chiton1

Years ago, when I was much happier to travel (and much happier!), I was driven by with three drivers who "dozed off" at the wheel. On the first two occasions, I noticed, and a loud cough did the trick. On the third occasion, I was already asleep, and my driver was only woken up by a car passing in the opposite direction! With a lack of performing venues within walking distance, my opportunities are somewhat limited! Peter. Hé Peter, don't let fear guide your life! There must be drivers that do not sleep while driving. And if you do not trust any of them, sit next to them and stay awake yourself. Anyway most accidents happen at home ;-) Hermann

I wrote a song to make use of the dog's howling. It is a sad song (in French... well if you had done your best at school! ;-) I repeat the melody of the verses with the concertina so that my dog can go solo in these parts. Hermann Nous sommes des miserables chiens Tout le monde nous dit qu'on ne vaut rien On nous donne des coups de pied Par les gens on est tant méprisé On reste dehors quand il pleut Il n'y a personne qui nous prend chez eux Ce soir on est bien acceuillis Les .... on doit un grand merci Chorus: On hurle et on crie Oh oh quelle souci On pleure et on crie Quelle miserable vie

I remembered when I was playing accordion at work a few years ago, co-worker's dog would come running out to join me. But it didn't look like the dog was having fun. It would not let go though. The whole picture looked like I was torchering the dog. Do you think dogs actually sing? So they like it? Or it is something else? My theory is that I am the leader of the pack. Whenever I start playing the concertina the dog thinks I am howling and needs to join the howling as he belongs to the pack. Somehow the concertina triggers this response most. While playing he wants to be as near to me as possible and seems quite offended or disappointed when I tell him to back off. It seems cumpulsive behaviour, although sometimes it looks like he is suffering and sometimes it looks likes he's enjoying it. But what to do about it, he will join every time I play (impossible to restrict him to one tune only)! Hermann

I will be there, teaming up with old buddy Jean Michel Veillon. And perhaps I will have my new Chris Wilkes 8 keyed C flute (should be ready any moment now I was told) with me. I ordered it 11 years ago! So those ordering from Suttner and Dipper be patient, it can be worse! I will, of course, also bring a concertina. So Cocusflute (or Danny Doodle?!) we will meet and your true identity will be revealed! Hermann

I have a wonderful, nice dog; half Labrador, half something else. ''So what..'' will some of you think. The problem is that when I start playing the concertina he sits beside me, and wants to join by howling or even barking frenetically. This is great fun for a little while, but then it gets annoying as you can not concentrate anymore. Especially as my dog doesn't care about any of the essentials of music making. In other words; he doesn't follow the melody at all, he's quite out of tune, and rithmically he's not that strong either. If I try to silence him he lies down, squeaking and moaning quite compulsively; the poor thing can't help it (nor stop). If I put him in another room it's better but even than I can hear him just behind the door. When I play other instruments (wooden flute, tin whistle or even the bombarde) he wil not join or only halfhearted. Apparently he appreciates the concertina above all other instruments. Yes, yes I know... the dog has great taste, but what to do about it? Has anyone else the same experience (or do you all have cats or even better goldfish!)? And if so is there something to do about it (besides drugging it or the use of other animal unfriendly methods)? By the way my name (see another recent topic) is Hermann Leberecht Strack (good old German name from my father's side of the family - Bagnalasta is my mother's family name and that's Italian). If somebody wants to make improper use of this information - he/she should be warned: I'll send him/her my dog!

Good luck in the US. Thanks again for all the great repair jobs you did for me while in the Netherlands. Groetjes, Hermann

Lets partake in this exhibitionism/voyeurism game: I presently own three metal-ended English concertinas: 48 b treble Lachenal (ca. 1920) Wheatsone 56 b extented treble Aeola (1929/1930) Lachenal (Boyd) 56 b extented treble (ca. 1905) Have also D wooden flute, a C wooden flute to come (> 10 years in the making!). Numerous whistles (including low ones) Several bombardes and binious (for those who know Breton music, and love to make noise) Hermann

