no drinking alcohol in the school etc. - we all dispersed to our various sessions.

My choice for Saturday was the Fundamental Harmony with David T. and Harry Scurfield, and while I will admit to having read the books on harmony with a great deal of confusion, it was a joy to have the subject laid out in simple terms that even this dumb bunny could understand. David and Harry are to be congratulated for making simple and understandable what most books turn into a tedious nightmare. I hope I now have the knowledge to start adding some - intentional - chords to single line melody playing. The session also confirmed my feeling that the English system was "for me" - some of those chords ployed on the Anglo looked difficult!

The afternoon ended with a selection of "fun" sessions. My preference was for the song session led by David Townsend. The four of us who attended felt it was valuable, and there were some notable song contributions from David, Brian Bull and Paul Morris (who came all the way from Toronto to attend Witney). If there is a sing-a-round again next year I hope I can sing better when I haven't got a cold and sore throat!

I can't report on all the other sessions, beyond saying that I didn't hear anything bad about any session - on the other hand I heard more than one person saying that "such and such session was brilliant" ...so well done all the tutors.

Before I go and get myself ready for the concert in the evening - a quick sortie in to one of the most popular rooms - the Concertina Hospital organised and run by those 'Tina doctors Rosie and Colin Dipper who earned the undying thanks of the ranks when, with the simplest of tools and years of hard earned knowledge they unclacked keys, de-wheezed bellows, and brought back to life notes that had sadly fallen silent ... I saw more than one person walking away from the Dippers work station - concertinas in hand - playing the odd note saying things like "Hey - hey - there's the little blighter again!" Let us take our button boxes in hand and have two minutes cacophony in honour of the Great Dippers - truly stars of Witney (Sorry about the pun!)

THE CONCERT

Well, to start with it's not so much a concert as a tour-de-force - impossible to stage anywhere but in the context of the Witney weekend - and it's the bonus of the weekend rather than the meat!

Now when it comes to music, I likes a good tune with a bit of a foot tapping potential, I also like music to sparkle with life and personality - and that's exactly what we got ...

On the turn of 8 pm the lights dimmed and David T. introduced the course tutors in alphabetical order to "strutt their stuff". We started with Pam Bishop (who seems to have provided most of the music in the Info Pack.) Pam appeared to be nervous to start with - but quickly settled down to give an impressive display of McCannery. I must admit I still sit in awe of these vast, instruments ... I have enough trouble with the English system!

Following Pam came "our very own" Jenny Cox - for once not wearing one of her wonderful hats! Her set started with a duet (David Townsend playing the second part) of a piece by Handal - and very nice it was too. Jenny then amazed us with a couple of pieces using an early "pin-hole" concertina, which is the first 'Tina I've seen that didn't have fretted ends. It was sweet music, and great fun.

After the C's came the 'H's in the form of Robert Harbron and Michael Hebbert. Robert is one of the 'new wave' folk musicians, and is really rather good on the English system. It was a joy to hear him sing the Unicorn - written by the old Folk Master Bill Caddick - followed by a number of very tasteful pieces. One of Robert's strengths is that he performs with great style and sensitivity, and is not tempted into the million note a minute club. A young man with talent and integrity who I'm sure will go far. Michael Hebbert (never before been seen at Witney) gave a great display of showmanship while extracting great fistfuls of notes from the working ends of a duet. The music was a fine mixture of the brilliant and the nostalgic - and when the audience started "singing along" Michael just grinned and changed to playing an accompaniment for the, singing! Great stuff - and rewarded with the only encore of the evening - well deserved.

After a cup of coffee and a 'cool-off' in the - by now, slightly damp - evening air, we returned for the S's and the T!

Harry Scurfield admitted just before going on that he was 'nervous' - but once on stage his confidence grew and he gave us a grand mixture of ragtime, french music and the blues. To me, one of the highlights of the evening was Harry's rendition of the Fats Waller number: 'Your Feet's too Big!' A comment from behind me was that "Witney wasn't Witney until the thin man sang the blues"!

In complete contrast Chris Sherburn followed to represent Irish music. Starting off with two reels he claimed cost him £37 to learn ... over the telephone from a friend in Galway who had reversed the charges! Chris's playing was nothing short of brilliant - his delivery light and chatty - and very, very funny!

The final act of the evening was the one and only David [we're going to finish this concert by 10:30 pm so we can get into the pub before last orders] Townsend. And what can I say about David's playing that he hasn't already said! (sorry David) - personally I'd give my right hand to be able to play half as well as that! David started his set with Dale Marxen's 'Waltzing with Bears' - a great roar of a song - followed up with a touch of Irish and finishing up with a party piece I've heard David play before (though it's name slips my mind).

Overall a wonderful evening, and all over far too quickly ... with our stars high-tailing it down to the pub for a well earned glass or three. So much musical talent ... a real eye-opener as to just what these funny little bellow boxes with their bunches of buttons on the end can do in the hands of the expert.

SUNDAY

Packed and hotel paid for and back to the Henry Box School for the final sessions. Feeling quite pleased as I've picked Robert Harbron's 'Irish music for the English Concertina'. As I said earlier, what a pleasant and talented Lad he is. It wasn't long before his clear explanations of rolls, triplets, double fingering left my brain saying "hey that's easy" and my hands saying "you've got to be joking"!

Reflection on the information imparted to me this weekend in about six hours of sessions - it will probably need the rest of the year to put into practice!

Most refreshing was Robert's attitude to the music: that it was important to play the MUSIC and not just the notes - to play with feeling and integrity and not just with flash and fury!

Aher a delightful lunch at less than £5, along with four new-found friends we returned for the last session of the day - and the "Showdown". Last year I had left halfway through the showdown (as it was taking forever) I was dubious as to how long I'd stay this year, but joy of joys - apart from the bands who used the stage all, the other "acts" performed where they sat in the body of the Hall.

Jenny Cox must be congratulated on the quality of her bands - I'm always amazed as to their sound and quality. Visually fun to watch - with Jenny conducting them with great determination and energy. The occasional fight with music stands added a little humour to the proceedings.

There were a couple of real treats awaiting those of us who stayed until the end: a display of duet playing from Phil Hopkinson, Michael Hebbert and Anne-Marie Brissard along with some immaculate singing from David Wing - with the quality voice of the professional singer. To finish we had a set from Tim Laycock ... and a wonderful weekend finished with the soaring notes of the 'Bells of St Marys' punctuated with some advanced concertina waving. Gill Noppen-Spacie watched with a certain amount of concern and commented that she didn't like the way Chantal was watching the waving technique!

The end ... almost - I haven't yet mentioned the Trade Fair with their multitude of goodies. I must admit I seriously frightened my cheque book but left a very happy chappy with almost what I wanted. I'm still greedy enough to want something slightly different - so I can still dream of finding the "perfect" instrument - In the meantime, practice/practice/practice - or as David would say: "get down to those chords and arpeggios" - Yes David - I will!

In summary - Jenny said that the weekend had been very warm and friendly, and thanked everyone for their contribution to the pleasure of the event to which I can only say the weekend was warm and friendly because there was nothing that happened to upset people or get them "up-tight" and THAT is the result of good organisation ... allowing everyone to relax and enjoy the event.

I would hope to speak for everyone who enjoyed the event when I say "Thank you Jenny - Thank you David, thank you tutors, thank you coffee providers - thank you all for your efforts and your friendship"