Peter Laban

Playing with Tony Linnane he often uses the Wheatstone he played when they made their recording, to recreate that sound they had (and still have).

Thanks for that. You can listen to it here: https://www.rte.ie/radio1/the-rolling-wave/programmes/2019/1020/1084629-the-rolling-wave-sunday-20-october-2019/#103230349

The full Gradam programs, all of them, are archived and accessible on TG4.tv Gradam ceoil 2014: https://tg4.tv/ga/player/baile/?pid=5663233295001&teideal=Gradam Ceoil TG4 2014&series=Gradam Ceoil TG4&dlft=10324

I can sort of form an image with that, between the Wheatstones, Jeffries and Dippers used by a lot of players players, but "real Irish reeds" once again baffles me.

The gumtree photographs leave no room for doubt:

Just listen to older recordings of Irish musicians playing the German concertinas, they're all double reeded: Mary Ann Carolan, Patrick Flanagan and indeed the instrument under discussion, that of Ella Mae O'Dwyer, all spring to mind but there are plenty of other examples either in recordings or as surviving instruments from the period.

If you want to explore different tutors, and still get a weekend in Clare, just before the Ballyvaughan week, it could be worth looking at the https://concertinacruinniu.ie/

In the interview with Mary Mac on Dan's page she gets asked about the key of C in Clare music. Which also suggests a C/g played on the rows, much like John Naughton's playing. Naughton's music obviously a big influence on her own.

I can't think of it off the top of my head (not for certain anyway, I seem to recall it's a C/g)but I'll look into it (I suppose it's still in Arás Oidreacht an Chlair, I'll have a look) They were common in Ireland at one point and they were also prominent in Zulu music:

The Tripping to the Well CD is still available at Oidreacht an Chlair: http://oac.ie/site/node/2102 Here are a few snaps of the women involved with the project, Mary MacNamara, Ann Kirrane-Droney, Dympna O'Sullivan, Jaqueline McCarthy, Josephine Marsh and Angela Crehan, during the launch of the CD, passing around the Dwyer concertina:

Perhaps, whatever else one thinks of Hill, he is an extremely capable, experienced and insightful teacher. He has an almost immediate insight in a player's strengths and weaknesses and can suggest personalised ways to improve on that. He does have his own way of thinking and strongly pushes for that. You will have to bear in mind though he has things worked out in great detail in order to use the instrument as efficient as possible in a given musical context. I remember a woman, who is possible in the higher regions of my top three of favourite concertinaplayers, that going to him 'opened up the rows' for her and made her a very much better and more flexible player, even if she doesn't follow his system. Take that as a cue to listen, take in what he has to offer and gain insight. And even if you don't follow his way of playing, this may open up ways with the instrument that you haven't thought of yet. If you prefer a shorter, and probably less costly, way of experiencing his teaching, you may want t osign up for classes at perhaps the Willie Clancy week or the Concertina Cruinniú and if you like his teaching go on for a more intensive event.

There's probably no harm in touching on older instruments like the sheng or mentioning ones most people will know, like the harmonium.

There was a post about this on thesession but this deserves posting here: Aoife Kelly has finally put online the long in the works website documenting the life and music of her grandfather John Kelly. A thorough labour of love and in its own right a wonderful piece of social history.. (pic above: memorial to John Kelly at Kilbaha Pier, close to his birthplace) I have seen Aoife give presentations about the project at the concertina cruinniú and the Willie Clancy Summerschool (see pic below, with family and friends) and it's great to see the project coming to fruition. John was a towering presence when I started learning this music and I must say I am one of many who met the sharp end of his opinions of what was right and wrong. Playing the Teddy Bear's picnic on the pipes was definitely out, no matter how tongue in cheek it was. But it was his playing as a member of Ceoltoiri Chualann, Ceoltoiri Laighan, the Castle Ceiliband or just him playing the concertina, or playing the fiddle in the back of Friel's with Joe Ryan, Bobby Casey and Junior Crehan was always inspiring and he left his mark on generations of musicians. The website: http://johnkellycapelstreet.ie/

