Robin Madge

This sounds rather familiar! I play for Wrigley head who do "Royton" as one of their dances. We start with "Oh Susanna", playe slowly through two A parts then up to speed on the B parts as the dance accelerates from a slow march to a polka. Next comes "The Manley tune" which has some similarities to "Brighton camp" at first hearing. After that we have "Auld Lang syne" followed by "Brighton Camp". The end of the dance (variable length depending on how many figures are called) is done to the "Nancy" wich is slow and involves dancers jumping into the centre of the long set etc. and needs the person calling the figures to attract the musician's attention! Robin Madge

Various member of John O' Gaunt Morris will be attending the screening at the Dukes in Lancaster on 12th October, in kit! Robin Madge

Oddly enough last night we were tidying up in the attic rom with the ceiling fan on when Anne discovered an old school recorder and started to play it. The doppler effect was even stronger than for the concertina, but particularly on certain notes. Robin Madge

Would it be an idea to have extra fretwork openings on both sides and then experiment with different arragements of baffles to see what effect they have? That way you end up with a more symetrical looking instrument that you may even be able to alter the sound quality on for different occasions. Robin Madge

I'm not a devout follower of Eastern European music but I play in sessions with a few musicians who are. The easy way to cope is to play a harmony, that way you can cut down on the number of accidentals that you need to get at by picking another note from the chord. Robin Madge

Beatles: Yesterday, Pink Floyd: Wish you were here, Hendrix: Hey Joe, Abba: Take a chance on me......................... Robin Madge

Among other things I have been called Leather lung pumper. Leather ferret fancier. The black belt caterpillar wrestler. Mudcat members may recognise the last.

I have a fibreglass pipes case bought from Hobgoblin in about 1984/5 that will hold three Anglos. You have to check that the case has been cut deep enough when it comes out of the mould as not all of them will be the full depth needed. Over time the hinges become a bit flexible and the lid flexes so I have a strap around it as a safety precaution. Also don't rely on it being shower-proof in the rain as it can get in along the join of base and lid. Robin Madge

Could the floor spot singer refered to have been Jo ? Both the songs are in her repertoire and I have a vague memory of that late night extra (not drink induced memory vagueness as those who know me will realise, just time induced memory vagueness). It woukld have been the first year that I went to Sidmouth I think. On "Len the bonesman", I was asked by him to provide some music in different rhythms for him to do a ten minute or so spot in the beach store (where the deck chairs were kept in the winter, under a garage I think and since demolished and replaced by flats, not the same as the SWEB building). We didn't really wok out before hand what he wanted so he was rather confused when I went into "Lord Inchiquin", but kept going and the public never caught on that he hadn't spotted the time change at first! I think it was later in the week that he was asked to do a spot at the LNE and wisely chose someone else to provide the music! He died some years ago now and I am sure there was mention on Mudcat at the time with his family organising a proper wake for his folk friends. Robin Madge

Surely if you play a "traditional" tune on our "Johnny come lately" intrument the concertina you are being inovative? Robin Madge

I had a spring break during a Morris tour and managed to make a running repair using a safety pin and a pair of pliers, and I only missed playing for one dance. Come to think of it that safety pin is still in there! Robin Madge

I am very sorry never to have met him, having read so many of his posts here. His name will, I suppose, be known for generations, just as Wheatstone and Lachenal are. I see no reason to doubt that the instruments that he has created will be cherished in his memory. Robin Madge

The first tune that I played on an Anglo was "The Sweet Nightingale", because the rather broken instrument that I had been lent had all the notes for that one! Robin Madge

Looking around the site I found the shape/colour and sound test and tried that. I got an overall score of 100%, individual scores of 100, 100, 95.2, 97.8, 100. I'm wondering if this is to do with being a person who thinks in chords most of the time as opposed to melody and can "hear" the chords behind a melody when no-one is playing it! As a result I am used to thinking in a form of shape for a tune and so this is not so different. Any0ne else tried this one? Robin Madge

Well I managed 83.3 on the memory, 1.8hz on the pitch and 84 on the rhythm, and I'm a by ear only player. I must point out that any sense of rhythm only descends as far as the knees, I'm a truly terrible dancer, however I have played for dancing for years so that may make up for it. Robin Madge

"Fresh tunes - get them while they're hot!" "What's 6-sided and cool?" Robin Madge

Singleton Cloggers on the Fylde are celebrating 60 years this year and it has been suggested that they try to get the film shown localy as part of their festivities, so they are investigating the possibility. Robin Madge

Not such a ridiculous idea for a plot as featuring a person who ages in reverse, which is the plot of a current Oscar nominee. Robin Madge

This is being discussed on Mudcat and anything good for the Morris should be good for the concertina world I would think. http://www.morrismovie.com/ The problem is that the film has not managed to get to the point of acceptance for national release. Yes, it pokes fun, but apparently in a good humoured way and an article in the Daily Mail revealed that the actors found themselves being drawn in more and more until the point where they went out of their way to dance when off camera. I would like to get it into the mainstream cinemas. Robin Madge

To be pedantic, it is the South side of the Gower peninsula which is renouned for its Englishness. Cue Crane Driver to tell us which end of Llangennith is truely welsh:) Robin Madge

We have cheap, thin, transparent cycle cape style coveralls (available form most English sea-side tacky goods shops) that we use when the weather has turned nasty but not bad enough to stop the dancers. They come in a variety of coloured tints and you can usually find something to match your team colours. Boil-in-the-bag Morris:) Robin Madge

I have been advised ( by a concertina playing generator service engineer) to get a generator that runs on diesel as that takes much longer to deteriorate. Robin Madge

Well I managed to drive over the remains of the last snow drift on Saturday afternoon to reach the farm and found that the postman had been there before me! He must have walked though as there were no vehicle tracks. I think that I shall have to look into getting a four-wheel drive vehicle for emergencies, but it is very inspirational and so peaceful up there; we haven't taken the concertinas there yet Robin Madge

Well, it was above freezing when I had to play outside on Friday night and the concertinas took no harm, but When we tried to get to the farmhouse on Saturday morning we had to unload and carry things for the final 300 yards as the car got stuck in a snow drift. It broke through a layer of ice into a puddle beneath and couldn't get any grip. It wouldn't have got much further anyway as there was nearly 3 feet of snow on one corner. After about an hour of digging we got it back out to a safer place about 1/2 a mile away. Future plans are to look into the possibility of creating a snow-fence of bushes to protect the lane from drifts. We thought that we would be better able to go to some of the Sheffield carols in pubs events, but it is too treacherous trying to walk 1/2 a mile up hill on ice by moonlight to get back home afterwards! It is raining here this morning so I'm hoping that the snow upon the hills is starting to thaw and not re-feezing into ice-sheets at night. Robin Madge.

Well, I didn't get my cargo delivered to the farmhouse yesterday afternoon. I got within half a mile then had to turn back as I couldn't get up the final lane. I did meet someone who was trying to come down it witha 4x4 and they had given up with that! I hadn't skidded at all up to that point either, it was just a section that had drifted too deep. I'll try again on the weekend. Robin Madge