allan atlas

Thanks, Mark, for noting the online availability of Anna G's article. . . .I should have remembered that since we had to request permission from them......Allan

have a look at George Case's The Baritone Concertina, a New Method, containing Introductory and Explanatory Remarks, follwed by a Selection from the Works of the Best Masters. . ., where you will find Case's transcription of the psalm "Devizes" (among other things) for baritone concertina

Yes. . . . . .Wheatstone seems to have designed the layout of the buttons on the English. . . . .for a fascinating article on where Wheatstone likely got his ideas for the layout: Anna Gawboy, "The Wheatstone Concertina and symmetrical Arrangements of Tonal Space," PICA 10 (2013-2015), 1 - 34 note that this is reprinted from the Journal of Music Theory 53.2 (2009)................... Allan Atlas

you might get in touch with the house of musical something or other in Tacoma (or is it Takoma) Park Maryland......allan

FOLKS: the curator of musical instruments at the MFA in Boston is Darcy Kuronen. . . .who is himself quite knowledgeable about free-reed instruments. . . . .he has done some very good research about New England-made lap organs in the 19th century. . . . .allan

Dave: while there were many concertinas that went for more than £7. . . .that seems to have been among the most popular models. . . . .are you talking about the article dealing with women concertinists. . . .there's a table in there that shows the number of instruments sold at each price level and the percentage that that number formed.........Allan

Dear Dave: though £7.0.0 might have been more than "pocket change" for the everyday working stiff, i'm not sure that Mr. Lowe necessarily had to be "very" wealthy. . . . . is the Joseph Lowe that you mention one and the same as the composer-dancing master born in 1797 and died in 1866 and active in Scotland. . . . .his father was John. . .. also a composer-dancing master. . . .. .so that seems to turn around the names of John = son and Joseph = father there's information about the above father-son in Brown and Stratton, BRITISH MUSICAL BIOGRAPHY. . ., 1897. . .reprint DaCapo Books 1971. . .and POSSIBLY available on Google Books these days. . . .not sure........Allan

FOLKS: it's a SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY STRADIVARIUS............ALLAN

FOLKS: i'll certainly second all the plaudits and praise. . . . . listened to it this morning. . . . .many thanks to Jenny, Dave, Ron, and all the others who contributed their time and talent. . . . . .sure wish there were a band like that in new york.............Allan

FOLKS: i did not read through the entire thread. . . .but perhaps the following was overlooked. . . .it's not a limerick. . . .still: the name of the song: "Nix on the Glowworm Lena". . . .by Macdonald and Carroll. . . .sung in the Ziegfeld Revue of 1910. . . . . In a boarding house lived Lena Strauss Who owned a concertina, And she knew one song that she played all wrong, But that didn't worry Lena. When she rose each day, she'd commence to play, And the boarders throught of no term, That was strong enough, It was really tough, When Miss Lena played the Glow-Worm. When she started to play the boarders all would yell, "Hey!". . . .etc etc etc. . . . . the entire piece is available at http://levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu search for "Nix on the Glowworm Lena". . . .this, by the way, is a fantastic website. . . .go there and you'll see what i mean.....Allan

FOLKS: correction -- there is a nice CD. . . but it does not have two masses.................allan

FOLKS: there's lots written on the so-called WINCHESTER TROPERS. . . .some very nice music in there................in fact, if i remember correctly, there's a very nice CD with two masses from that repertory..........Allan

Dear Burnt Oak: would you be in touch with me about the concertina. . . . . .aatlas@gc.cuny.edu Allan

Well as long as we're dwelling on matters linguistic, I would take just a moment to note that the word "ciao" is spelled incorrectly. . . . .the "word" (and there is none quite like that as far as i know) "chao" would be pronounced: "cow"........Allan

DANIEL AND FOLKS: i've not checked through Google Books. . . but i do know that many references to "concertina" over a wide range of literature refer to "concertina wire". . . . . . . .Allan

perhaps it's an attempt to alter a lower case "n" into a CAP "N". . . .but it's not the "normal" "N". . . . . one thing to do: go through the ledgers and look at all entries for military people (easy enough to pick out). . . .see if there's an ID of sorts that tells which service they're in. . . . .i don't recall any. . . .but i never looked for such specifically......................allan

