Peter Laban

I have encountered very lovely, fast and well made Lachenals, both two and three row ones. Hot rodded ones as well. Mediocre ones too. Hybrids, meh, not my cup of tea but it takes all sorts. The trick is in making informed purchases and getting yourself whatever makes you happy. .

A trueism if ever there was one. The same cane be said of any well made anything at all.

That's easily fixed, most of the concert is on yertube: Finbar Furey, 'Kitty' : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5bHy1i_ep4

Himself being unable to string a coherent sentence together is one thing but D'Arcy talking to him like he was talking to a toddler or his wife talking about him like wasn't even there (you have to ask him open questions..). The indignity of it. Sorry, cross post, responding to Terence's above. Hill is listed for the concertina criunniu next month with TrIona ni Domhnail. Unexpected combination.

As I mentioned above it above I'll follow through: here's the link to the McGowan and Victoria Mary Clarke interview on RTE last night https://www.rte.ie/player/ie/show/10829506 I saw a little bit of it and thought it was excruciating and unbearable to watch.

While we're on both video/film stuff and Noel Hill this may be of interest : see also http://tradfest.ie/event/noel-hill-aisling-ghear/

FWIW, McGowan will be talking about his 60th thing to Ray D'Arcy on RTE tonight. Up on the http://rte.ie/player/ tomorrow (usually for about a week) You do realise Terence, you were the first and only one to throw a negative into the thread.

These are days for revisiting the background sounds of the nineties, in your head.

The write-up in the Irish times

Same thing really Wolf. Comhaltas mammies is the appropriate one here I suppose. Especially the Fleadh is their time to shine, through their offspring.

No. More like football mammies.

As Geoff says, market forces. Dealers come over to sell concertinas (flutes and fiddles as well and accordions, whatever is in demand). Even decades ago at festivals (vintage) instruments would be sold out of the back of a car, or from rooms/shops rented for the duration. It's nothing new and with so many aspiring players, it is not likely to stop any time soon.

FWIW, I spent some time wandering around the Fleadh this year, I thought I might as well while it was near (I wouldn't travel to it). I walked around during the daytime and took snaps of musicians playing in the street. Spot the concertinas in this selection and see what's being played.. Pics will be up for a week.

I know where the mistake originates (I was given a copy of the tape by the same person well over a decade ago) and pointed this out to the librarian at Clare library working on the page (she had me look at the page to spot mistakes before it went up) but she let it go up as 'Patrick Kelly' anyway. It is a recording made by Ciarán MacMathúna and Ned Nugent (his soundman) for RTE.

That is actually a mistake, it's not Patrick Kelly who is playing with her there but Kathleen Harrington.

All other things aside, the Devil's Rock is noteworthy for its closing sequence which features R.O'Meally playing the pipes. The only existing footage of him playing, as far as I am aware. I didn't recognise the tune played on the concertina although it sounds, in part at least, somewhat familiar. Video played fine in Ireland, by the way.

That should do it :

Not necessarily. Best known players to play both (at the same time), Rick Epping and Mick Kinsella, play English. Food for thought, perhaps.

I assumed the extra work would add a bit. Water and damp getting in, I worry about those things. But it's a lovely case.

Nice job although I can't help thinking you'd want a lid that fully closes over the case rather than leaving gaps open at the sides like it does now.

John O'Connor? (he's married to Frances Custy)

Unfortunately his playing was a bit wooden?

Ennis Trad Fest : 9-13 Nov 2017

Sorry David but I can't agree with that. Playing a variety of tunes is a way of making yourself acquainted with all sorts of situations or 'movements' if you like that will help you to to get familiar with your instrument and will also be helpful when learning new tunes. We can argue about what the most efficient way to achieve an intimate understanding and familiarity with your instrument but it can just as easily be said that practicing scales and arpeggios will get you to be good at playing scales and arpeggios. But that's just words and they are cheap. I do think scales and arpeggios will just train the mechanical side of music making while playing tunes helps develop both musical and mechanical skills. And it's important to develop both. How exactly to go about learning depends on a person's goals, type of music etc. Rome, a variety of roads to get you there and all that.

Not sure this is the most recent thread on the subject, search isn't working very well. Last week, during the Galway arts festival, I found myself at an exhibition of work by Brasilian (UK based) artist Ana Maria Pacheco. Lovely stuff. ( Artist's website) Two works from the series The Miraculous Journey of a Little Vixen included a concertina.: