jdms

One may hear (a slightly longer version of) this recited by Tony Barrand on his and John Roberts' album Live at Holsteins! (aka Eat Bertha's Mussels). jdms

Now there's something you don't see every day--not only is it a miniature, it's a miniature midget. Ah, EBay... jdms

Nice idea Dirge, but I've done the classic bike bit and great though it was, second youth and all that, I think I'll stick to me bath chair and concertina, at my age. Geoff. Ah well, hope springs eternal...It is, of course, a bargain, if you need a late 60's desert racer. And surely everyone does? Well sure...but I haven't even managed to get the Rapide started this year, and I fear a second piece of ancient British machinery (third, counting the Wheatstone) would put undue stress on my finances (and my wife). Also, no deserts in the Boston area (not that NZ is known for being arid either...). jdms

Whatever you do, Dave, don't use sapient pearwood... Joshua

Actually (now that I've watched the clip), in Ray Bradbury's short story "The Fog Horn," which was the inspiration for that scene (though according to an essay by Bradbury, the filmmaker forgot where he got the idea until Bradbury reminded him after the movie came out), the poor critter was under the impression that the lighthouse's foghorn was indeed a mating call. It only attacked after the lighthouse keepers turned the foghorn off. jdms

Well, see, there's your problem--it's human emotions, not wild animals, that it's supposed to calm: "Music hath charms to soothe a savage breast" (William Congreve, The Mourning Bride). I can't tell you how many people get into trouble trying to fend off large predators with little ditties... jdms (apologies to anyone who has suffered a wild animal attack and is therefore less inclined to see my last sentence as humorous)

Well, I know Andrew's capable of just about anything with that PA of his... jdms

Argh! another TLA (Three Letter Achronym) PEDANT ALERT It's not actually an acronym if one doesn't, or can't, pronounce it. NASA, SNAFU and CITES are acronyms. TPS, FBI, CIA and ACLU are just initials. Of course, the existence of the term TLA demonstrates that general usage should lead to a change in dictionary definitions any time now, if it hasn't already...but I shall continue to be a semi-prescriptivist grammar-and-usage curmudgeon. END PEDANT ALERT

Unless I misunderstood our conversations while I was working up to buying my Wheatstone, Ben and springbok07 are one and the same. jdms

The Anglo is a new (2009) instrument with, if memory serves, vintage reeds, and has the 20-sided Lachenal Edeophone look. Since the seller is in Canada, though, the exchange rate with South Africa doesn't apply. jdms

I don't know if it's still available--he had it on EBay as well--but there was a 40-button C/G Koot Brits Anglo here from c.net user Ben on the Buy and Sell forum a few months back. Having bought my 40-button C/G Aeola from Ben at about the same time, I can recommend dealing with him--the instrument was just as described, and he went to some pains to make sure it got from him in Ontario to me in Massachusetts in time for Christmas despite some delays I ran into getting the payment to him. jdms

What's the music? jdms

I thought at first you'd put a mark on the image to obscure your face and protect your (relative) anonymity in the wide world of the internet--but no, that's your hat (which is having the same effect as such a mark, but is more dignified). My posture while playing is much like my posture under most circumstances: dreadful. Efforts to improve it may eventually succeed to some degree. jdms

A few years ago, I saw Pete Kennedy (a very good guitarist, but not, so far as I know, a concertina player) play "Rhapsody in Blue" on a ukelele. He also played slide guitar using the neck of his uke... jdms

Er, would that be either a Mac or Windows (or either a PC or Mac) system? Not that I'm eligible for this anyway, not owning an iPhone or an iPod Touch of any vintage... Joshua Mackay-Smith

I'll be dancing and/or playing (not simultaneously) with a Cotswold Morris team on Sunday at noon; we have another gig on Saturday until mid-afternoon, but I'll be around otherwise. Joshua Mackay-Smith

I would point out that "Sir" goes with the first name, not the last, but that might be too constricting. (please don't strike me) jdms jdms, You are absolutely correct. To find one more pun I must have been asping at straws. Greg Don't let it rattle you. jdms

I would point out that "Sir" goes with the first name, not the last, but that might be too constricting. (please don't strike me) jdms

That, I think, is because you just told us that all comments were welcome, but you asked the melodeon.netters for detailed critiques--a fine demonstration of the effect of how you phrase the question (or the invitation to comment). Er, no value judgement stated or implied here--just a theory to explain the difference... jdms

This isn't helpful to you, since it's the following weekend (23, 24 and 25 April, in Mansfield), but may be to others reading this thread: NEFFA features a fine array of performers, including some c.netters and other concertinists (John Roberts, for example, is on the schedule for four performances), as well as contra dancing, ECD, etc. jdms

Is this part of your basis for assigning Bach to the second rank? Bear in mind that in his day as well as in Mozart's, any composer or musician wanting to make a living depended on the patronage of the nobility; Haydn, for example, was famously a liveried servant in a Hungarian prince's court. By Regondi's day, however, it had become possible to have a musical career without seeking favors from the aristocracy. jdms

It's not necessarily relevant, but Hardigg is now owned by Pelican...add one, though, to the recommendations for the Storm Case, along with Paul, Chris, Thomas Concertinas and various players (I know Micheal O Raghallaigh was considering one a couple of years ago, but I don't know whether he got one). It's not expensive, but it's light, quite tough, waterproof and has a pressure release valve for altitude changes. I still need to block mine, though (I just have it for travel--my instruments stay in their original cases otherwise), since the available cube-perforated foam, while a whole lot better than nothing, still has some disadvantages. jdms

The incidental music didn't really seem to go with the subject matter (I gather it's standard for the period, though)...I'm also amused by the narrator talking about fingering for an English concertina over footage of someone assembling an Anglo. Then there's this, around 1:26: "The concertina, by the way, is the only musical instrument invented by an Englishman--but then, music is the food of love, and Englishmen are reputedly bad lovers." I make no comment other than a snort. jdms

Huh. None of these posts has appeared in bold for me... ...except, of course, for the word "bold" in that one. This is true on my PC with IE at work and my Mac with Firefox at home. I wonder what Sympathy's favorite automaker is... Edited to add: either I was mistaken or something changed, since it's definitely bold on my home computer now. Edited again to add: after I added the above, my post went back to normal but everyone else's stayed bold. Very odd. Joshua

I'll be there--the only reason I haven't signed up yet is that the signup form isn't available yet. Of course, being an Anglo player, I'm not so concerned with the duet classes...but the fact that both John Roberts and Jody Kruskal appear on this year's staff list means I'll have some choices to make. jdms