Mark Davies

Gavin I seem to have lost your email and home address.Email me on: edeophone@aol.com with you address and I will post a button to you.Alternatively if you are free tomorrow night the usual gathering of concertina of concertina players take place at 8.00pm at The Royal Hotel,Dungworth Mark Davies

Derek Schofield's article in the English Dance & Song magazine from the late 1970's on the traditional anglo concertina player Caleb Walker(Manley Morris) gives a good idea of the tunes that Caleb played and learn't from Bob McDermott one of the original Royton Dancers who conducted the Manley Dancers from 1934 and also in the 1950's from Fred Kilroy.I was taught by Caleb Walker and still play a Bb/F Crabb concertina that he gave me that was given to him by Bob McDermott.I played for the Manley Dancers together with up to six others concertina players from 1976 until they ceased to dance due to old age.Manley is in Cheshire which is actually in the North West of England.Manley together with the Loftus Sword Dancers won the International Trophy at the Llangollen International Eistedfod on two occasions and always strove to maintain the highest standards both in their dance and their music. Dan,I'll scan the draft of Derek Schofiled's article and email it to you

I am just about to leave Manchester to catch the plane to Shannon and will see Shay in about 5 hours as he is staying with me in Ireland and we will be attending the Kilrush Music Weekend(formerly Eigse Mrs Crotty).Dan email me and I will forward his email address on my return on Tuesday.

The 2010 music weekend will take place on Friday 16th,Saturday 17th & Sunday 20th July.Please note the new date which has again been dictated by the availability of the Bradfield Village Hall.Lots of interesting singers and musicians already lined up including a fair few from Ireland.If you have any ideas about concertina players who may be interested in attending as guests please email me.I hope Geoff Crabb will again fascinate us with his knowledge of concertina manufacture.By the 2020 music weekend you should have enough information.gleaned from Geoff,to make your own concertina! Mark Davies email:edeophone@aol.com

Don't you mean "our tiny Willie Week shop".What about your partner?He has rented that shop for many years before you joined him

From information received a fair number of concertina players from Ireland and beyond will be attending the weekend.If you are going to attend could you make it known so we can ascertain if it may be possible to have a concertina specific event of some kind.

Jon Boden(of Spiers & Boden & Bellowhead) I spoke to Jon last night who confirmed he would be in attendance and willing to perform throughout the weekend.For those who do not know Jon is a fine singer,fiddler and Maccann concertina player who has been a constant winner in many categories of the BBC Folk Awards over the last few years.Jon's partner Fay Hield(ex Witches of Elswick)will also be performing at the weekend.Anybody looking for accommodation for the weekend should book as soon as possible as there are very few spaces left.For further details contact me Mark davies Email:edeophone@aol.com

This tutor was available to purchase from Salvationist Supplies in London up to a few years ago.You could also visit their old Judd Street premises and purchase Anglo,English and Duet concertinas from the shelf.I think they stopped selling concertinas in the late 1970's.

As the Eigse Mrs Crotty Festival will not be taking place why not come to the Bradfield Traditional Music Weekend which is held in a beautiful part of England with some great concertina playing guests attending who include amongst other:- Shay Fogarty(Dublin)Anglo Gavin Atkin Jeffries Duet Mike Hebbert Jeffries Duet Roger Digby Anglo Alan Day Anglo Dave Prebble Anglo Geoff Crabb Crane Duet Jon Boden Maccann Duet tbc Roy Clinging English Steve Harrison Anglo Rees Wesson Anglo/Melodeon and many more Roger Digby will be presenting his Anglo Hour on both the Saturday & Sunday and Geoff Crabbs Manufacturers & Repairers Seminar will take place on those days also.There will also be other talks by some of the United Kingdoms leading authorities on traditional music Tickets cost £20 per person for all events including the Saturday night dance.Caravans,mobile homes and tents can stay for the weekend at no additional cost. We will start the event on Thursday 25th June with the Royal Concertina Players meeting at The Royal Hotel,Dungworth. Email me for further details and a booking form Mark Davies Home Email:edeophone@aol.com

I have been communicating with a number of concertina players from Ireland and beyond who have annually attended the Mrs Crotty Weekend in Kilrush and it appears that many of them will be in Kilrush on the usual weekend,as I will be.I have attended every Mrs Crotty Festival since its inception and feel that the weekend should continue to be supported even though the actual festival no longer takes place.The early festivals were in my opinion the best with some fine sessions taking place.Would any other concertina.net members be interested in attending?

Details of the guests attending and a booking from can be found on the Musical Traditions website.As usual many of the leading players of all systems of concertina will be in attendance together with concertina makers and repairers.I have brought forward the date of this years weekend so I hope it does not clash with too many other events.As accommodation is in short supply in the Bradfield area and it gets booked up well in advance of the weekend please email for an accommodation list.As usual we will start the weekend on Thursday 25th June with our session hosted by The Royal Concertina Players.For further details contact me:- Mark Davies Email:edeophone@aol.com

We are holding our Christmas Dinner and session at The Royal Hotel,Dungworth,Sheffield on the above date.Everyone is welcome to attend for a meal and the session afterwards(we may also have a few tunes between courses!)or just for the session.Email me if you wish to see the menu and book a meal or if you want directions.A number of regular contributors to this site are regular attenders.We will be starting at 7.00pm.The Royal Hotel is a very friendly pub and the food is good. Regards Mark Davies

One well known anglo player in Yorkshire played(and probably still does play)the concertina by playing the the right hand side of the instrument with his left hand and obviously the left hand side with his right hand using his lttle finger to play the air and drone buttons.I have not heard him play for over thirty years but from memory he was very good.I think he also played the melodeon the same way.I also recollect that he had Crabb's make him an anglo where the fingering remained reversed but the air button(still played with his left hand)and the drone button(still played by his right hand)were placed to be used by the thumbs.I understand he was entirely self taught and learnt to play in this way before he had met another anglo concertina player so just carried on.

I will be in Ireland from late Friday and am flying back to the UK on Sunday night.Henrik give me a ring on my mobile to tell me where you will be.I will probably play in Ennistymon on Friday night and also Saturday(when I understand a flat session has been arranged).I may be in Ennis over the weekend but may also attend the Clare Festival of Traditional Singing at the Bellbridge Hotel at Spanish Point.I understand Bill Crossland will also be in Clare.Hope to see you.

Noel Kenny playing at the 2004 Eigse Mrs Crotty

Noel Kenny appeared as a guest at Eigse Mrs Crotty three or four years ago and was a very fine player and all round enetertainer.You will find some photographs of Noel and a full report of that years festival in one of the reports of the weekend done by Shay Fogarty which I think were hosted on Lisa Shields website.I also have some recordings of Noel made that weekend.

Geoff Crabb will be visiting us at October meeting.Everyone interested in the concertina is welcome to attend.Good reasonably priced food is available at The Royal Hotel which is in the village of Dungworth near Sheffield,South Yorkshire.The evening usually consists of playing tunes and talking about the history and repair of concertinas.Neil Wayne always brings a few interesting concertinas and concertina related memorabilia from his collectionfor us to have a look at.We are more than happy to try to assist beginners. If you wouldm like to attend and have never been before email me for directions:- edeophone@aol.com

Two new guests have confirmed they will be attending.Roy Clinging a singer and English concertina player will be performing and giving a talk on folk songs from Cheshire,whilst Neil Brookes a fiddle player will give a talk on the recent discovery of 19th Century fiddlers tune books from the North Shropshire.Neil & Tony Weatherall have recently issued a very fine CD featuring these tunes.

Your absolutely right Chris.The date and venue for the English Country Music Weekend have been confirmed on the Musical Traditions website as being the 19th,20th & 21st June 2009 at Ampthill.Any visitors coming from overseas could therefore easily attend both that event and my music weekend.

Geoff Crabb has confirmed he will be doing a bellows making workshop at the 2009 weekend.This was supposed to take place this year but we could not fit it in. Rees Wesson the well known melodeon player and repairer has confirmed he will attend. I will post breaking news as it happens

I have now able to confirm the dates of the 2009 weekend.I apologise if the date clashes with other events in the UK.The change of date has been caused by my other commitments and the availability of Bradfield Village Hall.If there are any guests you would like me to invite or you would like to be invited as a guest yourself please contact me.Please bear in mind no fees or expenses are paid and I only make a contribution towards accomodation costs .I am also looking for speakers and presentations for the weekend so if you have any suggestions contact me. The dates are:- FRIDAY 26TH JUNE.SATURDAY 27TH JUNE & SUNDAY 28TH JUNE 2009

Due to other intererests I cannot organise the 2009 Bradfield Traditional Weekend on the weekend of 7th,8th & 9th August(so ignore the email I sent to all those on my contact list)I am considering bringing it forward to the weekend of the 24th,25th & 26th July.The only event that I know of that it clashes with is the Cullerlie Traditional Singing Weekend in Scotland.It will no doubt clash with some "folk festival"or other in the UK but as I have no interest in "folk music"that is not a problem.Has anyone got any thoughts about this?

I have an extensive collection of recordings of concertina players dating from the late 1940's and early 1950's(transferred from reel to reel to cassette)and going through to the 1960's and 1970's.These were left to me by Harry Hatton of Haydock,Lancashire,agreat concertina player and enthusiast who I played with for many years.The collection includes unique recordings of anglo,Jeffries/Maccann & Crane Duet & English concertina players as well as ensembles and competitors at the ICA Festivals.These recordings in the main have never been publicly available before.I have purchased the equipment to digitise the recordings but have realised I simply do not have the time available to complete the project.I am seeking someone with the requisite skills to do the work.I am willing to pay for the work to be carried out.Ideally anbody interested should live within reasonable travelling distance of Sheffield,South Yorkshire.Contact me :- edeophone@aol.com

Talks & Workshops Geoff Crabb's" Concertina Makers & Repairers Forum" Roger Digby's" Anglo Hour" Jody Kruskal "Cool American Stuff on the C/G Anglo" Dan Worrall "The Beginnings of Anglo Concertina Playing in England 1830-1920" Andrew & Margaret Watchorn "Music From The Borders" Could I emphasise that the Bradfield Traditional Music Weekend is NOT a concertina festival it just so happens this year there is a lot to interest concertina players.For those who want to come early The Royal Concertina Players will meet at The Royal Hotel Dungwoth at 8.00pm on Thursday 7th August for s pie supper accompanied by Jody Kruskal. The weekend features some of the finest traditional singers and musicians from the UK and Ireland.Email me for a booking form. Although most of the local accommodation is already booked I know of one or two rooms still available.Otherwise there is plenty of space for caravans/campavans and for those who wish to camp.

Additional Guest The well known Irish singer and guitarist Ron Kavanagh has confirmed that he will be attending the weekend as guest.