Mark Stayton

"Jeffries-ite" has almost religious connotations...

Musitek has a product called SmartScore that does just that. The Piano Edition or MIDI Edition ($99 for either) might be what you're looking for.

Ken Coles' article, Choosing a Chromatic Row Layout On Anglo: A Smorgasbord, has a pretty extensive list of chromatic row layouts.

Hi Alex, I wonder if you'll find a consensus on "commonly accepted names", but here are some other published diagrams I have seen: There are two diagrams in Bertram Levy's "The Anglo Concertina Demystified". One has D as the lower-left draw, and is labeled "Lachenal or Bastari System". The other has A as the lower-left draw and is labeled "Jeffreys" (sp). The diagram in Frank Edgley's "The Anglo Concertina: Handbook of Tunes and Methods for Irish Traditional Music" has the A draw and is identified as the system used on Wheatstone, Jones, and Lachenal instruments. I have a collection of chord charts from Howard Mitchell's website that show the D. FWIW, my Crabb and Jeffries each have a C/C drone. Cheers, Mark

There's no air button. It's unnecessary, I suppose, because its uni-sonoric (same note on press and draw) like an English concertina. Bob Gaskins has a button arrangement for this instrument on page 27 of his "How To Play Chords On Any MacCann Duet Concertina" publication on the MacCann website Mark

It's definitely a duet. The button arrangement exactly matches the 39b Lachenal duet in my collection. Mark

I just returned from the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, and one of the groups there was using Northumbrian smallpipes, which weren't invented until the 1700's. Later they brought out a melodeon. There was an English concertina player at the same Faire a few years back. There didn't seem to be anything in the way of authenticity police, and nobody seemed to mind. Maybe the trick is to play period music on your non-period instrument. Mark

I was amused by Jim Lucas' photo of the "duet" concertina arrangement on the website. It occurred to me that the anglo would be difficult to play with the feet, but this arrangement might actually be workable if the concertinas were reversed. If the big toes went in the thumb straps of the English, then the other toes would be in pretty good playing position. Actually getting them coordinated enough to play is a whole 'nother matter. And I don't even want to think about the ergonomics...

The stable currently includes: Jeffries 31-b C/G (1890's) Crabb 31-b C/G #10084 (1945) - see it here. Rock Chidley English #1243 (1861?) plus two "repair projects": Lachenal 20-b #69068 (1895?) Lachenal 39-b MacCann duet #606 (1890?) - more of a basket case, sadly

Here I am at this year's Midwest NHICS. Note the conspicuous absence of a concertina (they're Northumbrian smallpipes). That's Noel on the left, wondering why I'm not practicing... Photo courtesy of Roy Janik. Thanks Roy!