chiton1 Posted December 7, 2009 Author Share Posted December 7, 2009 (edited) so, please... let's not spend any more time in this thread talking about IF you can play the EC in irish music, but rather WHO does. it is a worthwhile discussion, for sure, but i think it should be in another thread. Well David I agree with you, this should be a topic for listing those who are playing Irish music on EC. But probably I am to blame for it as well as I added this: Sometimes I have the impression that Anglo players regard us a rare breed of queer people on a useless and futile quest (why not play Anglo is a question I have often been asked by Anglo players). And discussions regarding if EC can produce some convincing Irish music etc. should better be addressed in another topic. Now I will put three new videos on youtube tonight and would very much like comments on those (especially by Anglo players) and perhaps start a discussion from there. I didn't include Mick & Rick (doesn't that sound lovely?) as I only heard them playing harmonica and song accompaniment, but perhaps they do play Irish dance music and airs on EC?.... I do not know if it is statistically significant but most European EC players seem to be dislocated from their land of origin! That is why I have put their origin/descent between square brackets. Of course Americans and Australians are already dislocated (unless they are from true native origin ). To the list I have added a few myself and will add more (there at least two others in France). English System Concertina Players Who Play Irish Music Marc (Australia) Dirk de Bleser (Belgium) Hermann Strack (France) - [German/French/Uruguayan] Geoff Wooff (France) - [English] Fernando Durbán Galnares (Ireland) - [spanish] Dick Miles (Ireland) - [English] Henrik Müller (Sweden) - [Danish] Dick Abrams (USA) Matt Heumann (USA) Larry Stout (USA) Edited December 7, 2009 by chiton1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiton1 Posted December 7, 2009 Author Share Posted December 7, 2009 I play often with an EC player ( "Dow" as mentioned by Ceemonster, unfortunately the clips he mentions are no longer there) whose commitment could not be faulted and who gives nothing away to any player I have heard other than the very best. Visiting Irish people don't shake their heads and say, "...if only he played an Anglo." They eagerly sit down and play with him. As I do whenever I can. He can play the Anglo a little, and when he does it sounds great, but no different to his EC. Like all great players, he transcends his instrument. Chris The few short pieces of music by ''Dow'' on youtube were great but indeed I can not find them anymore.... pity. I mailed him a few times, perhaps two years ago; he said that he was in Australia and he called himself Marc if I remember well. If you do play with him could you give his full name? And by the way ask him to put some new material on youtube Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiton1 Posted December 7, 2009 Author Share Posted December 7, 2009 I'm in the process of switching from anglo to EC. For me, concertina is about my 7th or 8th instrument -- so I'm not pursuing seriously. When I travel for leisure I carry a double case with fiddle and mandolin, and another double case with EC and AC. On concertina, I play mostly jigs and reels, but I also enjoy being able to play ANYTHING with EC including Satie, Rebikov, Bach. Someday, I expect to leave the anglo at home. I play guitars, banjos, conrabass, fiddle, mandos and drums in various styles in various bands. For me, EC is one of the most elegant instruments. So Catty do you think you should be on the list? The number of instruments you play is of no importance (I play whistle, wooden flute, bombard, biniou and concertina). I do play other music on concertina too (Breton music and like to improvise). But if you play mostly jigs and reels than you should be listed! To do so we need your real name, if you do not mind (I remember a thread long ago about people being afraid mentioning their real names...). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Ghent Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 (edited) The few short pieces of music by ''Dow'' on youtube were great but indeed I can not find them anymore.... pity. I mailed him a few times, perhaps two years ago; he said that he was in Australia and he called himself Marc if I remember well. If you do play with him could you give his full name? And by the way ask him to put some new material on youtube He is in Egypt, I will draw his attention to the thread when he returns... Chris Edited December 7, 2009 by Chris Ghent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Stout Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 Two more that I know only from their CD's: Tim Jennings (USA) plays in the group Sheefra. The CD I know is "The Water Kelpie" There is also a cut of his playing on English International. Denise Martin (Alaska, USA) has a CD entitled "Laptop" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spindizzy Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 After so many discussions if Irish music CAN be played on English Concertina, I would be interested to know who are predomintly playing Irish music (ITM or however you call it) on their EC? And I think it would also be interesting to know how many people use their EC to play Irish music. Sometimes I have the impression that Anglo players regard us a rare breed of queer people on a useless and futile quest (why not play Anglo is a question I have often been asked by Anglo players). Of course I came across a few Irish playing ECs in Concertina.net, but there are probably more I do not know of. I would also be curious to know were these people are based, as probably most of them live outside Ireland. So I have three easy questions: 1) do you play predominantly (lets say at least half of your repertoire) Irish Music on your EC? (if so, please give your name) 2) in which country do you live? 3) do you know of others who would fit this category? This will result in a list like the one Dick made for Scottish EC players. I will sign in first - hope others will follow: English System Concertina Players Who Play Irish Music Hermann Strack (France) You can add me in Chris (England) DH handed me his concertina when he decided to concentrate on fiddle. He plays mostly ITM I play maybe 50% ITM since that's the way the local sessions fall, (my EC seems to know more ETM tunes than I do). