chiton1

Thanks Bellowbelle. I think I just take my wooden flute with me and leave the concertina at home. I will just see what is going around when I am there.

I will be in Boston between 19 and 24 of this month. I was wondering if there were any sessions during that period? If not I prefer to leave my instruments at home....

All this talk in the thread makes me believe the people are trying really hard to skip the learning process. Playing with only two fingers on the English is justified only if the rest are missing. You disrespect the instrument. Try switching to guitar, but don't forget to play only with the right hand. Why try harder? It's so difficult! And only right hand sounds so rich and full. If you are playing with the EC in the air - use whatever available: 3 fingers per side. If you are playing sitting with EC on your lap - 4 fingers per side. And why would you do otherwise? Oh, I know, because it's so difficult. (which is actually NOT) I know that Wheatstone intended the instrument to be played with to fingers, and I do play all the notes and chords, so I do not think there is much need to change my method of playing. I think I do well enough and have fun playing that way. I do not have the time and the wish to change. But I can assure you I do play the wooden flute with three fingers per hand, and depending on which keys I use even up to 4 or 5!

I play with only my two (strongest) fingers, and therefor playing in C is easiest for me. In the beginning I have thought about having a concertina build in "D" for me, but when several other keys (including D) proved not too difficult to play in on a regular instrument I skipped the thought. Still from time to time there is a tune that is much easier played in C than in D and at such times the old longing for a "D" concertina comes back to me......

So big brother is watching me?...... I will say nothing more, from now on my lips are sealed.

Do whatever you want, but it seems silly to me to undervalue an instrument on which the customs charge is zero, by virtue of it being more than 100 years old. Especially since confiscation is not the only possible penalty, nor is it always invoked. Substantial fines can be levied for attempted evasion, even if the applicable tax was zero. If there are no charges there can not be any fine (even if the value is not correct) if I am not mistaken...... Considering how many Customs officers there are in the US, it wouldn't surprise me to discover that there are several who know the difference. I used to know one who was a collector and player of bagpipes (especially uilleann pipes) and an expert on many esoteric items. In fact, I think some of their agents are employed specifically as experts in particular fields, from fine art to medical equipment. OK I will be carefull when sending bagpipes, but I would be highly surprised if there is an officer with an expert knowledge of concertinas. Books are much easier to evaluate but they do not bother. I think you are over estimating their officers.

I am declaring low to very low values on the books I sell for about 17 years now (many to the US), and not one was ever seized. This for books that are sometimes worth more than the average vintage concertina. Do you think that there is one customs officer who knows if this metal ended Boyd Lachenal is worth more than a beautiful mahogany Lachenal with bone buttons? Lets put it this way; I will do whatever the customer wants...

Now I know why Jim Lucas has become a Ineluctable Opinionmaker But to try to answer your questiion. According my Universal Currency Converter 2200 euro equals 3153 USD (at today's rate = 1-1-2010). I will put low value on the instrument when sending it so to avoid import duties, and shipping is free as I stated. If you make a bank transfer your bank will charge you for that, but these question you have to ask your bank, they should be able to tell you how much a bank transfer of 2200 euros will cost you.

I have too many concertinas ( ), and one has to go. So I am looking for a good home for the following: Top quality English concertina. A metal ended extended (56 buttons) treble Boyd Lachenal new model. Series number 41487 (ca. 1905). Note that this is not a tenor treble, the extra notes (extension) are in the upper registers. It is in concert pitch. A few improvements were made on this concertina. It has now completely new riveted action (made by Wim Wakker in 2003), and a new 6 fold bellows (made by Wim Wakker in 2006), instead of the original somewhat rigid 5 fold bellows. There are two (one on either side) air buttons. There are four tiny holes on the sides to fasten wrist straps if desired (which I have filled and closed, but can be opened again if one uses wrist straps). A very small chip of the veneer has come of (see photograph). Compared to other concertinas the Lachenal new model has buttons which are not as high elevated and seem to be a fraction closer to each other, which should enable faster playing. It has a very clear, crisp and strong sound, with very good dynamic range (from quite soft to as loud as an Wheatstone Aeola). A good response and action (riveted). The metal reeds are of great quality as they respond even better as the metal ended Aeola Wheatstone I have (and as good as the wooden ended Aeola). But concertinas made for H. Boyd were always of the highest quality. It comes with the original leather box (not in best shape), but better use a new box (as I do for all my concertinas). My asking price is 2200 euro. The price includes registered air mail shipping for all destinations (+ donation to Cnet if sold here). I include 4 photographs, and if desired I could make a sound file.

