Ptarmigan

This new posting is rather tasty! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjf4IWS68wk Any of those Cs look familiar Alex? Cheers, Dick

Fun with iMovie! Messing around with iMovie this evening, for the first time, I managed to create this mini masterpiece! ......... Spielberg look out! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJ0qJ1D-Ef0 They are a couple of Polkas I composed on the Concertina, a few years back, in memory of a local Fiddle player, the late Jim McGill, who taught Traditional Music to numerous young folk around here. I took the video footage just up the road here, during that Snow last Spring. Cheers, Dick

Well my own Jeffries Bb/F is one of the easiest to play Concertinas, I've ever had, but of course she has only 6 fold bellows. So when I picked up my 2009 Suttner, just recently, I was delighted to find she had 7 fold bellows & being 2 years old, the bellows were well played in, so I was up & running straight away. Funny thing too, visually it looked a lot smaller than my 30key Jeffries, but sat side by side it's actually the same size, so being all black, I think that must be down to some kind of optical illusion. Cheers, Dick

I found it Ann .... Oidhreacht an Chláir: Noel Hill Cheers, Dick

I must say Lawrence, I don't really like using that expression, when it comes to musical instruments. Somehow, it makes me think of this photo! Cheers, Dick

Sorry, but that link doesn't work for me! Does anyone else have problems with it, or is it just me? Cheers, Dick

Of course, it's all down to personal preference, but I heard a metal ended Suttner recently, which to my ears at least, sounded just a little on the shrill side, compared to my raised Ebony ended 31key model. When given a choice, I'd tend to go for the warmth of a wooden ended instrument & by the way, my Suttner has plenty of poke in a session / noisy pub environment. As for weight, I haven't actually played a 38 key Suttner, but I really don't have any problem & hardly notice the difference, when shifting from my 38key to my 30key Jeffries, so I'd be rather surprised if the same didn't apply to Suttner's instruments. Cheers, Dick

Well, I just received a copy of a photo from the Elphinstone collection, from the Director, Prof. Ian Russell, which clearly shows George Morris playing a 7 fold bellows Concertina. So, as 62 & 64 key Baritone / Trebles like mine, had 8 fold bellows, it would appear that the instrument George played was in fact a Baritone after all & certainly not the Concertina I now have, which has 8 folds. So the search for my mystery player goes on ........ However, it is interesting to know now that obviously, at least three Concertina enthusiasts in Aberdeenshire did favour the Baritone instruments. Cheers, Dick

Watch out! ... he's posted a Lachenal Anglo Concertina C/G now! Will we see more funny business, I wonder! Cheers, Dick

As a postscript to this thread, here are two videos of this Concertina in action. Cheers, Dick

Don't you just love a story with a happy ending!

Hey Greg, in your January Sale, will you be doing any Buy One, Get One Free special offers? Cheers, Dick

Excellent! ... Congratulations! I'm sure you'll be very happy together! So I guess it's Party Time! Cheers, Dick

Thanks to TomB for letting me know that Danny Dove of Gaerlockhead has recently sold his Tenor / Treble & gone over to the Dark Side ... he bought a Guitar! On a brighter note though, thanks to Michael Marino, for letting me know that his wife plays the English Concertina! ......... So we’re still at 81! Cheers, Dick Players of the English Concertina in Scotland {81} George Anderson ~ Kelso, Neil Bayfield ~ Aberdeenshire, Hamish Bayne ~ Orkney, Karen Beattie ~ West Lothian, Jack Bethel ~ Glasgow, Bob Blair ~ , Elspeth Brown ~, Glasgow, Stewart Brown ~ Dundee, Alex Cadogan ~ Aberdeen, Kenny Caird ~, Sass Campbell ~ Morayshire, Pamela Carr ~ Edinburgh, Norman Chalmers ~ Edinburgh, Robert Chalmers ~ Edinburgh, Russ Clare ~ Doune, Joan Clifford ~ Borders, Selby Cochrane ~ , Paul Connolly ~ Lochaber, Simon Cooper ~ Edinburgh, David Corner ~ Dalkeith, Peter Donald ~ Glasgow, Tom Donnelly ~ Glasgow, John Eaglesham ~ Glasgow, Stuart Eydmann ~ Edinburgh, Archie Fisher ~ Borders, Richard Forsyth ~ Edinburgh, Foss Foster ~ Banff, Susannah Franks ~ Fife, John Gahagan ~ Glasgow, George Haig ~ Fife, Simon Harbord ~ , Gordon Haxton ~ Glasgow, Pete Heywood ~ Ayrshire, Gordon Hotchkiss ~ , Astryd Jamieson ~ Shetland, Nigel Jelks ~ Angus, Brian Johnstone ~ Glasgow, Alan Jones ~ East Kilbride, Katy Kiernan ~ West Lothian, John Leavy ~ Kincardineshire, Iain MacDonald ~ , Belinda MacLaren ~ Lennoxtown, Maggie Macrae ~ Glasgow, Tom Martin ~ , Gary Mahon ~, Duncan McLennan ~, Susan McClure ~ Glasgow, John McCourtney ~ Glasgow, Tom McDermott ~ Ayrshire, Marta McGlynn ~ , Geordie McIntyre ~ Dunblane, Duncan McLennan ~ Inverness, Brian McNeill ~ , Mrs Marino ~ Edinburgh, Cameron Miller ~ Glasgow, Drew Moyes ~ Glasgow, Mike Penny ~ , Dave Richardson ~ , Derek Richardson ~ Perthshire, Helen Ross ~ Stirling, Alison Shepard ~ Edinburgh, Wendy Stewart ~ Dumfries, Andrea Stanford ~ Fife, Steve Sutcliffe ~ , Bob Thomas ~ , Dave Thomas ~ Morayshire, Sally Thomas ~ East Lothian, Simon Thoumire ~ Edinburgh, Ted Tracey-Bower ~ Edinburgh, Dick Trickie ~ Aberdeenshire, Erland Voy ~ , Ann Ward ~ Edinburgh, Tom Ward ~ Edinburgh, Frances Wilkins ~ Aberdeen, Alan Wright ~ Kilmarnock Scottish players not resident {4} Dick Glasgow ~ Co Antrim, Jean Graham ~ France, Jack Beck ~ Virginia, U.S.A, Geoff Caplan, Devon. Not to be forgotten {10} Mike Berry, Archie Frame, Peter Hall, David Haxton, Rev. Gordon Jones, Joseph Kent, Iain MacKintosh, Mike Petrie, Jim Reid, Roy Williamson, G S Morris, Victor Smith, Jack Easy, James Dickson, Tommy Dale & Walter Dale. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Paul, have you considered joining the Maccann-Mccann Concertina Players forum & posting your request over there? Cheers, Dick

