jdms

Pretty good on the G/D anglo as well! It's a fairly well-known tune in English music sessions as well. (Quick aside, England has its own traditional music as well, very different in feel from Irish. English music sessions tend to have quite a lot of muysic from other traditions as well; if it feels right, we'll play it). Other Swedish favourites that get played quite widely over here include Serpentina Och Confetti and Schottis fran Idre. Chris There was also Jody's Tune of the Month for 10/07, Gånglåt från Mockfjärd (though the fiddle has the melody in the traditional version and the first part of the jig version). It sounds nice and cheerful to me... Joshua Mackay-Smith

I assumed we were and if so he died and was not deposed. Ian Indeed--and (just to be pedantic) it's my understanding that though he's popularly credited with "Greensleeves," he didn't write it. He did, however, write numerous other tunes, and was an excellent lutenist. jdms

There were power cuts all over the place where I grew up--but they were cleared strips of land where Potomac Edison ran high-voltage lines over the Blue Ridge and Appalachian Mountains in the Shenandoah Valley. Power outages (also known as "the electricity went out last night") were, fortunately, less common... This example of "two nations separated by a common language" has been brought to you by jdms (Joshua Mackay-Smith, late of Virginia and now of Massachusetts)

It does help a bit to click on the UK flag under Language at the upper right--it doesn't put everything in English (for example, it doesn't change the names of the search fields), but it's something... jdms

Are you so sure of that, mate? According to Dan Worrall, who I trust in these matters, that is Gerald R. Ford, Jr. as an infant, with concertina, June 1914. Chris Nixon appointed Ford to the vice-presidency after Agnew resigned, then Nixon himself resigned, making Ford the only president we've had whom we definitely did not elect. If he's the only one to touch a concertina, Steve's still right. Note: whatever you think of 2000 (and I for one don't feel the need to hear either side again), W. doesn't count as wholly unelected, since I don't think anyone disputes he was elected in 2004. jdms

Going off on a tangent from this, for anyone who'll be in Cambridge, MA, this December, the Mellstock Band will be playing in this year's Christmas Revels. jdms

The serial number is visible in one of the pictures: 26673. The ledger reads "Mar 4th [1915] / No. 39 / Duet Nickel Hex 67 Keys / 61 / [266]73." jdms

Peggy Seeger plays EC in addition to banjo, guitar and probably other things. Her website just shows her with a banjo, but she definitely played EC on albums with Ewan MacColl and I'd hope she's kept it up... jdms

Seems like you don't live quite far north enough. They're pretty standard fare in VT, NH and ME.... ...It's not clear how effective they are on moose... It's not clear how effective they are at all. Some people swear by them ("Haven't hit a deer in years!"). Some people swear at them ("The hooved rats are still jumping in front of me!"). I subscribe to a BMW motorcycle owners' mailing list on which one wag declared some years back that he had fitted whale whistles to his bike ("I put them on five years ago and haven't hit a whale since!") My thought: get 'em if you want. If they work, excellent. If they don't, well, they're cheap, so you're only out a few bucks. Er, dollars. Less than a doubloon? jdms

Mike, sorry but I have to correct this. The instrument you refer to is a jaws harp (think about it). I'm not sure where the 'alternative' name came from (probably just popular misconception) but it's pretty non-PC although widespread admittedly. Pete. Pete, while calling it a "jew's harp" is decidedly un-PC as you say, that name predates "jaw harp" by a goodly chunk of time--Wikipedia, admittedly a less than perfect source, states that the more socially acceptable name only showed up in the last century or so (according to the same source, the OED--would that I had one here to check--is decidedly uncharitable about the theory that "jew's harp" derives from "jaw harp," calling it "baseless and inept"). The Jew's Harp Guild website says that the first written source calling it a jew's harp dates to 1595, whereas "jaw harp" is a 20th-century creation. There are apparently several theories as to were the earlier term came from. In the meantime, you can also call it a mouth harp, a maultrommel (the German term) or lots of other things--and I'm not saying there's anything wrong with calling it a jaw harp, just that the weight of history is not behind that term. jdms

I believe a boy soprano's part in a score is also called the treble part. Maybe a treble EC is a treble to keep it from seeming too "girly"? jdms

Suttners aren't common over here either but they do crop up from time to time. In fact we have one for sale in our shop right now (on a shelf right between a Jeffries and one of our Morses). Maybe when you do come over you could time it to correspond with one of our events? -- Rich -- Well, there's the Connor... ...and I think I remember you having a Dipper recently? Or was that a Suttner? It doesn't seem to be on the website now, though. jdms

Have a look at this, this and this.

