John Wild

I think that was one year at Concertinas at Witney, at the tutors' concert.

Simon has a unique style and his own way of holding the instrument, having the thumb straps moved to suit his needs. He is a brilliant player, but hard for mere mortals to use a a role model if you are watching/hearing his concert performances. . Having said that, he does give excellent workshops that we can learn from. Paint it black sits really well in the middle of traditional tunes. I really enjoyed the combination of instruments. You wre obviously having fun, and that counts.

Hello Alan and concertina players everywhere. I have not created a video for the occasion, but I do have a sound file of my current "party piece".It is called Geaftai Bhaile Bui, a slow air from Ireland. I'm told it means the gates of Bally Bay, but I will not testify to the accuracy of the translation. I tried uploading it here but the file size is too large, so I have added it to my Soundcloud account, and linked it here. Edited to add: Played on Wheatstone Aeola tenor English concertina. Hope this is OK. John Wild

If all documentation clearly refers to repair with the item to be returned on completion, there should be no import duty coming in to to the UK. Also, provided the documentation clearly identifies a repair, and it includes a copy of the invoice for the repair cost, there should be no customs charge on leaving the UK. The receiving country may make a charge based on the repair cost as in the invoice.

Longer than mine! 😁

I previously had a Lachenal edeophone with two bowing valves. One side opened the bellows and the other side closed. As I no longer have the instrument I cannot now remember which was which.

If you are looking only at U.K. events, have a look at the West Country Concertina players' website. https://thewccp.org/ They have monthly meetings, but also an annual weekend of workshops held at Halsway Manor: https://halswaymanor.org.uk/your-visit/january-june-2023-brochure/

Thank you David. My error on the repeat :|| I should have known that. Sorry. Looking back at the earlier thread, I did note what you said then on avoiding smilies, but have obviously it has got lost somewhere between then and now. Again, my apologies. I don't post ABC very often.

I have typed this up in ABC format if anyone uses that. I hope I have read it all correctly. X:407 T:Drummer boy of Waterloo L:1/8 M:2/4 K:D W:Arranged by A.Porter Hamblon W:As played by David R.Hamblon |:A/|A>A d>e|f>g ee|d/B/A G2|A2 DE/F/|AG/A/ de|fg ed/B/|A/B/c d2|d2z:|| e|f>d B>B|g>f e>e|d>d c/B/A|G2 A2|DE/F/ A>A|d>e f>g|e/d/B A/B/c|d2 d:||

My sole experience of such a transaction goes back to 2009!. Perhaps the rules have changed since then.

Import into the UK unfortunately has an element of double taxation. The goods are subject to import duty. The rate will depend on the classification of the specific item. Then, VAT is added at 20% on the total cost including import duty.

Last weekend at the Witney Supersqueeze, I was introduced to a new book called the Lockdown Ledger. I have now obtained my copy. It is a collection of 38 new tunes, all written while the composers were unable to get out to their usual playing clubs because of Covid lockdowns. It is a mixture of slow airs, waltzes, hornpipes, jigs and reels. Very reasonable price at £7.00 plus postage (total £8.75 in U.K.) I can really recommend it. Obtainable from this website: https://www.wallpapermusic.co.uk/product/the-lockdown-ledger-cross-the-wannies/

http://www.lesession.co.uk/abc/abc_notation.htm This is a link to part one of Steve Mansfield's guide if you wish to take this further. the webpage includes links to parts 2 and 3 for the more advanced bits.

i'm not sure why it appeared visually just that way, but it is meant as a treble clef symbol. In the one note tune, the notes in the 2nd part are all G. On the left hand of a duet system, these would sound an octave lower.

Yes these are the lyrics. In the newsvendors call, "ab-berabb", Brian Hayden related that he could not make out exactly what the newsvendor was saying, and this was the nearest phonetic representation.

I hope (and expect) there are more than two players in Japan. Perhaps you can be a regional recruiting agent.😀

I've just checked my copy, and confirm it is Andy Turner. It is noted as a John Clare composition. On disc 2, Andy plays this tune as the first of a pair. The 2nd tune, called the Decennial, is composed by Andy to celebrate his 10th wedding anniversary.

Carefully removing the spike first.😄

If you need to tap, try tapping your toes, i.e. small movements of the toes inside the shoe, instead of tapping the whole foot. That might sound like a joke, but it is not. It will give you the sense of rhythm that comes from tapping, but also minimises interference with other aspects of playing. As a bonus, no one will know you are doing it.

Rates may have changed more recently, but the last time I checked, import duty was 3.8%, and VAT was 20%. VAT is charged on the total including import duty!

Alistair Anderson has recorded and performed with a wide range of musicians on various instruments, including Northumbrian pipes, banjo, and trombone.

Excellent. Thank you for sharing it.

I think that is what I was meaning when I described "wall-to wall notes" - a phrase i heard used in that context many years ago.

Neither are they ultra fast.

I have been to a number of "Irish" music sessions at folk festivals in England!. There, it seemed to be the norm to play as fast as possible. To my ear, it was wall-to-wall notes, with no real feel for the melodies. Mostly, I could not keep up that speed and did not stay around too long. I exclude the very early part of my playing experience, when any session seemed to be on the learning curve.