Anglo Enthusiast

Well, there's a lake, so why not? Well alright; SIGN ME UP!!!

Will Nesi be doing workshops on how to be a mythical creature?

What's this about a Nesi sighting in 2015?

Adrian, I am positively chomping at the bit to get my hands on a 38 or 40 button concertina. I had commissioned Jeff Thomas to build a 40 button instrument for me a little over 2 years ago but when it came time for him to begin construction this past October, I, with a heavy heart, had to cancel. I simply cannot afford it at this time. Other unexpected expenses have crept into the equation. As john Lennon said, "life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans..." Andy.

I love it! I think this is a great use of your anglo. Have a listen to this track I made of a Praetorious dance tune on my 30 button C/G Morse- https://soundcloud.com/andy-western/praetorius-dance-from-terpischore-1

Fantastic! What a great combo! I loved everyone's contributions. If you guys put out an album, I'd buy it.

I'd say the best way to date your concertina would be to put on your best bow tie, comb your hair back, gather a bouquet of flowers, and take your concertina to a drive-in movie. Remember, always behave like a perfect gentleman.

Wonderful arrangement and execution, Wolf.

Magnifique!!!

Wow. This is prodigiously good. Absolutely incredible.

https://soundcloud.com/andy-western/cuckoo-song

Amen indeed!!!

Sounds good.

Thanks for the tip.

Can you please record yourself playing an Engelska and share it with us here? I'd love to hear a true blue west coast Engelska performed by a native of Sweden.

I don't care whether the tune is a true Engelska or not. I learned the tune from listening to an album of Swedish music ( http://www.amazon.com/Music-Sweden-Blekinge-Spelmansf%C3%B6rbund/dp/B000068789/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1409718994&sr=1-2&keywords=swedish+music ) and the title of the track is "Engelska ll." I am not losing sleep over whether it is or isn't an Engelska. It is a beautiful tune one way or the other. "A rose is a rose by any other name!"

Very nice... and I'd like to know more. What's your source? Is it something traditional among the Minnesota Swedes, or did you get it more directly from Sweden itself? Is the harmony/arrangement yours, or did it "come with" the tune? Engelska ("English") is a kind/category of dance... like polka, waltz, reel, etc. Have you seen it danced? As I've seen (and danced) it in Sweden, the dance has some similarities to old English reels, and I suspect that's how it originated, just as the polska ("Polish") evolved from a borrowed Polish tradition. Hi, Jim. Thank you for your comments. Always interesting to hear from you. I'll try my best to answer your questions. I learned the tune from listening to the following cd: ( http://www.amazon.com/Music-Sweden-Blekinge-Spelmansf%C3%B6rbund/dp/B000068789/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1409718994&sr=1-2&keywords=swedish+music ). It is track 6 and entitled, simply, "Engleska ll." I have not seen it danced. I would never submit or indeed perform a tune unless I felt I'd worked out my own arrangement of it. If you order the cd and listen to how the tune is performed therein compared to my own recording of it, I think you will find there are similarities as well as differences. I do play the same 2 part harmony in the A part, but honestly, this is such a common contrapuntal device/occurrence in traditional Swedish music that it would have taken me about 2 seconds to arrive at it just as a matter of course. The harmonic structure I employ in part B bears little resemblance to the arrangement on the cd and my use of the A 7th chord in the repeat of part A is also totally absent from the cd version. I hope that addresses your questions. Thanks again for the dialogue.

https://soundcloud.com/andy-western/swedish-engelska

Very nice!

https://soundcloud.com/andy-western/untitled-original-tune

A Nesi sighting? Where??? Where???!!!

Thank you, my good man!

https://soundcloud.com/andy-western/breton-tune

Are you dyslexic? There's nothing the matter with the Feakle Festival. Everything is in order. Ah, very good, sir. So then I see no further need to venture into Ennis. Carry on...

What's this about a Feakle matter festival?