Robin Harrison

Interesting Jim..............I know Ian so I should suggest it. He is a top player though and I am merely a scratch . Perfectly accurate description, Jim. I thought it might be loud but it really isn't. It now needs tuning as the beats vary considerably across the scale and also on the press and the draw. It's beyond my experience to tune something like this.......I might need to see if Theo is interested at some time. There are beats on every note so I think it was originally tuned this way and not each one the same. Wolf, yep, it's very "wet" . I like "wet" accordions so I'm fine with it. Robin

True.............. This is "Big Red", one of three double reeded English concertinas made in the 1960's by H.Crabb &Son; the other two were white and blue. I can't remember the history ( I may not have known it anyway) but Mr.Harry Crabb made them for a family to perform at some show.....not sure. It's great fun to play this concertina. It is not my 1st choice player...........it doesn't ( naturally ) have the Aeola sound I like but in sessions where there are 2 or more concertinas, and you can't tell who is doing what, it sounds sufficiently different for me to be able to hear myself. In our Toronto English session we sometimes have 6 concertinas going and it's mayhem. Thanks.....Robin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9koDAOYs10A

In fact that double reeded Crabb is mine.............it was a spurious eBay sale. It's a beautifully built concertina. Robin

By coincidence I was talking to my Morris side (who sing a bit) about how we often use our outside voices when we are indoors and then came across an English soprano from the 1940's who wrote a book called "Never Sing Louder Than Lovely" Rather appropriate for this thread, I thought. Robin

Very nice , Jim. About 1/2 the bands are Morris dancers too? Robin

I wonder if this one counts as having only one side ? Robin Round lachenal 2.bmp

I too have listened to this wonderful CD many times, over the Christmas period. It’s music for the ages. I very much enjoyed their 1st album, Indoors: it had many high-lights…………this album is all highlights ! Suzanna plays with great virtuosity and this recording puts Adrian firmly at the forefront of anglo players currently recording if he was not there already. I have a feeling that this CD may prove to be one of the great anglo concertina albums for at least a couple of reasons. Mentioned above, musicians who play this accompanied style at this level of accomplishment are rare and with such a good sound recording it’s possible to separate the left and right hands clearly and enjoy what he does with both. The bass side is sometimes used for melody and sounds like a bass concertina in the mix. If you'd like to let a new player know what the anglo is capable of, this would be one album to recommend. The Irish community is blessed with dozens of wonderful players and recordings: accompanied style not so much. I can imagine someone wanting to play the anglo with an, as yet, unformed idea of what they want to play. After listening to Adrian’s playing I think the diatonic scales could well fall from their eyes. The music itself. I’d love to know how they do it (extreme talent and a wonderful artistic sensibility is probably the answer!) but there is a lightness to their playing. This suffuses every track and there is a joy that Suzanna brings to her recorders. It’s magical to me that you can play “joy” but she does it. Having listened to the CD many times, “joyous” is the adjective that I keep coming back to. The songs are a real pleasure too. In the liner notes Adrian says he uses a 1959 voice made in the UK and he brings a charm to the diverse song selection…………. I found myself surprisingly moved by their “Once I Loved a Maiden Fair”. His is not a trained voice but this adds to the atmosphere of the 17th century broad sheets ballads they sing ( I may need correcting on the origins of the songs). Adrian’s maids sit on the grass not grrrraass and he sings with a voice that is authentically his own. If you have ever listened to Jose Carreras sing “Salmon Chanted Evening” in Westside Story, you’ll know what I mean. They finish with a music hall song. I’m not a fan of music hall (I squirm) but I liked this Gus Elen song a lot and more tellingly, enjoyed it on repetition. It’s because (I think ) he lets the song do the work rather than letting parody in. Their final song is a punk rock song from Ian Drury and the Blockheads. Yes, the Blockheads. ‘Nuff said but to add that he’s a lucky bleeder to have such a wonderful musical companion in Suzanna Borsch and quite simply……………… He Ain’t ‘Alf a Clever Bastard Robin BTW.. a shout out for Mike Franch above.........everyone should buy two copies. Same as books. If you want to keep a copy of you favourite book you have to buy two so you can lend out one which eventually is lost!

Very nice Jim.........thanks for posting. Robin

Duet though ? Robin

The layout for my G/D Dipper........it's somewhat modified from a Jeffries 38 keyed anglo. Note where the low A is on the LHS. Robin Dipper layout GD.pdf

Fabulous playing Adrian..............boy, does that Jeffries sound good in the hall. However just to be clear, this setting of the tune is not the Cotswold Lumps of Plum Pudding tune. Robin Lumps of Plum Pudding Bledington.pdf

Dave, I should have added in my post that I had previously owned an anglo that Jeff Crabb made and he had constructed a lever action air release that was superb. Robin

..............just picked up on this thread, Dave so don't know if it is moot but here's a video of an air lever in action on my Dipper G/D. Robin http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHoZOyvi3qg

I believe Malcolm is correct.............Rosalie Dipper told me once it was a recent mis-spelling. It seems to have entered the lexicon and everyone seems to know what it means, so I see no reason not to use it. After alI, I take selfies. Robin

........................which is in itself interesting. This anglo's strongest suit is how photogenic it is, not it's playability. What's not to love about this photo. https://haystackrecords.co.uk/shop/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=54 Gavin is a terrific singer & musician too. Robin

