Mike Franch

So you add to the list of things your bring--your instrument, your music, your music stand, etc--you bring your own air!

As I think Greg Jowaisas has pointed out in the course of these discussions, it's not only the humidity in the case that matters, but the humidity in the room the concertina is played in. In an overly dry room, your just sucking dry air into the innards with every expansion of the bellows!

Seconding Randy. I attended my first one last fall and felt (and was) welcomed and had a great time.

No need to apologize for your playing. Good luck with your health issues.

"It's in A452 just like you said. Is it a bad thing? I'm guessing it will be more trouble to change it to 440 maybe?" It depends what you want to do with it. I imagine most of the concertinas from that period have been retuned (as has my 1915 Model 21). If you want to play solo, or to accompany your own singing, no problem leaving it where it is. If you want to play with others, some instruments can be tuned to accommodate your old high-pitch tuning. If you want to play with those whose instruments can't be tuned to accommodate you, you have a problem.

A friend of mine writes words to English country dance tunes--turns them into songs. She can then fiddle the tune because she can sing the tune.

Greg and David, you are absolutely correct. I had forgotten about him. I'm sure he also uses a pocket watch (as I do). And as I recall, he drives (or used to drive) a Model A Ford. Given the relatively small number of current concertina makers, the "one" represents is a fairly large percentage!

I notice what appears to be a time card clock on the back wall--probably the old mechanical kinds where you insert your card and then push down on a brass lever to punch in or out. I wonder how many modern concertina makers wear dress shirts and neckties as they work. I suspect that the number is zero.

I don't play the duet system, I don't really understand the charts in the posts above, but strangely, I still find this discussion fascinating.

It let me register, but apparently it's only available in the UK. Or, maybe I did something wrong.

Speaking of Soldier's Joy: at one time the Baltimore Folk Music Society used to get letters from ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) seeking licensing fees and listing Soldier's Joy as one on which they represented the copyright holder!

Kathryn Wheeler, thank you for the comment. I had not known about Hebridean church singing and just Googled it, and loved what I found.

Clever. And what anesthesiologist--what any kind of a physician today--wears a head reflector? Talk about archaic but lasting cartoon symbolism!

And he keeps his boots well shined.

It certainly is curious. But the description of the EC is quite accurate. That makes it even odder. But I love the card!