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FSGW Mini-Fest

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 11:07:57 +0000

On Saturday, March 7th, the Folk Society of Greater Washington will host its annual Mini-Festival. Information is here. This year's Festival will take place at the campus of Browne Academy in Alexandria, Virginia in the former USA. The day will include genres of music and dance from around the world, workshops, puppets, story telling, magic, and more. Here is the days schedule.

The Concertina will be featured with 2Many Buttons performing at 11:00 AM in the Library (with Col Mustard and the candlestick). 2MB includes Jim Besser on Anglo and me on English.

Then capping off the day is my hot club swing jazz group, DC Ambiance. We close the day at 2:00 on the mainstage in the Center for Athletics and Performing Arts (CAPA).

See you there.

Button Boxes & Moothies: A Free Reed Convention in Aberdeen, Scotland 14th to 16th November 2025

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 15:16:51 +0000

See preliminary details in Events listing.

Richard Gaska

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 16:41:08 +0000

Are any members in Erie PA and know Richard Gaska?

Players and singers group anyone?

Sat, 29 Nov 2025 16:11:18 +0000

I’m based in the north suburbs of Chicago in easy reach of the city and close enough to Milwaukee too. It would be great to meet up and play with a group on a regular basis - is anyone within an hour or twos drive interested in a regular players session?

I play Anglo and sing, interested in traditional English and Scottish ballads and dance tunes, Playford and Morris, mostly but interested to engage more with other players and singers to share music.

Chicago Squeezers

Wed, 04 Apr 2018 14:09:50 +0000

Several of the photo forums I participate in (Leica and Large Format in particular) have special sections for regional coffee meetings, an informal meet on a Saturday morning every month or so. I suppose that we are all spread out too far to have critical mass in many locations, but thinking that this is not a bad idea, I wonder if there are any people in the Chicago area who'd be interested in such a thing, and where they might be.

I live near LSD and Addison, and work in the Loop.

David Robertson's Funeral

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 11:05:43 +0000

Hi, as I'm sure many of you are already aware, my father David Robertson passed away unexpectedly on the 1st October. The funeral will take place at 2.30pm on Wednesday 5th November at Earlham Crematorium in Norwich (193 Earlham road). The wake will be at the Fat Cat / Mad Cat on Nelson Street and all are welcome. No need to dress up or send flowers. Donations to the Trussell Trust would be greatly appreciated. https://www.trussell.org.uk/

Concertine Italia

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 08:01:53 +0000

Good morning we produce concertine in Italy betwin 35 years possibile repair oll model of concertine my mail is l62816503@gmail.com whatsapp 00393312139962 let me know regards Lorenzo Stagi concertine Italia

Concertina-led session, Hyattsville MD, October 26th

Sat, 11 Oct 2025 00:31:42 +0000

https://www.facebook.com/events/584205737966940/584205761300271

The session, at the Maryland Meadworks, is on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of every month - including this coming Sunday, October 12th. But I'm promoting the one on the 26th, because I've gotten roped into leading it, and I really want to make sure I'm not the only one there.

It is, officially, an Irish session. But we (or at least I) welcome tunes from other traditions too. It would be great to see some fellow concertinists, whatever tunes you like to play.

US West Coast Concertina Day Event.

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 19:11:26 +0000

On Saturday February 8, the Squeezebox Rebellion is sponsoring a concertina jam (all instruments welcome) at the Tri Area Community Center from 11:00am to 4:00pm followed by concert at Finnriver Farm & Cidery from 5:00 to 7:00pm. Concert features: Squeezebox Rebellion, stefciu - lyróś, Luckpenny Irish Band, Home Made Music, Len Feldman and Friends. Jam and concert celebrate International Concertina Day and the birth date of Sir Charles Wheatstone (feb 6, 1802).

Tri Area Community Center
10 West Valley Rd, Chimacum, WA 98325
USA

For more info contact:
Otto@123phase.com

Concertina Convergence Australia Jan. 31 - Feb.2 2025

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 05:43:27 +0000

Just found out about this event today: the Concertina Convergence Jan. 31 - Feb.2 2025 will be happening in Yackandandah, Victoria, Australia at the above dates. It's only $30 for the weekend with a lot going on. Here are links to the timetable and ticket page. Man, I'm going
https://concertinaaustralia.org/concon25 prog.html

https://events.humanitix.com/concertina-convergence-2025

Old Pal Concertina Weekend, East Texas, March 23-25

Sat, 11 Feb 2023 20:10:01 +0000

Fellow concertina players –

I’m really looking forward to being back at the Old Pal Concertina Weekend this year, it was so nice seeing everyone last year after a break of way too many years.

I’ll be doing a couple of workshops for playing the Anglo in the harmonic style (more than just single notes), helping you find the best chords and accompaniments for playing or singing. Depending on skill levels, we’ll either tackle something simple and give it a good working over, or maybe we’ll try something more daring (like the SCANDAL song from last year). I'll send out music in the next few days to those who are signed up.

Dan Worrall and Jarrett Branch will hold two workshops for Irish Anglo in the north Clare style, showing off their new book about Chris Droney (Ann Kirrane’s late father). It will be a first look at this book; the official launch is in Ennis, Co. Clare three weeks after Palestine.

Dan and I will also do a workshop for EC players, once again depending on how many beginners.

And back by popular demand we’ll do a sea shanty workshop for all concertinas of all types to join in on, with easy choruses for all to sing along heartily.

Rollston Press (www.rollstonpress.com) has published a couple of new concertina books this past year: Anglo Concertina from Beginner to Master by Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne and The Anglo Concertina Music of Phil Ham. Cohen is a brilliant young performer out of England doing amazing things on the Anglo, and Phil was one of the first to really explore the harmonic capabilities of the Anglo back in the 1960’s, inspiring both John Kirkpatrick and John Watcham.

