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Here's my first attempt to explain, on camera, some background to a tune "Sprig" refers to the fact that this tune grew out of another one of my pieces - Hazel - whilst I was noodling about on the instrument (as you do!)

Hi C-net, I've just posted a new album of music, available for free online. The album features some instrumentals, songs, and yodels performed by my voice (and occasionally my wife's voice) and my Concertina Connection Peacock. The tracks are on Soundcloud (streaming), and WFMU's Free Music Archive (streaming and download). Hope a few people find it interesting! Best, steven arntson Seattle USA

The tune for this week is the "Sett Quadrille". It#s a very energetic dance with three steps in a bar. Two things show how powerful this dance is: The tempo is difficult to find out in the living room. The joke says play it so fast that the dancer's face turns red. Then slow down a bit. The other thing is a picture in my head when our female dance leader stands beside the group and is clapping so that they get more motivated. They need every help.. It is hard work for the musician, too, but I have a drink beside me. Seth Quadrille.mp3 Shared with Dropbox DROPBOX.COM

Here's a traditional song I recorded today. It must be said that the song's narrator is a bit of a bounder. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZppwAy9_2k

I hope to institute an ongoing acoustic music venue here in Alexandria, VA at the Grounded Coffee Shop. This cafe regularly supports live music every Sunday. It tends toward duos and trios with a country influence. The owners have agreed to try out a more folk oriented music venue. The first is Saturday Oct 29th from 1:00- 4:00 PM. There will be three diverse musical groups playing (including the Squeezers). See the attached flyer and I hope you can make it. rss

Mal Derricott has asked me to post this article (below) that she has written about Rollo Woods being awarded and receiving an EFDSS Gold Badge. Rollo was incredibly generous with his knowledge when I interviewed him for my dissertation, concerning the pitch analysis of field recordings of Stephen Baldwin. (He was there at the recording, and was able to offer me incredibly useful background and information on exactly how it was done, the atmosphere and how he coaxed Mr Baldwin into letting us all hear him). Its fantastic to see Rollo being recognised for his many contributions to and work in the folk scene! Rollo Woods – EFDSS Gold Badge Award On Saturday 28th. November a very special party was held in Rollo’s home town of Swanage to celebration his award of the Gold Badge of the English Folk Dance and Song Society. He is in very great company; Vaughan Williams received it too! 200 people attended the celebration from many sections of the Folk society. The event began with a ‘Sing the Old Carols’ workshop and some of the carols were mentioned by Thomas Hardy. Others were chosen for their particular link to the Purbeck area of Dorset. The carols chosen were Rollo’s favourites, or at least some of them as his repertoire is so vast it must have been very difficult for him to make a choice, and only 2 versions of ‘While Shepherds Watched’ out of a possible 400+! There followed a wonderful afternoon tea and then the main event; the formal presentation of the EFDSS Gold Badge Award. A long citation (although still an abbreviated version of the original text of 45 pages long) covering his lifetime of achievements involving Folk Music and Dance, was read out by Jack Crawford, the Chair of the West Gallery Music Association and then he presented Rollo with the Gold Badge on behalf of the English Folk and Dance Song Society. The celebration then continued with a family barn dance with caller Nigel Close (a long term friend of Rollo’s and band caller) leading Rollo’s current ceilidh band, Maiden Oak. We were also entertained by members of Rollo’s musical family. His grandson, Owen, a noted melodeon player, his son Tony and his daughter-in law, better known to jazz lovers than to folk enthusiasts. We were also surprised by a group of dancers from the local school who did 2 country dances and the Purbeck Mummers. It was an absolutely fantastic day and thoroughly enjoyed by all. Rollo is recognised today as a collector and researcher of West Gallery Music; but far more than that he is also a performer of this music, folk song and dance music and an inspiration to others to perform. He is also recognised widely amongst concertina players for his skilled playing and his enduring encouragement to all who play or aspire to play concertina. Rollo has that rare combination of the eye of an academic researcher combined with the active participation of a dancer and musician. Without performance the research could lie gathering dust on a bookshelf and what Rollo has done is ensure that this music is sung and played and above all, enjoyed. Rollo also represents in many ways the full range of activities of a Village Band member of Hardy’s day. He was an instigator and is now an Hon Vice President of the West Gallery Music Association. He was the founder, and is now the researcher and band leader for the Purbeck Village Quire and before that was a founder member of The Madding Crowd. In these groups he has championed the performance of Church music from the West Gallery era. But he is just as much at home as leader of his dance bands Maiden Oak and before that of Greenwood Tree and when in Hampshire, the Black Glove Band. As a dancer he was a member of the Cambridge Morris Men and later the Winchester Morris Men. This combination of West Gallery musician, dance band leader and Morris dancer is something very special and has been beneficial to all three areas. In all these roles Rollo has always been actively encouraging new talent and through that to ensure that the next generation will carry on singing dancing and making music! Mal Derricott Purbeck Village Quire