I cannot think of one respected Irish player playing a G/D. Full stop. Noel Hill usually says he tried it and found them wholly unsatisfactory for the purpose. The first concertina player to be recorded, William Mullaly, played a D/A system. The current dominant way of playing in Irish music only developed when Paddy Murphy tried to emulate Mullaly's music on a C/G instrument. This in turn was taken up and further developed by Noel Hill, who taught it to almost everybody else. Other systems of playing in the D/G range on C/F instruments existed and remain to be used. Before that time it is well documented that a lot of concertina players played in C (matching the Clarke C whistles) although recordings from the earlier part and middle of the last century also show many playing in D (by whatever means). Some players retained this way of playing on C/G instruments when they moved from the old German concertinas and played in C and F on these C/G. Do I need mention John Naughton and Kitty Hayes in this context? Today we can see many concertina players play the C/G or transposing instruments, playing in D,G, A, C and F (and again their equivalent on transposing instruments). Without any problem or hesitation. And to great effect, players like Mary MacNamara, Claire Keville and the late Dympna O'Sullivan cleverly play(ed) sets of tunes constructed for musical effect that jump between these keys, with tunes normally associated with the keys D and G range placed in for example C or F but surrounded by tunes in their more common keys. There's a lot of possibility and variety out there, if you keep an ear out for it. That's a fair summary isn't it?

Quite a lot of (Irish) concertinaplayers play instruments of various keys C/G, Bf/F, Df/Af etc. It's quite common to use transposing instruments. Begley extended that by using Baritone , bass etc instruments that are not commonly used. [crossposted with the above] I think it's a good idea also to distinguish between different playing/fingering systems, various on and off row systems and the plain playing in various keys on one instrument, as Dana says, there's a lot more going on than just playing in D and G (other than using different keyed (transposing) instruments)

In fairness, with William Mullally and other 'along the row' Irish players in mind (playing in C and F on the C/G), wouldn't a D/A make a lot more sense than a G/D?

Hens' teeth.

Not sure you picked the right forum to ask this. That said, The workshops at Mittenwald used to turn out fiddles with labels like this by the score.

For anyone into that sort of thing: the whole lunchtime recital mentioned above has been put on youtube (not by me). Slightly shaky mobile phone footage but ten tracks or so in all.

You know, there are ways.. Thousands of people play in D on a C/G anglo.

That gets me there, thanks. The first dancer is Stephanie Keane, I think. Saw her dance a few weeks ago. The fiddle player is ofcourse Ciarán Ó Maonaigh. Great dancers, all of them, enjoyed that.

Where's the link then Daniel? I only see the above and 'Edwina Guckian' is the only link in that quote, which leads to her Facebook page, not to any video

Is it just me or is there only a link to Edwina Guckian's facebook page (which can only be viewed if you have a Facebook account)?

This is a bit of a zombie thread revival but it should perhaps be mentioned Éilís Crean has compiled a book titled 'The Life and Music of Eddie Kelly : the East Galway Tradition as interpreted by Eddie Kelly' that contains all 21 of Kelly's compositions. In 2017 her recording Searbh Siúcra featured her playing these tunes. The book was to be launched at the Feakle Festival on Thursday, I went up only to find there was no launch, without any sort of an explanation apparent. Which was a bit of a disapointment. Someone told me later Crean was delayed in her travel and the launch was postponed. I am hoping to find out more later. While I was in Feakle I landed in a pleasant session with loads of concertina players, presided over by Michael O Raghallaigh and Catherine McEvoy. As I had traveled up I sat in there for a bit, made the trip worthwhile. The book is out there somewhere anyway, if any of the original posters of this thread are still around and interested.

<Never mind, off-topic Sunday morning. thoughts>