The right position is the position you feel comfortable with to play the music you like. And I like the music you play! It has a great Irish feel to it, which I seldom hear from other EC players. If the AC didn't exist the Irish would play the way like you do on the EC. And I can tell being half German, half French, born in Uruguay and lived most of my life in The Netherlands :-) Hermann

Hello Juliette, Still have the Suttner English? I am not a buyer (although you never know) but I would love to hear the instrument. I have a Boyd Lachenal which I find always a pleasure to play. Thusfar I didn't feel/hear anything better or even equal (and I tried a lot but never a Suttner). But ut I am always looking for something as good (or better if possible) with a different character. There is a concertina gathering in Nantes next month - is there a chance you might be going there? Cordialement, Hermann

Didn't look into concertina.net for a long time, was too busy playing my new Boyd Lachenal with two fingers! I am quite happy with my two fingers technique (for the last 20 years or so) and have no desire to expand it. I use cuts and rolls often. Tried to use the three fingers technique used by box players to achieve the fast repeat of the same note. It was easy when I tried it on a box once but quite difficult / impossible (for me) on the EC (buttons are too small, my fingers too thick and the action of the button seems to differ as well), so I gave up trying. Keep on playing! Hermann

''the ICA are trying to get a sound archive set up, and also a database of concertina related recordings. But these things are only just starting'' Great! I was already gathering information to eventually make a database myself in case nobody else was doing it. Now I can go on and play the concertina again. As sson as I know who is working on the database I will send the lists and other info I gathered to that person. Had a great time time in Paris. There was a meeting of concertina players (all anglo's) and every night there were sessions. The last night there was a session with two AC and two EC concertinas and its sounded great! By the way I was in Tokyo last year but would never had thought there were (no EC's allowed) sessions over there! Hermann

Hi Ken/Henk, I have looked on this music page and its very good for latest releases (I saw a few I do not have which I will try to buy). But I would be interested in a data list which could be arranged chronologically or by musicians alphabetically, in which all publically released items could be found. So even including 70ties records etc. I looked into the ICA site and found they have an archive but was a little dissapointed that it was a paper archive only. And although building history (makers, dating instruments etc.) is important, the most important of course is the music made by our little instrument, and the people who play it. There should be a place were concertina music (both publically released and unreleased) should be kept. Here a friend of mine who plays button accordion had a pile (a dozen or so) of 70ties concertina records (all systems) that I never heard of, and there must be more I think. All that is needed is a simple database and a lot of data input. I wouldn't mind doing that with a little help from other concertina.netters. But first I want to make absolutely sure there isn't such a thing already or that somebody else already started such a venture. I Hate doing work for nothing. Hermann

Hi Mark If I go to sessions (or seisuns as you call them) in Holland I am the only concertina player around, so they are always quite happy with me. As for a long time I was quite a solitary concertina player I just played in whatever key I liked. But the last two years I started to play more and more in the regular keys used in Irish music and my repertoire is growing, but still very far from my flute repertoire. Hi Sandy I saw Jean Michel two weeks ago. Played a little too. We have a (second) house in Brittany not far from his place, and try to be there as often as possible. I will give him your regards next time I see him, if you give Dick mine. So you play with wrist straps too - great! I find it removes some strain from my fingers while pulling out. Hi Nils I will try to go to Bielefeld in May and hope to see you (and others) there. Second weekend would be 7/8 or 14/15 May? Last year I followed a 4 day workshop in Tocane (France) led by Tim Collins. It was great! Although I was the only strange EC duck in a AC pond, I made a few good French AC friends which I will meet in Paris next month. They changed their monthly reunion schedule to match my visit - ain't that sweet?! Hi David While in Paris I will also meet a starting EC player which is a professional sound engineer, and she promised to make a few recordings of me, and also learn me a few (recording) tricks. I will try to put a few the recordings on the net. The sound files were fun but it costed me again at least one hour to just have a random pick of the music offered. This site is dangerous and self discipline and restriction is needed in order to retain (regain? as I have the floo now) my health and to use my four fingers (I just found out that I type with the same four fingers as I play concertina with!) for music again. Still I have another question: Is there any list of all recorded (records / CD's whatever) concertina music? There is so for the wooden flute but what about concertina? I would very much love to see such a list (or three lists: AC, EC and duet). And if such a list doesn't exist, could we make one here?? Hermann