Hi squeezers - anybody in the west country over the next couple of days? I have two solo gigs at cracking venues over the next two nights- very different vibes but please c'mon down if you want to hear blues/folk/jazz on a 90 yr-old duet concertina and a 67 yr-old voice. Tonight, Thursday, April 16 I'm at The legendary Blues Bar , in Plymouth's historic/pretty Elizebthan Barbican quarter, from about 9pm. (It's next to the Old Custom House on the cobbled quay). I'll be emphasising the blues. jazz vibe with stuff from Fats Waller, Louise Armstrong, Jimmie Rodgers, The Louvin Brothers, Hoagy Carmichael, Bessie Smith & Ma Rainey etc..and my favourite, Randy Newman// but I'll throw in a few more folksy songs and tunes as well. FRIDAY, April 17, follow me about 15 miles inland, up the River Tamar, to the umbelievably quaint riverside village of Calstock( which is just inside the Cornish border) where I'll be performing at the converted Chapel Arts Centre - rapdily becoming on of the gems on the west country acoustic music scene.Sensational views behind the stage of the River Tamar and Brunel's famous railway viaduct...some people still come to the gig by train from Plymouth ! You can just about catch the last train back to the city.. and the trip is unique. I'll be doing a more folky set here, including Cornish mining stuff, some of my own songs, talking about the history/systems of concertina and getting people generally to have a jolly good Friday evening sing-song.Wolf - if you are reading this ( Old Blue Sailor) this is the same little riverside village where you heard my jazz trio in the pub. The Chapel Arts Centre is on the hill as you come on up out of the valley. Wish you could be here !

Hello all, I'm new to both this forum and to concertina playing. I recently bought my first Anglo, a 30 key C/G Lachenal and I'm loving it! My musical background is as a singer and I'm very involved with the folk scene down here in South Devon. I run an unaccompanied singing session in Totnes and I'm also the squire of one of the local Morris sides. I thought I would share this video of Peter Bellamy as I have been a fan of his for many years. He had, in my opinion, one of the finest and most unique voices in the English folk world and I originally fell in love with his unaccompanied singing in the Young Tradition. His later solo work, much of which is accompanied on Anglo Concertina, is as good if not better. One of Bellamy's great gifts to the world of music are his recordings of Rudyard Kipling poems, which Bellamy composed and arranged music for. The following is an old recording of Bellamy singing 'The Death of Bill Brown' and 'Goodbye Old Paint'. Unfortunately the quality of the recording is very poor. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIDkhEIUveQ Followed by Bellamy's cover of Al Stewart's 'Nostradamus' (studio recording, so much better sound than the one above). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LfyGoWcZ_s Enjoy!

Traditional music duo 'Blyde Lasses' are once again bringing the sounds of Shetland to Skye, Glasgow, and Stirling this coming weekend! The pair performs traditional, contemporary and self-penned Shetland material with Frances Wilkins on English concertina and Claire White on fiddle and vocals in their story-rich concerts. Frances will be guest tutoring at this year's Swaledale Squeeze in May, and this is a chance to hear her in action prior to the event. Scottish Mini Tour Dates March 2014 Friday 21st March Shetland Night at Breakish Hall, Breakish, Isle of Skye. 7.30pm. £6/4 on the door. Free Shetland Beer tasting sponsored by Valhalla Brewery. Sunday 23rd March The Old Hairdressers, 20-28 Renfield Lane, Glasgow G2 5AR. 7.30pm. £7/5 on the door. Monday 24th March Stirling Folk Club, Stirling County R.F.C., Bridgehaugh Park, Stirling FK9 5AP. 8.00pm. £8 on door For more information please see attached posters, visit www.blydelasses.com, or contact Frances Wilkins on 07780 504930 or frances@franceswilkins.com Hope to see some of you over the weekend!

I have set up a new You Tube channel to demonstrate playing of the Crane duet concertina- firstly for some of my songs, although I may add some tunes later. The instrument is a 1926, 58-button Wheatstone, steel-reeded duet. Hope you enjoy them. The songs are: "Jim Jones" -an Australian transportation ballad. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6F7IL-PjVtc "I Only Have Eyes For You" - a classic Tin Pan Alley song written in 1932 by Al Dubin and Harry Warren. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bKF8FaNPp4 "My Own Dear Galway Bay" - not the ' Galway Bay" song that begins :" If you ever go across the sea to Ireland...." made famous by Bing Crosby...but the trad' song, written in 1895 by Francis Fahey, that is sung by the people of Galway.( a much better tune in my humble opinion). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4u9yqYLqNk "Tie' em up" - a self-written, sort of angry protest " shanty" - about the limiting of fishermen's days at sea in the South West of the UK. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWKeOog2kRA "Rule and Bant" - another self-written song, about two men who were entombed , but eventually rescued after five days, at the Drakewalls Mine in Gunnislake, Cornwall in 1889. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtRPow5iPug