Rod Thompson

Yes thanks for your concern - this has been a bad year for weather. We were a couple of metres above the flood line (in Brisbane), so had no troubles. The North came through the cyclone fairly well, considering. It was bad, but mainly in terms of property damage. The building codes and advice to evacuate critical areas seems to have been effective, and the right balance. (Sorry I haven't been posting lately, but under the old version of Internet Explorer the screen formatting was wild, and it was too difficult to do).

I suppose you would have to put up with ignorant audience members applauding between the movements.

IMHO, coming late to this topic, I note that nowhere in the article does it say that anyone of any ethnic background has ever been offended by faced-blackend morris dancers. The (fair) criticism is of the head teacher - for not understanding the tradition, or seeking to understand it. Please don't get this confused with intolerance on the part of any minority group - none have been even asked their opinions.

Go for it. I only wish it was me. You have the advantage of fresh water - no salt air to get into the reeds, but even so, my Kookaburra didn't suffer any ill effects from a trip to Antarctica on the barque Europa. I didn't make any special preparations for the concer, and just kept it on a spare bunk in our cabin (but where it couldn't POSSIBLY fall - even in a force 9). We had some good sessions in the saloon with other passengers and crew. The first Kookaburra in antarctica. (The Kooka has real concertina reeds, not accordian reeds) Have a great trip!!

Not a good idea in any case - gums it up something fierce.

I have resorted to sitting back from the inner circle with a hard-backed chair between me and the others. Worked well - I could hear my own mistakes, but the others were less aware of them. Until someone came & took the chair to sit in.

What a shock! I was out of town when this happened, so have only caught up with the news. My sympathy to the family, Button box staff, and all concertina people.

A newspaper article about the play "Cosi" by Louis Nowra (as done by a theatre group I belong to) talks about the play being set in a mental hospital, and describes some of the characters as: So - does anyone know if accordian-playing can be cured? And what does this mean for we concertina addicts?

Clearly a myth - eating a galah is not something anyone does twice. Recipe for cooking a galah:

Just an observation on the bellows of this concertina. They seem to be folded in the way photographic bellows are - making a square with chamfered edges. I've always wondered why squeezeboxes don't use this method. it seems simpler. Any ideas why? - is it just that klingons smarter than humans.

Hi my name is Rod and I am a concertinaholic: I was in a production of "Reedy River" (a play with Australian folk songs and music) some years ago, and playing the mouth organ. Maria, the director - who also happened to be my wife - said it would look and sound a lot better if I played the concertina instead - more authentic, and I could sing at the same time. She decided we'd slip into a secondhand shop and I would buy one, and learn to play it before we opened. (Someone in the group had done that a few years earlier, so it couldn't be difficult). We finally found a concertina about a month after the play closed, and I did learn to play "The Springtime It brings on the Shearing". That was in 1995, and the concertina was a Scholler. I have been playing ever since. So it is entirely Maria's fault, and she has no cause to complain!!

Or Dutch angels (from Delft) (They play anglo of course). Hark, the herald angels squeeze!

Not arguing about preferences here, or playing abilities etc, but aren't these statements contradictory? A BC buttonbox has only one row of diatonic buttons, and very few notes are playable cross rows to avoid bellows reversals. This is in contrast to the concertina and melodian. Surely if bellows reversals inhibit ITM playing, the button box would be in trouble. I am constantly amazed by the quality of BB playing that is around, and am certainly not offended by the bellows reversals. (Or in concertina playing). On the other hand, if concer players are not using the full power of the instrument, this must also apply to the button boxers - who hardly ever use the left hand keys.

No wonder they were staggering over the line - those accordians are HEAVY ! Surely they would be much better off with concertinas.

Not sure Ashley would approve. in his "Book of Knots" he deplored the modern trend of sailors learning to read. It was taking time away from their knotting!

or Maggy May Next day I woke in bed, with a sore and aching head No shoes, or concertina could I find I asked her where they were, and she answered, "My dear sir, They're down in Kelly's knock-shop, number nine"

I don't think this is so surprising. A sailor arriving in Europe after a voyage to Australia and back would have nearly a year's wages in his pocket. Allowing for the advances, money spent on the way and on drink in Australia and general rip-offs - say three months. Although they weren't well paid, this would be a considerable amount of money. As long as the concertina seller (chandlery) was closer than the bar, it is possibile that someone whose cheap concer blew out on the voyage would buy a good quality one for the next trip. (Now if he can only get it back aboard intact after the trip to the bar).

Very good - I have just finished reading it. Well researched and presented. Are you planning on submitting it for publication in a more permanent form? Some points I particularly found interesting: The concertina player being chosen as official shipboard "fiddler" in preference to the violinist! The price of concertinas - from $3 to $7 as quoted. It would be interesting to research prices at different times. Your analysis of the "concertinas as nautical chiche" idea. Well done!

Thanks Andrew - these give me something to aspire to.

As a failed Crane driver, could I ask what kind of accompaniment you do? Oom-pa chords, harmony ... I found it impossible to play chords on the left with melody on the right - the chords completely swamped the melody. I also tried an arpegio base, with the left hand running up the notes of the chord, but it took a long time to work up a tune this way - and that was a very simple tune. Would you, by any chance be willing to put an arangement on the site? Thanks Rod

With tears in my eyes: Cutty Sark

I got a strange reception from a group of penguins in Antarctica. I thought it would be a good idea to play the concertina while ashore, since there may not be many players permanently there. At the first sound, the reaction was immediate - they all headed off squarking, but almost immediately came back to investigate and sing along. By the way, I've forgotten how to attach jpg's to the messages, can anyone remind me?

Actually, he's a lot nearer than that - he is halfway between Brisbane and Sydney.

All the general advice applies, but I don't think there is anywhere nearby that will hire out concers. Primo (Australian Accordion Centre - he advertises in the folk rag http://www.folkrag.org/) has some Stagi concers for sale - at least you could try them out before you buy (and he gets them in tune before he sells them). It is probably better to get a higher quality instrument, but they are hard to find. (They certainly keep their resale value). Concers are fairly tough, and I've never had one melt, but I would never leave one (cheap or good quality) in a car in the sun. If you want to look in on the Clarence Corner Hotel session 1-3 pm on a Saturday, there will usually be two being played there.

Slightly off-topic, but not too far. An Indian friend introduced me to the harmonium, which is a very popular instrument in the sub-continent. This is played one handed, while pumping the bellows with the left hand, and has banks of reeds controlled by stops. Wikipedia entry The connection with this thread is that it has a piano keyboard, but it transposable to any key withoout a change of fingering. There is a simple mechanism that moves the keyboard left or right along the box, and means that the keys actuate different reeds. Very simple in principle, but I'm sure it is tricky in the mechanism. You can still play the black notes (as accidentals or for key changes during a piece), but if a singer says "it would be better a semitone lower", click and its done!