geoffwright
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Posts posted by geoffwright
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As an ex-smoker and frequent eater-out, I was never happy with the original proposal - all that would have happened is that less pubs would serve food.
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And here is one using the Fast Reply button on the bottom. It doesn't bother with a quote.
CU
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Hi there
Have tried to reply to a posting only to have the posting repeated under my log on - check it out and you will see it has happened twice. I managed to reply to a posting yesterday without any probs - can anyone tell me where I went wrong?
Here is a reply using the reply button on bottom right - you can see it includes the original quote. Then press the Add Reply on bottom line
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preferring to pack the pub to standing-only capacity with heavy drinkers (disbelieve me if you will, Geoff).
Looks like me relegated to the bar as usual. See you on Friday Dave.
Its quite amazing looking down the thread at familiar names who have signed on over the last 2 weeks mainly to comment on their Witney experiences - if nothing else, they will hopefully now benefit from the snippets of information found herein.
I am evidently a glutton for punishment as I am going to Witney Accordions this weekend and can guarantee I will meet some concertinaists there too.
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I get told off for reading the paper, playing concertina and having the tv on, all at the same time.
I have the box next to my chair so I can do it as soon as the missus leaves the room.
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The Anglo doesn't seem intuitive to me, I have a hard time picking out tunes by ear
I found it intuitive and took to it straight away - just like playing a mouth-organ. You have to practise your scales though, if you want to pick tunes out in different keys.
But there again, I can do the same on English (and swap mid-tune).
Once you get into cross-row fingering, there are usually two or three different ways to play any one tune so it is not surprised people get confused.
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The only point not covered yet, and I know lots of people do complain about it is the Friday night session. I have spoken to DT on various occasions about this - a few years back there were at least two overspill sessions as well as the Court Inn, but times have changed and he says pubs don't want to host the session. (I don't know whether I believe it considering the number of pubs on the outskirts of Witney).
If the session is that popular a part of the weekend, would people be willing to travel a short distance out of Witney, to a village that would welcome hoards of concertinas?
On the other hand, if you like Elvis (I don't), I have heard some passable Elvis impersonators in the Court Inn on a Saturday evening.
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A trip to Folkworks or Swaledale weekend might prove some of the above problems are not insurmountable (even though the Hexham hostel accomodation had a few failings).
But you do need a passport!.
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Witney would be even more un-friendly if many of us hadn't corresponded via concertina.net first. It is great to put faces to names at Witney but I can imagine it is very daunting for someone who doesn't use concertina.net much.
We lunch at the Three Horseshoes and there is always an open invite to join Shelagh and self.
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Although I still enjoy Witney (7th year?) and you get out of it what you put in, it fades into the background when compared to Swaledale or Folkworks weekend.
Nevertheless, it cannot be classed as unfriendly, as many of the same people go to all 3 weekends, it is the venue and the fact people are spread out over a busy town that cause many of the problems mentioned.
Is it time for a change of venue DT?
See you all at "Bodhrans at Witney".
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Many thanks for the info - it eventually transpired I can get a lift the previous week and take in Corofin-Fest as well.
I am in trouble at home for going on my own, though!!!
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Anyone fancying going to Noel Hill in March?.
I really want to go but can't decide whether to travel on the Sunday afternoon - it would probably involve taxi from Shannon to Ballyvaughan - no buses?
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Get the best of both worlds - play both!!!!!!!
After playing Anglo for decades, I got fed up of trying A and Bb on a C/G so picked up English. I have never looked back - I found it surprisingly easy to learn.
I do play different traditions on each and I think that some people can succesfully imitate the Anglo sound on an English (as our Swiss ambassador will demonstrate), it is not the same.
Generally speaking, from what I hear in sessions, Irish on English concertina is not as succesful (apart from speed).
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Is an anglo version available yet?
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From a practical point of playing Irish in a session, the C/G and G/D both have different timbres due to the difference in pitch. Granted, the G/D can be played higher to sound something like a C/G, but averaging out across the various tunes that would be played in session (especially on tunes with a large tessiatura - todays big word), I suspect a G/D could be discernable by expert ears.
When all said and done, as many Irish players on 30+ boxes do cross-fingering, this negates the need for a G/D as it can all be done on a C/G.
For me, you can't beat a C/G Jeffries for its shrill quality which will hold its own in a noisy session, especially when played in octaves.
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At one point a lovely young lady took out her fiddle and started to play an Irish tune. All thirty of us put down our instruments and listened politely.
Doesn't this suggest that most of the 30 might have a blinkered view and refuse to contemplate learning any diddley?
What would have happened if she had played a Scottish tune (like the morris tune Flowers of Edinburgh)?
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Providing you have a 20 plus key, there is much to be said for finding the F#s and practising G scales on the C row - it gives tunes a totally different timbre.
For me, chromatic scales were the best way to find out where the accidentals were, then I migrated to D scales and I am currently trying to get around scales in one bellows direction.
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I showed my (very unusual) box to Geoff Crabb and he said the ends are very probably Crabb, but when he played it, said the insides are definitely Jeffries.
Depends if you want a box to look at or a box to listen to.
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My favorite "drone merchants" must be Noel Hill and especially Tim Collins - but listen carefully to any of their cds, you will hear rhythms being tapped out in "pipe regulator chords" and long chords held underneath on most tracks.
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Why bother with a backup concertina you hardly ever play?
Learn 2 different systems and play both all the time.
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Carols for this Christmass are at http://www.yorkshire-folk-arts.com/info/ar.../carols_05.html
but be aware the Fountain, Ingbirthworth seems to be shut so you may have to sing outside.
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Playing wallpaper music is know as "playing to furniture" in the trade.
As you say, you do need to be able to play for hours without music so repeats are a good idea. The people paying generally have even less idea than the punters about what sort of music the punters want to hear so the simple rule is - play to amuse yourself.
I guess rule number two is - watch what makes the punters do "polka shuffles" and play more of it.
It is mind-numbing but often pays well - warning - just like busking, if you try it on a regular basis (more than twice a week), it will start to tell on your elbows.
What colour (sorry, color) do you have to be to be "rediculous"?
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Drones on anglo are very much in evidence in the Irish style, but they are playing the tune across the rows in one direction so a drone or chord can be held down, which is maybe not what most people on this thread are looking to do.
There are loads of examples of Irish players doing this.
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The missus wants Santa to bring a sound-proofed music room.
Last Night's Fun
in General Concertina Discussion
Posted
Went to see LNF last night - excellent - I watched closely and worked out Chris plays a lot of the tune with his left hand up both rows.
We had a natter and he said he is back on-line now so will be looking in on concertina.net.