MILKAE AND WES: i'm not so sure that that's "RN". . . .the problem is this: whatever it is, it's a correction. . . . . .note the very thick pen stroke. . . compare it with the rather more botched effort at writing the name "Joyce" up at the very top of the page. . . . . to be sure, i am not for a moment arguing against the identification. . . .just that the reading "RN" looks a bit suspect to me. . . . . . let me ask you this: would anyone go for "Rb". . . .that is a lower case "b". . . . .in which case we could have the initials for Richard Blagrove. . . .who might have been picking up the instrument for Owen, who, in turn, might have been a Blagrove student. . . . . . .this kind of thing happens very frequently throughout the ledgers..................just something to mull over..................Allan

You might listen to the CD by Pauline De Snoo titled "Concertina Scape: Contemporary Music for Wheatstone's Concertina, 1985-2004," . . . . .see www.concertina-academy.com.................Allan

FOLKS: since it was my review of English International and my specific comments about Harry Dunn that set off this thread. . . . .i should add my 6.5 cents. . . . . . 1. i will agree to disagree with Alan. . . . .i still think that Harry Dunn's performance of the Regondi piece is a TRAVESTY. . . .nothing less than that. . . .it makes a mockery out of the music. . . . . .but it is of real historical interest, since it shows the rather dismal state into which the victorian tradition fell until douglas rogers had both the courage and the virtuosity to bring it to life again. . . . ..otherwise, i'll stand by my comments about English International as a whole: IT'S TERRIFIC. . . ..A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION to our understanding of the English concertina................ 2. thank you to those who had nice things to say about PICA. . . . . . .and the credit should be split three ways, with Roger and Jon playing every bit as important a role as i do (or don't). . . . .. 3. though i don't remember just who it was, one person said that it (PICA) was a bit boring and something or other. . . . . .may i ask that person to be just a bit more specific. . . . .and perhaps some constructive comments. . . .we can make it just a bit livelier. . . . . .we could include a limerick in each issue: THERE WAS A FINE BROOKLYN-BRED COW, WHO FELL DEEPLY IN LOVE WITH A SOW; AND WHILE INTERBREEDING, THEY KEPT RIGHT ON EATING, WHICH MADE THOSE AROUND THEM SAY "WOW" Allan

STEPHEN AND FOLKS: that they weren't. . . . .in fact, that we have the ledgers that we do is something of a minor miracle. . . . . .allan

FOLKS: for what it's worth. . . . .my article on women concertinists in victorian england has been "reprinted" on bob gaskins' fine website: www.concertina.com . . . . you'll find a good deal of information about the ledgers and how they work. . . .. i agree entirely with what Stephen says....................sometimes the documents are simply not what we'd like them to be. . . . .. allan

FOLKS: some of the instruments simply were not sold during the period covered by the ledgers. . . . .other instruments were sold a number of times, as they were sold, returned, and sold again. . . . .still other instruments appear to have been kept in the shop specifically for purposes of rentals. . . . . . .and then there is the occasional "scribal error". . . . . . .where, after the name of a purchaser, the serial number is not given. . . . . . . . . . . . in the end, we're dealing with human-generated data. . . . . . .what's amazing is how complete the ledgers are. . . . . . . .they tell a truly incredible story about the role of the instrument during the 19th century. . . . . . .there is hardly another source -- for any instrument -- like them...............allan

DAN: that's an absolutely wonderful illustration. . . . .especially since it places the Anglo in the same kind of cultured setting that -- given the period depicted -- one associates with the english...................Allan

Dear Dieppe: if you ever feel like really following through with the research. . . .please consider submitting it for the "Picture Gallery" in PICA. . . . .can you date the painting. . . . . and personally, i wouldn't worry about the "title" too much. . . . . .and do allow for some artistic license. . . . . . . . Allan

STEPHEN AND FOLKS: great instruments is right. . . .but try to play the mid-19th-c. victorian stuff on it. . . .it's like a bull in a china shop............allan