Doesn't matter Mark - what's in a name anyway? And you had the first two letters right! Concerning EC playing I think you (Mark) are quite right, not to try make an AC from a EC! I use whatever sounds good; chords and lots of double notes, bass notes are easier on Anglo's I think but I use them if I can incorperate them and if they do not temper my speed too much. I play a lot around my notes, but some things I do on the flute like for instance cranning, I have never done on my EC. On the other hand I agree with Sandy that most Irish dance tunes should be played ''crispy'' and not legato. Although sometimes parts of a dance tune could be played more legato. That's one of the great advantages of EC. You are the master of the instrument and you decide if it will play staccato or legato. And of course for (slow) airs the legato playing is essential. I know John Williams from his recordings, isn't he in Chicago? I know Dick Abrahams from Chicago as I meet him sometimes in Brittany (his daughter is married to an old flute playing friend of mine). I put all the recommended players in my file, but it seems I have to travel to Scandinavia or the US to see them. Henk will be easier to meet, and although I presume he plays an Anglo, it would be great fun to meet one day (I live in the city of Dordrecht by the way). Are there ''gigs'' in the US where EC players are not allowed?! Why? If it was a piano accordeon I could imagine (sorry if I offend somebody, but I never liked the sound of it and it is rarely played in a way I like). Hé nobody talks about my wrist straps, I feel partly paralized when I play a concertina without these straps. Am I the only EC player in the world using them??? Hermann

Let me introduce myself. My name is Hermann Strack and I live in the Netherlands. About 25 years ago I asked a musician friend, who at that time lived in Wales, UK, to bring me a concertina, as I fell in love with the sound of it. So he did. A good working but simple Lachenal with wooden sides and bone buttons English concertina. At that time I was (and still am) playing Irish and Breton music and I knew no better that this was the instrument I should have (I didn't know that other systems existed)! So as there were no other players/tutors around, I started teaching myself Irish music on the English concertina. That went on for some time but a few years later I sold my instrument and again a few years later I bought another one (almost the same instrument) and yet another came my way; a Lachenal new model with metal ends, which I still have and play. By that time I knew about Noel Hill's recordings and that he played another system. But I never switched as I played mainly the wooden flute and concertina came second. As nowadays it seems that everybody plays the wooden flute I recently started to play more and more concertina. And one day I stumbled across this magnificent site, and found myself lost in endless reading (I remember forgetting time completely and going to bed at three in the morning). Now I am coming to the point (have patience with me). The way I play my English is with more dynamics and ornamentation as is usually done. In fact I am not very fond of most English system concertina players I know of. Even players as Alistair Anderson and Dave Townsend, which I admire in a way, do not play the kind of music I like to play myself (although some of the music Dave made is really great) and if they do, they do not play the way I like. Simon Thoumire comes closer but he is a madman (sorry Simon if you are reading this, I mean you are genius). Some of the things he does on the EC I really would like to see. But even his brilliant playing is not what I am looking for or am trying to do myself (if I could). So first question: who knows of people playing the EC in an Irish way (without only copying the Anglo style, but also using the EC qualities). And of course I would like to meet (if possible) these guys/women or hear some recordings (if there are any). The Lachenal New Model I bought came with wrist straps and these are just great (if not essential) to give me more gripp on the instrument, that's also why I only use four fingers to play with (see photograph) and also why I keep (part of) my instrument on my knee. Second question would be any suggestions or experiences of how to use/hold the EC while playing Irish music. Third and last, I am very interested in any ornamentation techniques. But I find it difficult even to explain in writing what I do while playing and I am not sure if I could really grasp any written explanations by others. Best would be to hear and see, but you could try me. I am quite curious to see who will bother to read (and answer) all this concertina chitchat. Thanks for any information or suggestions, Hermann

If you are in the Netherlands you should contact Wim Wakker, The Concertina Connection. He is the only one in the Netherlands that knows about concertina building and repair. He has an internet site www.concertinaconnection.com. Just try there! Groetjes Hermann Strack