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catty Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 I'm in the process of switching from anglo to EC. For me, concertina is about my 7th or 8th instrument -- so I'm not pursuing seriously. When I travel for leisure I carry a double case with fiddle and mandolin, and another double case with EC and AC. On concertina, I play mostly jigs and reels, but I also enjoy being able to play ANYTHING with EC including Satie, Rebikov, Bach. Someday, I expect to leave the anglo at home. I play guitars, banjos, conrabass, fiddle, mandos and drums in various styles in various bands. For me, EC is one of the most elegant instruments. So Catty do you think you should be on the list? The number of instruments you play is of no importance (I play whistle, wooden flute, bombard, biniou and concertina). I do play other music on concertina too (Breton music and like to improvise). But if you play mostly jigs and reels than you should be listed! To do so we need your real name, if you do not mind (I remember a thread long ago about people being afraid mentioning their real names...). Sorry...thought my Myspace page was adequate. Randal Wolfe, Missoula MT USA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blatherskite Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 Hello all, You can add me Ed Delaney (USA) to the list of EC who mainly play ITM. I got here via a long circuitous route through years of playing for contra dances, and now host an Irish session in Carmel IN. I've never been turned away or looked down on in any Irish session I've attended, but I do totally understand what people are referring to when they talk about 'bounce' and other sonic phenomena produced by the different instruments. When I win the lotto I'm surely going to add an Anglo to the list of other non EC instruments I half play :-) I personally love playing for dances (not just contra), and really think that it grounds you more than just playing in sessions alone, and if used as a guide for what works and what doesn't, clearly either style works. I stick with EC because I've played it for 40 years, and because I can do a credible enough job on ITM to fit in. I know my limits and the limits of my instrument, and just follow it wherever it leads me. I don't know if others would say I'm 'In' or 'Out' of the tradition, I'll leave that to them, but I feel like it's allowed me to introduce lots of people to ITM who then learn enough on their instrument (box,whistle,fiddle or whatever) to decide just how far, or how traditional they want to get. I'd also like to mention Ken Sweeney, who did a workshop at the Northeast Squeeze-In on how to play EC in a more Anglo style. He really did a great job, and opened my eyes to not only new possibilities on the EC, but also to what the essential and most attractive sounds the Anglo makes naturally really are. ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiddlersgreen Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 I play mostly ITM on the EC in Baltimore, Maryland. I yam what I yam. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lildogturpy Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 I play mostly ITM on the EC but also add in some English, French and Quebecois tunes along the way. I must confess to being at a loss over the discussion of whether the EC can play ITM. All comparisons seem to be with the Anglo but the EC is a completely different approach to making sound, almost like comparing a banjo and a fiddle, which can both use the same tuning but the movements required to make sound are completely different. To me it seems to boil down to, do you like the sound or not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Ryan Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 Add me , Tom Ryan, to the list. I play Irish traditional on a 56-key Aeola. I live in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada,where there is another EC player (both Aeola and 48-key Treble) who plays in a range of styles, sometimes joining my friends and me on our favourite Irish pieces. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buikligger Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 Hi Chiton, thanks for adding me. I'm almost fully into ITM on EC. I met John Leavey from England in Drumshanbo in Noel Hills class, and he plays ITM on a Wheatstone Aeola for more than 20 years. Dirk De Bleser, Belgium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiton1 Posted December 8, 2009 Author Share Posted December 8, 2009 I have put three of my videos with some Irish music (2 hornpipes, 3 polkas & 2 jigs) in the Concertina Videos & Music section. I would very much receiving feedback on these, and perhaps discuss (in the Video section, not here!) if ECs are capable of making ''convincing Irish music'' or not. In the meantime I have added to the list. Thanks to all for their contributions and remarks!. The list is growing to serious proportions but I am sure there must be more around. Chris and Mike certainly have family names but as I do not know them I have given them their alias names used in this forum. English System Concertina Players Who Play Irish Music Marc (Australia) Dirk de Bleser (Belgium) Robin Beech (Canada) Tom Ryan (Canada) John Leavey (England) Chris ''Spindizzy'' (England) Jean Louis Auneaud (France) Hermann Strack (France) - [German/French/Uruguayan] Geoff Wooff (France) - [English] Fernando Durbán Galnares (Ireland) - [spanish] Dick Miles (Ireland) - [English] Henrik Müller (Sweden) - [Danish] Dick Abrams (USA) Ed Delaney (USA) Mike ''Fidlersgreen'' (USA) Matt Heumann (USA) Tim Jennings (USA) Denise Martin (USA) Larry Stout (USA) Ken Sweeney (USA) Randal Wolfe (USA) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lildogturpy Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 (edited) I believe Marc (Australia) is Markus Dow Edited December 9, 2009 by lildogturpy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lildogturpy Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 Spindizzy is Christine Jordan, based on her page at Jodrell Bank Observatory. Close to my parents house since you can see Jodrell Bank from White Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azalin Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 I play mostly ITM on the EC but also add in some English, French and Quebecois tunes along the way. I must confess to being at a loss over the discussion of whether the EC can play ITM. All comparisons seem to be with the Anglo but the EC is a completely different approach to making sound, almost like comparing a banjo and a fiddle, which can both use the same tuning but the movements required to make sound are completely different. To me it seems to boil down to, do you like the sound or not? Actually, many people would agree that some instruments are incapable of producing a sound that fits ITM, although we've been surprised from time to time to hear such instrument played in a way that proves "us" wrong. So the discussion you see around is if the EC can actually do it. It's an ongoing debate, based one different people's personal tastes and understanding of ITM. It is "known" that a fiddle (obviously!) and a banjo can play "good" ITM. I wouldn't say the same about a recorder, saxophone or a trumpet, for example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ceemonster Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 [in fairness, Mick & Rick only play accompaniment for their harmonicas on their concertinas. ] sorry, i wasn't listing mick as someone who played irish on ec, just as a wonderful player that rick plays with---as for rick not sure how rick arranges now, but for many years, during his Hohner era, he used to come to my city for the NAMM show each january, and would play into the wee hours at an annual bob burns session where cait reed and others were mainstays....and i saw him do itm on ec a bunch, with and without the mouth organ.....not getting into the debate on ec versus anglo.....at least not right this minute.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_boveri Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 has simon thoumire ever tried to play irish music in an irish style? i'm sure he could definitely pull it off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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