iradcliffe

I started with a Jackie and found it physically hard work to play, my suspicion is the bellows are engineered more for strength than ease of playing. The best advice I was given was to buy a better concertina (by Keith Kendrick) so I did (Lachenal c.1890's) and it transformed my playing.

Wes, I have been doing some research on concertina players on the Isle of Man and have turned up some newspaper cuttings about Frank Olloms and his wife Elsie. I have attached a few that may fill some gaps in his career and his wereabouts. Frank seems to have settled on the island in 1926 purchasing a shop with flat above. His wife Elsie was the daughter of John Slater who was landlord of the nearby Rosemout Hotel. It looks like Frank continued to travel as a professional musician right up to the outbreak of WW2. They must have moved to Homefirth shortly after the war, where the solicitors notice of his death confirms his Italian origins.

Yes, and I don't think it is nearly big enough to be a duet. I presume Maccann played English before creating the duet rather than anglo?

Hi John, I think it is unlikely, there would have been choirs but I have no knowledge of them having a concertina for accompaniment. There was a small number of good amateur players appearing in the newspapers from the 1880's onwards, as soloist or accompanying a voice, for church concerts and the like. I think there is a passing resemblance to Professor Maccann, who appeared in variety shows 1890-1906 in Douglas, IoM, first with the Spence Lees Variety Company, and later with the impresario Harry Wood. Does this sound a likely candidate, or does it sound like a wild guess? Ian

I was sent this picture by a friend who works at the Manx Musueum, and asked if I could identify the gentleman holding the concertina. The photo was found at the tip and we have no other information about it other than the photographer was Midwood who had studio in Ramsey, Isle of Man in the later 1800's. There is no clue as to why the photograph was taken, who the other people are, or why there is only one person with an instrument. Is anyone able to suggest who it might be? The instrument appears to have 8 fold bellows and straps. Thanks, Ian

Chris will also be at the Swaledale Squeeze in May with a selection of concertinas. You will also be able to pick the brains of loads of other players too. I moved up from a new Jackie to a hundred year old+ Lachenal and my playing improved quickly, well worth the additional ~£900.

Any chance I could 'borrow' the Incipits abc layout please, in the hopes that I can wean myself of the dots and get tunes into my fingers instead via the prompt of a couple of bars. All the Manx tunes are now on my site http://www.mannincloud.infoin abc format, if anyone wants to take a look. Thanks Ian

A regular tune from the Calor Gas Ceili Band 'Grand Old Duke of York' set. https://soundcloud.com/ian-radcliffe-1/redwing

Bit late in the month, but here is my stab at the Wren. I think when we play an an dro we use a different arrangement of this tune, but I couldn't lay my hands on our dots.

Yes, although he was more my parents generation! Dots were from the Paul Hardy book, with a few omitted. I see another post mentioned similarities with Redwing, I have always thougt there were similarities in the B music with the B music of Jenny Lind. I think (correct me if I'm wrong!) both tunes are around the Tin Pan Alley era, although there is about 10 years between them ian

Another contribution, still needs more practice and the timing is a bit liberal!

Thanks for the link, I will give it a go. I currently use a combination of notepad, abcm2ps and Ghost. Ian

You're welcome I'm sure, the whole point of the Village Music Project is to bring these old books and manuscripts back to life and getting the tunes played again! Thank you for the tunes in abc, keep up the good work. I am working on abc's for the tunes collected at the end of the C19th on the Isle of Man, not strictly part of England but I would like to pass them on to the Village music project when complete.

A kids game, eh? Interesting. Thanks. Here are the dots for the version of Turk's March I picked up from a Brian Peters CD, in case you're interested. http://abcnotation.com/tunePage?a=www.andyhornby.net/Music/WINDER.ABC/0146 I wasn't able to find examples on YouTube. Thanks for the dots Jim, I've got the Winder book somwhere in the pile of books of music to play! The sources I was looking at are the little know ones from the Isle of Man, the main one being 'Kiaul Vannin' which I am slowly puttting up in ABC (http://www.mannincloud.info and follow the music link) and a couple of others one by a John Moore and the other by a William Killey.

Here's my Vedder Michael contribution, played on a Wheatstone this time. First came across the tune on a kids computer game called 'the bears' hailing from New Zealand I think. Had no luck trying to match it to any of the Turks marches I have.

How about using the photo part to display the dots for the tune? I don't know much about them so I don't know if the two can be synchronised.

Thanks for this link Pete, it has provided me with a source for the tune/dance 'The black and the grey' that has alluded me for some time. Regards Ian

Thanks for the comments blue eyed sailor. Not sure how I achieved the nice fat tone, some of the vibrato was intentional the rest was porbably nerves.

Alternative Blowzabella last chance... recording https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbLmGZv9Zcc

My first contribution. https://soundcloud.com/ian-radcliffe-1/slockitlicht

Hi Robin I don't have any recordings but here are the dots if it is any help. X:1 T:Kendal Ghyll C:from Winder manuscripts & John Barnes Q:1/4=160 M:6/8 L:1/8 K:D d2e f2g|fed cBA|d2e f2g|agf gfe| d3 def|A3 AGF|G2B A2G|AFD D3:|| F3 A3|=cBA cBA|G3 B3|d=cB DcB| F3 A3|=cBA cBA|G2B A2G|AFD D3:|| Regards Ian

As a relative beginner can I suggest the following titles. Unfortunately the Tune-O-Tron is suffering from abuse at the moment so you may have problems digging them out there, so it may be worth looking out for them in paper form or take a look at abcnotation.com/tunes which has got loads of tunes. Blaydon races When the saints go marching in She'll be coming round the mountain The grand old duke of York Marching through Georgia My grandfathers clock It's a long way to Tipperary Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag Swannee river (a.k.a. Old folks at home) Princess royal Regards Ian

"There may be only two Anglo concertina players on the Isle of Man, incidentally; I've been corresponding with both in the run-up to my visit in July, and I'm very curious to hear how they approach these tunes." I think your figure is a bit inaccurate, I reckon there are four Anglo players on the island plus three or four English concertina players including myself. I guess one of your correspondents is Paul Helps who plays and dances with Perree Bane. Nice to hear some Manx music escaping in to the wild. The Barrule version is reasonably true to the style it has been played in over the past thirty years and it the right pace for the dance. My own preference is to play the first half of the B music in a staccato style mimicing the sound of the clashing sticks. For another (early) version of the notation have a look at the one on my site, http://www.mannincloud.info/docs/music/Manx2.pdf (towards the end of the file). This file and the others there were put together in abc format by the late Tony Hopson, and passed on to my by John Kaneen.

No mention of the Isle of Man? I have put a few Manx tunes in the Tune-O Tron, have a go at Peter o'Tavy. It is normally played a tad slower than the midi file. Hope to catch up with the session this year.

Count me in too.