Hi, Having read the Frozen Shoulder story next door, I felt I had to write to say that, for the past two weeks I've been suffering in some pain, from a Frozen Neck. To combat the pain, I've been applying Deep Heat cream, 3 times a day & thankfully it is slowly getting better, but in all honesty, I doubt if the cream has much to do with that. I suppose time may be the greatest healer. Anyway, many years ago, my Dad suffered from a Frozen Shoulder for months, & despite the best efforts of some doctors & specialists, he was finally cured, only when he visited an acupuncturist. I saw this with my own eyes too, so if my neck pains do persist, I'll certainly be going to one myself. Anyway, the good news is that, although I had to stop playing the Fiddle for a week, because of this pain, it never actually stopped me playing the Concertina! So if you have a choice .... go for the Frozen Neck! Cheers, Dick

Indeed ... till death, do us part! Sorry, this was shot in a different room. Funny thing is, our three real live Terriers were actually faffing about, around our feet, while we were trying to shoot this & we had a couple of aborted attempts due to barking. At least, that's my excuse for all my Bum Notes! Cheers, Dick

By way of wishing you all a very Musical Merry Christmas, here are two short videos of a wee tune with a seasonal flavour, O Little Town of Bethlehem, which I recorded today, accompanied by "her indoors" on Harp! Wheatstone Aeola Baritone Treble English Concertina & Harp! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygMAEgaRjfc C/G Suttner Anglo Concertina & Harp! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5w07VLhjJs Cheers, Dick

Shelly, just for you, here's a wee flavour of Bari in action! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9Xg_Dk-BcY & the same tune, with Harp accompaniment: Cheers, Dick

Mmmm .... Lucky You! My first English was actually a beautiful #22. However, I found the notes just a little on the squeeky side & much prefer working with the more mellow tones you get from the bigger beasties. That's why, if I ever go for a Treble again, it'd have to be a wooden ended one. Horses for courses, of course .. Cheers, Dick

Hey John, many thanks for sharing that info. Fascinating to learn that there were only 7 other #15s made like mine, with metal ends. I wonder where they all are now. Cheers, Dick

Nope. I have a 64-button tenor-treble. And my recollection is that Juliette Daum's bass-baritone is a 64-button (and the same size as my own 64-button baritone-treble, though my 56-button bass is larger). Ooooops! .... I stand corrected!

Well Geoff, some might say that, in relation to Baritones, this would be the most important & interesting period. Cheers, Dick

WOW! ... only 35! .......... that wasn't even two per year. I didn't realise there were so few actually produced. I got the impression that these models were rather popular with some of the professional Music Hall artists, so assumed there had been quite a big demand for them, but clearly that wasn't the case. Thanks Geoof. It's interesting to think that at least two of them, that I know of, found good homes up in Aberdeenshire. Cheers, Dick

Hi Steve, Is it fair to say that we can safely assume that all 62 & 64 key instruments were Baritone instruments? I suppose that distinction is just not possible with 56 key instruments, which I'm guessing could be Extended models, or TT's or actual Baritones. Mind you, that still leaves a heck of a lot of counting to be done & without any definitive result at the end, to show for all the hard work. Which is, no doubt, why nobody has bothered. Ah well, no harm in asking. Cheers, Dick