I’ll also be bringing other books like Easy Anglo 1-2-3, and 75 Irish Session Tunes for Anglo Concertina, plus Pirate Songs for Concertina, Sailor Songs for Concertina, Cowboy Concertina, and of course the new Chris Droney book. Special $10 each prices for all concertina attendees – the same books at the festival sales table will be $15. But you need to let me know in advance if you can since I’ll be bringing them with me from Honolulu. Also, if you let us know you are coming we’ll send you, gratis, the workshop tunes in advance.

The date? March 23-25 in Palestine, Texas, on the campus of the big First Baptist Church, 5700 North Loop 256. www.oldpalmusic.com.

Even if you are brand new to the concertina, this is a great way to meet other players and see other instruments.

And yes, there will be lots of oldtime music and East Texas BBQ. Hope to see you there!

Gary

Upcoming DC Ambiance Shows

Sun, 08 Dec 2024 12:41:02 +0000

Get some World Concertina Day 2025 outerwear

Thu, 24 Oct 2024 09:29:12 +0000

Dear concertina friends,

would you like to kit yourselves out with stylish outerwear for World Concertina Day 2025? I am an illustrator from Austria, playing a Duet, and I've designed a particularly musical octopus especially for the International Concertina Association and this occasion! Shirts, hoodies and other great accessories are now available in the Mudchutney online shop:

https://www.mudchutney.co.uk/search?type=product&q=World%20Concertina%20Day%202025&options%5Bprefix%5D=last

An Evening of Hot Club Jazz

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 11:22:50 +0000

https://www.bbcbar.com/event-details/dc-ambiance-an-evening-with-gypsy-jazz

SWING DANCE WITH DC AMBIANCE

Wed, 22 May 2024 09:35:08 +0000

Set your calendars: Sunday, June 2nd 6:00-8:00 PM

DC Ambiance will swing into action for an evening of CIDER & SWING at Lost Boy Cider Taproom.

This is free to the public and is not workshop or class. It is always a swell time!

https://randysteinec.com/event/5543245/677676099/cider-swing

Tim Collins and Francis Cunningham at Cascadia Irish Week July 28-August 3

Tue, 21 May 2024 20:04:23 +0000

Tim Collins and Francis Cunningham, two of Ireland’s leading concertina players will be teaching and performing at Cascadia Irish Music Week this summer in Olympia, Washington. Cascadia offers five days and six nights of classes with some of the world's finest Irish traditional musicians, evening concerts and sessions, intimate talks and more. All this takes place in a beautiful, wooded setting next to Puget Sound.

Scholarships and financial assistance awards are available, see our website for details:

www.cascadiairish.org

Fiddle - Randal Bays, Eimear Coughlan, Therese McInerney

Flute - Eamonn Cotter, Patsy Hanly

Concertina - Tim Collins, Francis Cunningham

Uilleann pipes - Mickey Dunne

Button accordion - Josephine Marsh

Piano and Tinwhistle - Geraldine Cotter

Tenor banjo - Brian McGrath

Guitar - Frank Kilkelly

Liam O'Brien @ Boxwood this July

Wed, 01 May 2024 16:32:19 +0000

Hi All,

The great Liam O'Brien will be in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia July 21-26, 2024 for a week of classes, dances and concerts as part of the Boxwood Festival & Workshop. Join us in person or on-line. The info is all here: https://boxwood.org/canada/. A great lineup in addition to Liam including:

Brendan Mulholland - Irish flute, tune writing
Chris Norman - flute, pipes, tune writing
James Kelly - Irish fiddle, tune writing
Andreas Ralsgård and Markus Tullberg - Swedish flute, tune writing
Amanda Markwick - Renaissance & baroque flute
Nic Gareiss - percussive dance, song
Eamon O'Leary - guitar, song writing
Janelle Lucyk - song

Hope to see you there! - chris

Open Session in Alexandria, VA

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 11:10:05 +0000

https://www.lostboycider.com/event/acoustic-jam-session/

Bursary at Folkworks Durham Summer School

Mon, 08 Apr 2024 15:43:19 +0000

The Folkworks Youth Summer School is coming back to Durham! Youth means ages 14 to 17. No sign of the adult summer school yet but we have hopes. This event will be held in Durham School in Durham City from August 19 to 23 and will be a wonderful experience for any folk-minded player. The International Concertina Association is offering a bursary of £250 towards the fully residential price of £500 this year.

To qualify for this you need to be the right age and play concertina to a reasonable standard (above beginner). An interest in folk music is needed but not necessarily previous experience.

The 2024 Summer School will mainly involve working in mixed instrument groups, but the course will be tailored to the young musicians so there will be opportunity for instrument specific focus during the week. Sam Partridge (one of this year’s tutors) is a concertina player and will be able to support with this.

They will be expected to write a short piece about the experience for Concertina World, the ICA magazine. We could offer help with drafting this if needed. We would also like a photograph taken during the summer school. Folkworks should be able to arrange this.
If you are interested or would like to know more, contact Roger Gawley at
bursary@concertina.org

The World of Nita & Zita

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 18:14:53 +0000

My jazz manouche group, DC Ambiance, is performing live for the show THE WORLD OF NOTA & ZITA

This is the story of two immigrant sisters who became an international sensation only to die in obscure poverty. The music is arranged and performed by DC Ambiance. The performance is on Saturday April 13th . Pre Show music starts at 8:00 PM with the performance starting at 8:30. . The performance is free but seating is limited on a first come first serve basis.

DC ArtOmatic is a festival free to the public with 800 visual artists and over 200 performers celebrating the Festival's 25th Anniversary. It is truly a swell time!