The above was in the UK, of course...but that was in May and so does you little good now.

Mance Grady in Rhode Island makes tuneable bodhrans and cases. His website is here (and here). I'm no expert on the instruments myself, but he's been a craft room vendor at NEFFA (the New England Folk Festival) for the past couple of years at least, and people seem to like his work. (edited to correct punctuation)

Another metal polish, beloved of my aged and respected father and other antique motorcycle enthusiasts, is Simichrome (Google will return several sites that sell it). I haven't used it myself, but I've seen it used, and it's quite effective (also on hard plastics, not that that's relevant here...)

My wife says we don't look very happy. Pictures can be deceiving. ...now if only Mr. Ide's caption of this photograph didn't say I was the one in the "striped sweater vest." Feh. Sure it's a vest (or a waistcoat), but it's woven, not knitted, and I think sweater vests are generally pullovers, not button-up. Also, you don't carry a watch with a half Albert chain in a sweater vest (though it's possible he didn't see that). Right, back to things actually having to do with music and our instrument of choice. Oh, and: My sincere apologies, Joshua. I can be terrible with names. No, I wasn't thinking of Aaron Marcus. But you do remind me of another Aaron I know (not a concertina player) and although I knew your initials were JDMS, I guess I sort of had a brain f*rt while I was typing. Oh, no worries--I seem to remind people of other people... jdms

The photos are now up here.

The video is here--the site is part of "Wicked Local," which I believe is associated with the Patriot Ledger. We're at 4:34 or thereabouts (and the video opens with my wife's rapper team). Incidentally, I'm Joshua, not Aaron--could you be thinking of Aaron Marcus? He's Hayden player and was at NEFFA last year (and I remember seeing the two of you playing together for morris), though we don't look at all alike... I was in far over my head at our jam session, but I had a fine old time and am looking forward to doing it again next year. jdms

The seller speculates htat it was made in France. Anyone hear of any French makers? There seems to be no wrist strap or finger rests of any kind. Was the player supposed to pinch each end between thumb and another finger, leaving the remaining fingers to play the 6 buttons? Might work. Hard to tell from the photos whether it is Anglo or EC, tho from the staggered button setup I'd guess EC. --Mike K. Have a look at the pictures about two-thirds of the way down in this article. It won't answer the nationality question (though it does give fodder for a guess), but it answers method and type pretty well, I'd say.

Wrong. Irish music is just one use. It is also used for song accompaniment, English music and a number of other uses too. You'd have to be somewhat narrow to think it's only used for Irish music. Similarly for accordions. What would Jimmy Shand have said! Er, yes, but Misha's PS and PPS were (to my eyes) clearly meant ironically--he's presumably well aware of your points above... I wasn't over-serious myself........ Fair enough (though as you can tell, I didn't succeed in seeing that on my own--oh well).

Wrong. Irish music is just one use. It is also used for song accompaniment, English music and a number of other uses too. You'd have to be somewhat narrow to think it's only used for Irish music. Similarly for accordions. What would Jimmy Shand have said! Er, yes, but Misha's PS and PPS were (to my eyes) clearly meant ironically--he's presumably well aware of your points above...

There was an all-concertina jam last year? Shows how much I was paying attention... If it happens, I'm in unless it happens while I'm elsewhere. That's mostly Saturday morning and early afternoon, since my morris team (Commonwealth) performs at the Gore Place Sheep-Shearing Festival in Waltham every year, and this is one of the years when it conflicts with NEFFA (pesky conflicts). We're also up at NEFFA at 5, which means I have to miss John Roberts' performance (but I'm taking two of his classes at the NE Concertina Workshop on the previous weekend). Er, that's Gore as in Governor Christopher Gore--nothing gruesome going on there...

They called this a plumber's nightmare...some would argue that it even makes beautiful music.

What if it causes a branle?