Dan Worrall

Just resurrecting this thread with a few comments on Bruce's nice new book. The vertical button numbering scheme seems to me to be entirely logical and fit for purpose for Irish music on the Anglo in the 'new' style, as is the standard button notation system. The vertical numbering is especially suited to that new style playing (aka Noel Hill style) because that style heavily emphasizes the index and middle fingers, which are at the top of Bruce's vertical rows. It would not work particularly well for other ways of playing the Anglo, like English Harmonic style, or Boer harmonic style, or Australian octave playing, but those styles are not the target of the book. Which brings up a minor point. The book purports to be "designed for anyone just learning to play a 20- or 30-button Anglo concertina...[a] comprehensive beginner's guide." If that is the mantra - no issues with that! - then it might best in my opinion to make clear in the title that this is a "Hal Leonard Anglo Concertina Method for Concertina in the Irish Style." That sort of mass market Hal Leonard book will ultimately be found in all sorts of local music shops (like your neighborhood guitar shop) where anyone might buy it along with an Italian concertina and start off that way. It is a very fine tutor for the Irish style, but there are other styles, and who knows what that neophyte will wish to play? I was once (decades ago) such a neophyte who bought a cheap concertina off the shelf of a guitar shop with no idea what was played on it, and such information would have helped me. I would recommend some verbage in the front end mentioning the wide range of styles out there. Another suggestion would be to mention that this particular style of Irish concertina playing began a little more than half a century ago with Noel Hill's improvements on Paddy Murphy's playing. There was a time not too long ago when Noel Hill asked people in his workshops not to share his tutorial information on the outside, as he considered the fingering style as his own intellectual property. In intervening decades, of course, his many acolytes themselves began teaching, and Hill's style (and variations of it) are now fully in the public space. Nonetheless, it would be worth crediting the source and mentioning its history. That also would serve to differentiate it from that of the many notable old-style Irish players (Elizabeth Crotty, Chris Droney etc). Those are just minor issues. Nice job and thank you Bruce for putting this fine piece of work out there for the general community. I understand fully well your point that such things as this are labors of love, and not done for riches! Dan

Great news; so nice to see that storied brand continue. Hoping to see a new Wheatstone Anglo some day!

Thanks for the mention, Takayuki! There is quite a bit in that Chris Droney book comparing the two styles. Chris, as you mention, was basically an along-the-row player, and the book describes the many joys of that old way of approaching the concertina, variations of which were so favored amongst the older generation of players, who are now gone. If you follow the tutorial, you will have the basics of that style. The Anglo is such a rich instrument, and there are many good ways to use it for Irish music. The older way deserves not to be forgotten, despite all the many joys of the newer way! By the way, here is a nice review by Jack Talty of the Chris Droney book. Jack is Noel's nephew, I am told. Jack picks up on the comparison in the book between these two styles. https://www.concertinajournal.org/reviews/review-6/ Elsewhere on this Forum there is a discussion of Frank Edgley's wonderful Irish tutor for the Anglo, which Gary Coover recently republished. It also discusses Chris's style. Frank and I both, albeit separately, were visitors to the Droney household over the years. Chris's daughter Ann Kirrane has graced our Palestine gathering on five occasions (and Frank Edgley once), spreading the Droney fingering style for the Anglo. Dan

Oh my, how sad to see that man retire! I only heard him in person on one occasion - we brought him to East Texas a decade ago for one of our annual concertina workshops at Palestine - but he was a fixture at our house every Christmas for several decades, as the Nowell Sing We Clear series of recordings were always getting air time, and his voice always soared on the old carols. And such beautiful concertina playing! Thanks for posting this; very best wishes to John in his retirement. Dan

Happy birthday to someone who has done an exceptional amount of research into concertina history, with major pieces of work posted at the Concertina Library and the Concertina Journal. And a good friend for three decades. Many happy returns, Randy! For those who haven’t visited the Concertina Journal site in awhile, there are a few other items besides the new Merris and Williams article on Lachenal history, including: A Brief Note by Wes Williams on the employees of Wheatstone and Co. in 1921; A Review by Jack Talty of “Chris Droney and the Tradition of the Concertina in North Clare”; and a Review by Mark Davies of “Sundays at Lena’s” www.concertinajournal.org

Beautifully played, Kathryn!

Congrats Gary! Anyone who has seen this long out of print book - can it be almost 35 years old? - knows just how good it is in describing life of musicians in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century in England. So great that more people will be able to enjoy it.

Dana, Best wishes for a long, happy and fulfilling retirement! Dan

Hi all, Thanks for the interest! I'm trudging along....there is much that has to be done, and I'm working hard at being as thorough and accurate as I can be on the historical/biographical parts, as well as the tutorial with its discussion of style. Kimber deserves no less! I spent today working on tune sources. It goes on and on. The basic transcriptions are all done in draft form, but there is a LOT of checking we must do on this before it goes out the door. My co-author Jarrett Branch has been busy taking the scribbled tunes and transcriptions and placing them in Finale software. We then compare the 'music audio' from the Finale notation and compare it with Kimber on slowed down recordings, and work to make corrections of the printed staves. It is difficult perhaps for anyone who hasn't done a lot of this - especially with music with heavy amounts of chordal accompaniment - to see why it takes so long, but it does! To make matters more complex, Jarrett and his wife have just had a first baby, and with that of course all schedules very naturally go out the window. We both hope to be done with the completed first draft in summer which would allow an autumn visit. Some English ale would be welcome! Meanwhile, our earlier book on Chris Droney just had a very nice review by Jack Talty; look for it in coming days in the Reviews section at the Concertina Journal website, www.concertinajournal.org All the best, Dan

