wes williams

I've added real names for Jeff and Didie - you may need to refresh your browser to see changes. Just to clarify Al's earlier comment - many items are downloadable, but some (e.g. Soundcloud) are listen only.

It is no problem to extract the audio from video recordings. Let me know which recordings you would like posted.

Unfortunately Al's CD arrived just as I was leaving for 2 weeks holiday in Italy. I got back yesterday so I'll set to work on it ASAP. The CD was formatted as a single track (46 minutes long) so needs to be split into individual tracks. I also have a tape that Jim Harvey (Maurice's Dad) distributed around the ICA (courtesy of Malcolm Clapp). It doesn't have any track listings, so will be worth comparing with Al's CD tracks. I think many tracks on that tape are of 'concerted' playing at ICA meetings. If anyone needs to convert older format recordings, I have various 'old' bits of equipment (reel to reel, Minidisc, cassette, etc) that I can use to to make CDs or MP3s at no cost other than postage. I can also try to improve the quality of many older recordings.

Other way around, Jim. Both Dowright and I came to the same conclusion independently a few years ago - Crane and Maccann Duets started with separate sequences and joined up later, sometime around the First World War.

My website has recently had another 23 sides of concertina recordings (and one of Alf Edwards playing ocarina!) from 78rpm records added to the 'Various Players' page (ie all except Alexander Prince) including two from Professor Maccann himself recorded in 1900 thanks to Peter Adamson. Norman Field has also contributed three early sides from Steve Bartle, the English system player. I have many more Alexander Prince (Maccann) recordings to add. Feel free to download and create your own 'pick and mix' CDs!

'The Repair Shop' programme on the Beeb recently featured the restoration of a c.1890s Jeffries 38 key anglo by Roger Thomas, with the case restoration by Suzie Fletcher. You've got just under two weeks to watch it on iplayer here.

Except the concertina shown looks like a 'cheap' German made model.

I wonder if that could be an abbreviation for 'Eulenstein' ? See here .. I did once buy Dowright a Macdonalds as he missed the taste of home 😁

But there was also a start to what has sometimes been referred to as the 'Golden Period' - when Wheatstone production went from riveted to screwed reed plates, and the range of types was expanded. This was around 1900, and we can't be more accurate as the ledgers for ~1890 to ~1910 are missing. We usually attribute the changes to the influence of Edward Chidley's sons (Edward and Percy) on the business, and they were progressive changes rather than a step change. Edward Senior died in 1899, and the company moved to West Street, Charing Cross in 1905.

The label address might give a clue to the approximate age of this instrument. The address with '135' only is given in directories from 1867 to around 1870, but by 1876 the address is '133 & 135'. '& Son' gets added to the company name circa 1887.

And for many of those 20 years this site has been the first stop-off for experienced players and beginners - many thanks Paul and Ken!

I know this thread is a few years old, but I've just managed to acquire facsimilies (published mid 1980s?) of the first two Gramophone 'Stock' lists, so can add a little more. The first list is in two parts dated 16 Nov 1898, one part is all American recordings, and the other English recordings. The 'English' part lists the following concertina records (without artist names, so I've added them in brackets) 9100 Glory to God [ Salvation Army Staff Captain Linacre] 9102 Honeymoon March [Percy Honri] 9106 Castilda March [Percy Honri] 9107 Happy Darkies [Percy Honri] According to some writers, they were sold out by Christmas. The second 'English' list is dated 22 Feb 1899 and lists: 9100 Glory to God [no performer name given] Mr. J. Collis Bird. 9105 March of the Men of Harlech. Mr. Percy Honri. 9102 Honeymoon March. 9103 Marauder's March. 9104 Killarney. 9106 Castilda March. 9107 Happy Darkies. 9108 The Lost Chord. 9109 Santiago Waltz. 9110 Toreador Waltz. 9112 Selection from The Geisha. 9113 Austrian Hymn. 9114 Lyceum March. 9115 Gramophone March. 9117 High School Cadets. The second list also requests: IN ORDERING please select a considerably larger proportion than you require, or make a double selection, so that we may substitute where we cannot execute from our Stock. Supplementary lists were next issued on 10 and 28 November 1899, from then on supplementary lists were issued monthly. Going on the melody of the 'recreation of the first recording' on the Flexi-disc issued with Peter Honri's book, it seems that 'Happy Darkies' was recorded by Percy Honri again on 29 February 1904 and issued on 7" Zonophone with the title 'The Swanee River Schottische'. I have a copy of this this Zonophone recording on my site.

Numbers were added to the London district code (W.C. here) in 1917, so its probably before WW1. Its a good simple pointer to decide on pre and post WW1 material from the London makers. And if some of those instruments are Edeos, that sets it as probably into the late 1890s/1900s as an earliest date pointer. Are we all beginning to suffer memory problems? I know I do 😕 - see page 2 of this 11 year old thread that I found on google.

They are listed in most London directories as organ builders, but they also sold pianos and other instruments. In 1856 they are at 15 St Johns St, Clerkenwell, and they are at 547 Oxford St by 1865. By 1900 they are at 110 New Oxford St, but that may be the same location as London changed street name and numbering in the 1890s. Imhof's became Alfred Imhof and were a large record dealer in the 78rpm era.

Peter, I think you'll probably find that Maccann would have transposed it to an easier key to play it in, rather than the key in was written in if not an easy key. But if you are trying to estimate the recording speed, the standard pitch for concertinas then was about C=517 Hz which today is C=523.There's a table of notes frequencies here