Again.............interesting question. When I found I could not bring how I liked to play the ADG melodeon to my anglo ( which I had been playing on and off for the Toronto morris men, Kimber style), I bought a couple of Mccann duets and gave them a shot............... Thought it was an excellent system.................Crane would have worked too.....................but missed the ability to give tunes the punch I was able to with an anglo. This was no reflection on the duet system but my failings. I even had a rare Wheatstone Hayden for a time as that seemed like the answer but the same issue. The attack an anglo can give you can be exhilarating, Morris, Sword, Contra etc. But I can play my current Dipper in a different way for different situations. Glad you're interested. Robin

Thanks Dan for the positive feedback...............not a pest at all. I have found that alternative layouts is not generally interesting so I'm pleased to talk about it. To hear you say that my anglo playing reminds you of an English concertina is an observation I had hoped people might make and is really a great compliment................this is what I was aiming for when I started this journey. Being able to fully chord any tune was front and central in my decision making. So answer your questions. 1.....................Because I am content to be able to play in fewer keys, I have replaced some unwanted reeds with reversals so I have been able to fill out some weaker chords ( G draw for example, A push) and also get complete scales with no bellows reversal to allow me to come closer to a duet style if I wish. 2...............interesting this one, in fact I do play the English less. A question for another thread would be to ask people not just "what different concertinas do you play?" but "why do you play different concertinas" It may have already been done, I can't member, but it speaks directly to why I was looking to modify a standard layout. Although I do play the EC I have never been able to get my head around the EC chordal style that some players on this site do so well. Some tunes seem to me to cry out for a more legato phrasing that is just not possible to do on the anglo........to my satisfaction anyway. This is why I never chose one system over the other; I knew I would lose too much by giving one up. But what I can now do is to play tunes I would previously only have attempted on the EC on the anglo in a legato (EC) way and fully accompany them as well ( which I can't do on the EC) What I had hoped to achieve with this layout,( which is only a modest variation of a 38 key layout), is to be able to sound more like an EC but have access to complete, full chords. Although as yet I can't play them, the layout allows for them...................but at the same time not doing any damage to an accompanied 30 key anglo style. And this is of course, where Gary's post is pertinent................... there are now loads of choices, all the time. Finally, I would guess that a largish proportion of anglo players might ask " But why would you want to make an anglo sound like an English concertina ? " The answer for me comes right back to where I started...................... the fact that the instrument is steering how the tunes are played rather than the musician. Again, thanks for viewing the videos.. Robin

Just responding to the discussion between Dan & Adrian re. different layouts and "random " buttons. A few years ago I changed from a solid up-and-down- 2 row melodeon style to a 3 row ADG............I like very much reduction of what (to me) were intrusive bellow reversals. I tried to take this to a 38 keyed anglo but there are/were still too many reversals at key notes in the scale. After some experimentation sliding reeds around on a 38 key, I asked Colin Dipper to build me a 36 keyed G/D to a custom layout. Here are the results...............I've played the tunes once through as if on a 30 key anglo then using the full layout. It's taken an immense amount of practice to get here. The "re-thinking" of this approach requires that you realize there are always 2 possible buttons to choose from ( press & draw) when your mind, muscle memory and habit are telling you otherwise. Bending the Ferret................ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHoZOyvi3qg Belltower................................http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIpltnyKoNM The results are yet far from perfect and the bass is a challenge still too far for C.net listeners but with more bass reversal choices as well, I can start to take a more "duet" idea to tunes. Attached is the key layout. As an afterthought are a couple more examples of videos I recorded for other purposes( our Toronto English session and C.net TOTM) that show a couple of tunes I would previously not have attempted on a 30 key Celebrated Quadrille & Jump at the Sun..............http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkvUp1-jINY Xotis Romanes.......................................http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM6OKRRC9cE Thanks Robin Dipper layout GD C.net.pdf

Sorted.by changing to Chrome.

See above..............sorry

I bought a great 38 keyed Jeffries G/D from John Rodd, of the Albion Country Dance Band. As he also played guitar and had finger-nails, he had Colin Dipper put extra long buttons on..........after I'd played it a bit I had Colin put shorter buttons back on. So "yes" to your question ! cheers............robin

.....................and let me highly recommend a series of duet tune books compiled by Derek Hobbs at Rossleigh Music. Loads of Northumbrian tunes with interesting 2nd part written by Derek. I've had these books for years and they are great. As Gary says, the duet are just great to play with 2 concertinas I find the Society book to small for comfortable reading.........I'm not a swift reader.......these books are 8"X12" and are easy on the eye. The Pipers Companion Vols 1- VII. Inc one of carols and one of Classical pieces Rossleigh music Rossleigh House Windsor Terrace Newbiggin-by-Sea Northumberland NE64 6UJ Robin........... I've noticed his house is Windsor Terrace. A great Playford tune ( I think ) aka Bar-a-Bar

I asked Jody and he was very pleased to have his tune more widely published.............and why not, it's a wonderful tune. Attached is Pixie Wings, with his chords. Robin Pixie Wings.pdf

Even if Tra Veglia E Sonno does not make the cut, does anyone have sheet music for it ? Robin

.............my favourite line. '"................and occasional pieces of skin " Rickity-tickety-tin ! Robin