Halifax

Here's Flo at Custy's with some tunes. Such a sweet sound! at

Oh my! (clutches pearls).

Love it, RAc!

Now I'll never be able to see oil tankers the same way...

Aw, thanks, folks! Christine

Thanks, all who offered synonyms for "concertina player." So, I sang my new song at our local last night. The late-staying sessioners contributed chords and a musical interlude. No recordings exist, and it was a one-off, so you'll have to use your imagination. But here are the lyrics: The Devil’s a Sonopneumaticist He was a worn-out demon, too tired to sin. We recognized him as he walked in. The faithful asked, “Where’s yer violin?” He said he lost it in a poker game with St. Michael and his Seraphim. Don’t you know the Devil, he’s a squeezer He’s a hexagonal wheezer And he plays his tunes and he taps his cloven foot. And he drinks expensive whiskey Which the barman waters down And the tunes they suffer when the Devil comes to town. He said, “Now I play the concertina.” He pulled one out and commenced to squeeze her. He wrestled out a terrible din o din. Then he twisted his mouth into an evil impish grin. Don’t you know the Devil, he’s a squeezer He’s a hexagonal wheezer And he plays his tunes and he taps his cloven foot. And he drinks expensive whiskey Which the barman waters down And the tunes they suffer when the Devil comes to town. I don’t believe in Heaven, I don’t believe in Hell I don’t believe in Jesus, tho’ I wish him well. I believe in jigs and reels and my Carroll. She’s got a 7-fold bellows and a sound like sweet caramel. Don’t you know the Devil, he’s a squeezer He’s a hexagonal wheezer And he plays his tunes and he taps his cloven foot. And he drinks expensive whiskey Which the barman waters down And the tunes they suffer when the Devil comes to town.

Ha ha ha ha!

RAc, you are speaking my language. Challenge accepted.

These are all good! Keep them coming! And thanks! cdm

Squeezer wins! Although Hexman is pretty good, too. Thanks, both! cdm

I'm writing a spoof on a western song. It seems like there are lots of casual terms for guitar players (picker, axeman), but I can't think of one for a concertina player. Anybody? Thanks, Christine

Recently, I was at a conference for organizers of music festivals and I bemoaned the fact that although our festival is in a student-heavy environment, we don't have lots of students attending. I was worried that a lack of young people meant the traditions would die out. Then, a fellow festival organizer said, "you wanna know how to get students to come to your trad music festival? Wait till they're 40." If I run the numbers, the average age of our local session attendees is about 46. So perhaps the traditions are alive and well, but fostered by those of us who have a clearer sense of our mortality than the young ones who are trying to invent new traditions. Don't worry. They'll come around!

And then, sometimes one has to accept that the fiddle and concertina are very different instruments with different properties and different kinds of magic. That's why they can sound so good together. Daniel, I often listen to that that video of Cormac Begley playing Master Crowley's on a loop as I work. I love how the music grows and grows! Best, Christine

Ooooh! Thanks for this! I love that they play lyrically and aren't "off to the races."

This shop makes leather tool boxes that might do the trick (for smaller concertinas) if properly padded: https://aemcateer.com/