Just a small notice that I have added three names to the list (32 now). Eric Hardy from France, Jim Norman from the USA, and Val from the UK. I know that Val is playing Irish music because I met her in Paris a few years ago. I emailed her to know her family name. For the moment I have added the name of the group she is playing in (The Flying Toads, sort of almost anagram of the Irish hornpipe The Flowing Tide). See first post for total list!

Every year Irish music workshops are organized in the south of Brittany (Le Bono). Le Bono is a lovely small town near the Sea, and workshops are great and there are sessions afterwards. The concertina (Anglo of course) workshop this year will be given by Cillian KING from Limerick. Very young but very promising. The following is said about him (in French I am afraid): ''Cillian est sans doute un des plus jeune musicien jamais invité au festival. Ses influences de jeu tendent vers Peg Ryan, Noel Hill et plus récemment Pádraig Rynne. Il est compositeur et joue actuellement avec le groupe Éalú, d'autre part, il étudie la musique à l'université de Limerick. Lors d'une discussion avec Colm Delaney il y a deux ans, ce dernier me dit : "...tu vois Eddy, ce jeune garçon, c'est le futur". Je pense qu'il a raison. Il a déjà été invité dans de nombreux festivals, Lorient y compris, maintenant au Bono.'' Anyway there are concertina players who regard him as the future.... To know more about the ''Bono Winter School of Irish Music'' see: http://bono-winter-school.chez-alice.fr/index.html See you there perhaps, Hermann

Here in Brittany innovation of traditional music is done for decades, at a level that surpasses everything done in Ireland, Scotland or other countries I know of. But most of the people involved have a good knowledge of the musical tradition; originate from this tradition. For instance Jean Michel Veillon, now considered one of the best wooden flute players in the world, has introduced the wooden flute to Breton music (and the techniques needed to do so). But he started by dancing the traditional Breton dances and playing the bombard (one of the typical traditional instruments in Brittany), and acquired a profound knowledge of the Breton musical tradition. Now there are hundreds of wooden flute players around, and flutists are included in many of the groups that play dance music. I respect the fact that tradition is conservative, it has to be otherwise it would not be tradition. If everybody started to do whatever they wanted, without written or unwritten rules, traditional music would be diluted to a point it would cease to exist. That is also essential for blues, different forms of Jazz, different forms of classical music, ska, dixieland, rapp, rock etc. Within tradition or any other style of music change is always possible but will need a certain degree of general consensus of those involved with it. So when I say that the EC is capable of playing within the Irish musical tradition, that may be so. But to really enter the Irish musical tradition I will have to convince that community of people that sings, plays or listens Irish traditional music.

First of all (although I do not play Duet) I see no reason why you could not play Irish music on it (dance music included), although it can take some time before you find the right way to give it an Irish feel to it. Although I recently submitted a few pieces that were labelled as having a ''relentless drive'', in fact I play loads of (slow) airs, and I can play without my ''relentless drive''. Nothing wrong with relentless drive (I will stick to this label!) anyway as long as it is not the only thing happening (I will submit at least one slow air next time). One of the main reasons why only fast dancing music is played, is that most people going to sessions do not have the patience to stop playing and to listen to somebody else; they are much to eager. You can not play a slow air with 15 people (well you can, but it will not sound nice ...). If there's a singer people have to stop playing and listen, my god what a waste of time (we could have played another set of reels instead...). I prefer sessions were a bit of everything happens, and from time to time such a session comes along, and some of them were moments of pure bliss to me

It is well known and commonly accepted that Irish music is impossible to play on a duet!

I personally find your grandfather's little book more fascinating than his concertina (although they make a fine ensemble!). It would perhaps be good thing if at least a photocopy of this book (with some biographical data about your grandfather) went to the Horniman Museum or to one of the more serious collector's/historians of our little concertina community.