Chris Drinkwater

And being more at a march pace, one should hope so! Actually, that's viel besser, Wolf. Well done. Chris

I see someone is selling a brand new copy of Sarah Graves CD, Black Boxes on Ebay, for the astonishing price of £95.00, plus. Perhaps they mean £9.50, which would be more like it. I bought my own copy direct from Sarah's partner Mick Graves, many years ago for around a tenner, I seem to remember. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Black-Boxes-Tunes-and-Songs-Featuring-the-English-Concertina-/310896103668?pt=UK_CDsDVDs_CDs_CDs_GL&hash=item4862da10f4 Chris

Great video. Thanks for sharing it, Howard. Chris

Hi Wolf - Funny you should mention the Blue Yeti USB mic but I have recently been recommended by a friend to buy one and if you are satisfied with it, then I'll be more than happy to go and buy one for myself. Chris

Like, Geoff, I went there to see the collection, about 2 years ago, for the fifth time. Of the approx. 300 instruments from the Wayne collection in the museum's possession, only about 15 instruments are on display. the rest are in storage, due to limited display space and they appear to keep the same few instruments on permanent display. They are displayed in glass cases and the lighting is not very good, perhaps for conservation reasons. However, the museum is well worth visiting for its general collections and especially its collections of other musical instruments. The link below gives access to many more of the concertinas, in the Wayne collection, that are not on display. http://web.archive.org/web/20110701084605/http://www.horniman.ac.uk/music/music/free_reed_index_6.html Chris

Very nice, Joanna.

It starts 2 hours and 7 minutes in from the beginning of the programme and very nice it is too! Chris

Here's my contribution. A Swedish polska, called Dampolska, in approximate 9/8 time, like a slip jig, which is what I believe the time signature of polskas is equivalent to. http://soundcloud.com/aeolaman/dampolska Chris

Lovely, Thomas. I found myself dancing from beginning to end! Chris

Great pair of knees, Jody. Not sure about the playing! Chris

Given that it's April 1st, you probably should have announced something completely different had won! Hurrah! I've been looking forward to learning this one. I've no idea what the stuff below the dots means, but here is a transcription into ABC: X:1 T:Zelda C:Philippe Plard M:6/8 L:1/8 Q:1/4=150 K:Am |: e2 A e2 A | fed e3 | edc B2 B |1 Bcd c2 A :|2 BcB A3 | |: ABc E2 E | ABc F2 F | ABc B2 B |1 dcB c2 A :|2 dcB A3 | I've made a tiny tweak to the second bar because it was the wrong length. Yes, the second bar in the A part should have a dotted crochet as the last note. Also, the A part and B part should be repeated, i.e. each played twice through and not once, as notated in Alex's ABC version, making 32 bars in total. Chris

My vote unashamedly goes to Zelda. It's a circassien circle dance tune composed by Frenchman Phillipe Plad, so unlikely to be kletzmer in origin. And it gets played quite regularly at a monthly French sesssion I go to in London. Here's a jolly version of it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yoxrCM16j4 Chris

Thank you, Wolf. It seems it would. Also, I seem to recall Chris Timson, some years ago, cunningly deploying a Jenkins reverse, or was it Junkins?. In which case I will backtrack overground from West Croydon to Whitechapel where there is plenty of scope for further lateral play. Chris

I was about to play a move today and then realized that because it was Tuesday yesterday, that the short rules only apply and from the 2nd turn in reverse order during March. Further confusion reigned when I remembered rule 7b: All Spanish moves are disallowed except crossovers and double takes. Added to which, because it is Wednesday, I have avoid all surface lines that back onto Mrs Trellis's home between 7pm and 7am. Any assistance is clarifying the above, appreciated. Chris

Gardiner Houlgate, the well-known West Country auctioneers, are holding a sale on Thursday 13th March, of miscellaneous musical instruments, including several concertinas, Here is the link to the catalogue page with the concertinas. The concertinas appear lower down on the catalogue page. http://gardinerhoulgate.co.uk/Catalogues/mi130314/page004.html Of the 8 concertinas for sale there are two concertinas for sale whose maker's names I have not come across before. One is a metal-ended anglo stamped R Carr, maker, complete with a rather worn hexagonal leather case, Chris

Whovians of the world unite! Different and very nice, Robert. Perhaps you should offer it to the BBC for their next series? Chris

Happily, it is a weekday, but further down the line, had it been a Sunday, it definitely would have been enough to a make all Parson's Green with envy, as well. Fortunately, due to a misconstrued twerping of the giggles, such a manifest clerical error was swiftly and thankfully avoided. Chris

That's quite some playing, that is. Thanks for posting the link. As for attempting to play it on the tina, well......... Chris

That's enough to make Kings Cross! Chris

Clearly, you have to be on the ball in this game, so I am going to head for Arsenal. Chris

Yes, Wolf, I understand it is a moderated group. Chris

Great idea, Steve. I have joined it. I'll see what I can come up with and post a recording or two. Chris

Thanks for that, Chuck. It, indeed. was composed in honour of an unknown piper whose remains (including pipes) were unearthed unexpectedly during some excavations for construction work, so the story goes. I have since found out that this was the tune of the month in November 2009 on Melodeon.net, Knowing the story behind the origin of the tune, I was planning to put it up along with the ABC, in case anyone else wants to learn this delightful tune but you beat me to it! Chris. ,

Here's my first contribution to theme of the month. It's a lovely French mazurka written by Maxou Heintzen, entitled L'inconnu de Limoise. A rough.melody only version, in the first instance. http://soundcloud.com/aeolaman/linconnu-de-limoise Chris Edited to correct my mis-spelling of the composer's surname.

Why? Are you afraid it might colour your playing, Simon? Chris