A wonderful weekend at the Palestine Texas old time music festival, with our concertina workshops. Many thanks to Ann Droney Kirrane, Frank Edgley, and Gary Coover (hailing from County Galway, Ontario, and Honolulu, respectively) for leading workshops, and for Ann and the Belles of Bell Harbour (including Maria Terres and Amy McFarland from Milwaukee and Mary Grace O'Neil from Boston) for providing some great Irish music and song amidst the many fabulous old time musicians. Besides Ann's concertina playing, each of the Belles is learning concertina on the side (their main instruments being fiddle, keyboard and flute), so concertinadom continues to grow... It was our largest of these concertina workshops within the larger Old Pal festival, with 19 concertinists including the instructors. Attached are some snapshots of the fun. Come join us next year!

Kurt was a true friend and a cheerful and valued presence at our concertina weekends at the Palestine music festival each year, going back to 2004. He will be greatly missed.

I agree with Frank on the difference in systems, Wheatstone vs Jeffries....they both work fine for my simple purposes. Back in the (Victorian era) day, Jeffries instruments were the best, and regarded as such by nearly everyone that I know of in the historical record. When new, they were very fast and had/have this incredible 'bark' in their tone that is difficult to duplicate. I've searched for years for a good one, wanting 'that' tone yet with speed. And there's the rub. Not all of them, today, are of equal quality, by a long shot. I've gone through half a dozen over the last 40 years trying to find one that has the speed - or at least most of the speed - of my treasured Dipper CG, whilst still having that classic bark (listen to classic recordings of William Kimber, or of some of the old Irish players, while of course realizing that the tone doesn't always come through on the recordings). Many of them have been remuddled over the last century, and it is easy to destroy the tone and/or the speed. So my recommendation for those wanting a Jeffries is to first get a newly made instrument that appeals to you - especially one that has speed - and then have a long, leisurely search for a good Jeffries as a second instrument. It's a fun search! By the way, some Jeffries can be brought back to a quality state from the brink of doom. I've worked for six years getting a BbF up to snuff, before Steve Dickinson (valves pads and reed set) and Colin Dipper (button height and stroke) worked absolute magic with it. It is an absolute jewel now, and my long search is over. Too bad it isn't CG, but something about being a step lower in pitch brings out the best in the Jeffries tone, in my opinion.

Thank you, Morgana, that was very kind. I’m always very happy when someone enjoys my work. Keep an eye out later this year for my new book on William Kimber, another iconic player and a fascinating person. It’s a complete revision and extension of my 2005 book on him. Back to House Dance, is old time bush dancing still going strong in the rural Aussie outback? I really enjoyed experiencing it when I visited there 15 years ago with the late Peter Ellis, who was an amazing Anglo player and dance historian.

Only a little over six weeks to go for the 2024 concertina gathering at the Palestine Texas Old Time Music Festival. Join us for an early spring with azaleas, dogwoods...and concertinas! There are a variety of hexagonal activities this year, and some news: Ann Droney Kirrane, the Clare concertina player and singer, returns to Old Pal for a fifth time. She will hold workshops for intermediate to advanced concertina players on the north Clare style of playing. She is the daughter of the late Chris Droney, an iconic Irish concertina player; she and her family keep his wonderful style of playing alive. Music for her workshops is available now for confirmed attendees. Frank Edgley, the well-known musician and concertina builder from Windsor, Ontario, is planning to come to Old Pal. He has graciously agreed to lead workshops in beginning the Irish concertina, including ornamentation, as a complement to Ann's workshops. He just republished his 2001 tutor for the Irish concertina with Rollston Press, and that book will be available at Old Pal. He also will show us some of his newest Anglos from his workbench. Gary Coover, well-known Anglo player, teacher and concertina book publisher extraordinaire, plans to hold workshops on playing Anglo in the harmonic style as well as a reprise of his Shanty session for concertinas and voices. He will no doubt bring copies of various latest published books on the concertina from his Rollston Press. Ann Kirrane and her group, the Belles of Bell Harbour, will lead some workshops in Clare dance music, for all instruments. Some of the Belles are also concertina players! The idea of these workshops is to play a number of tune medleys at a reduced learning pace, so that they can be played later in the weekend to tempo in open sessions. Music for these workshops is available now for confirmed attendees. Ann and her group will appear in concert several times over the festival, most especially on Thursday evening, March 21. The Old Pal website gives a schedule of information on these appearances, as well as general information on the overall festival, of which the concertinas are only a small part: www.oldpalmusic.com . It is a small and friendly festival in a charming old town. If you wish to join us, just send a PM to Dan Worrall via this website. We can then hold you a place, and send out advance pdfs to you of music for the workshops. Please let us know your type of concertina, your skill level, and what your learning interests are. There are a wide variety of players coming, so with advance notice we can try to address special needs or interests. We're looking forward to seeing you there! All the best, Dan Worrall, Gary Coover, and Jarrett Branch Concertina workshop organizers

Just received my copy. Beautifully re-published; a great improvement in look and feel to the original, which was printed in the dot matrix printer days. Still the best single manual for learning Irish style Anglo in the manner of the old Clare players, in my opinion!