Ptarmigan Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 I recently found the PodBean setup & liked it so much, I launched my own wee site Concertina Tunes from North Antrim to promote the tunes I've come across, in this region, over the past 20 years. It also gives me a fine opportunity to promote the lovely sound of Bb/F & Ab/Eb Concertinas. The tunes aren't meant to be played studio perfect, but are rather there to give folks a wee flavour of the music of this region. Also, I don't make any effort to play in standard keys or play slowly for learners, because I know that today, most folks have access to the sort of software that can alter any MP3 to suit their purpose. Anyway, I hope you like it. Cheers, Dick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Dudgeon Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Very nice, sir. Very nice indeed. When you click on the link, after enjoying the tunes on that page, if you click on the link at the bottom that says "Older Posts" you hear more goodies of a group nature. Thanks for a very enjoyable listen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptarmigan Posted June 15, 2011 Author Share Posted June 15, 2011 Very nice, sir. Very nice indeed. When you click on the link, after enjoying the tunes on that page, if you click on the link at the bottom that says "Older Posts" you hear more goodies of a group nature. Thanks for a very enjoyable listen. Hey thanks Frank, I'm glad you enjoyed them. It's just a new project, but I plan to keep adding regularly to it, so it will hopefully grow into a useful wee blog ..... at least for anyone who might be interested in this musical backwater of Ireland. ..... & hopefully, for all those more discerning players out there, who like the more mellow sounds of Bb/F & Ab/Eb Concertinas. Cheers, Dick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomo Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Hello Dick I like your new site very much! And I'm enjoying the sound of Bb/F and Ab/Eb concertinas on the site. I'm looking forward to listening to more Irish tunes on the site. Cheers, Tomoyuki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Drinkwater Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Great idea, Dick. Very nice tunes, arrangements and playing. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptarmigan Posted June 16, 2011 Author Share Posted June 16, 2011 Great idea, Dick. Very nice tunes, arrangements and playing. Chris Glad you like it Chris, but ... I must confess, not an original idea. I was originally inspired by Tomoyuki's Flute & Concertina site, but couldn't find any system like it here. Then I stumbled on two great PodBean sites Michael Clarkson"s Flute & Harry Bradley's Uilleann Pipes ........ & off I went. Cheers, Dick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill N Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 (edited) Brilliant Dick! Really nice to hear the Bb/F box, which I think is the lovliest tuning. I've been looking for a few Irish tunes to play on my Bb/F Tedrow. Must be my heritage calling out to me. I've never been across the pond, but my Dad's family is from Ballymena and Templepatrick. Edited June 17, 2011 by Bill N Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptarmigan Posted June 18, 2011 Author Share Posted June 18, 2011 Brilliant Dick! Really nice to hear the Bb/F box, which I think is the lovliest tuning. I've been looking for a few Irish tunes to play on my Bb/F Tedrow. Must be my heritage calling out to me. I've never been across the pond, but my Dad's family is from Ballymena and Templepatrick. Hi Bill, glad you enjoyed it. Ballymena is just 20 miles down the road from me here, but I'm afraid it's not exactly a hot bed of Traditional Music. I'll be posting a few more tunes on my Bb/F, so hopefully one or two of them will take your fancy & end up getting a workout on your Tedrow. Cheers, Dick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jubilee Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 Hi Dick I've just had a listen to this and found the tunes great. Really good idea. Love the sound of the concertina. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptarmigan Posted June 20, 2011 Author Share Posted June 20, 2011 Hi Dick I've just had a listen to this and found the tunes great. Really good idea. Love the sound of the concertina. Hey, glad you enjoyed them. Hopefully, it'll grow into something quite useful .... & keep me practicing! Cheers, Dick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptarmigan Posted June 22, 2011 Author Share Posted June 22, 2011 (edited) For anyone who might be interested. I'm finally starting to get the hang of this site now & have posted a few images plus links to ABCs. Hopefully this'll help create a more homely & less academic atmosphere! Cheers, Dick Edited June 22, 2011 by Ptarmigan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglo-Irishman Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 I've never been across the pond, but my Dad's family is from Ballymena and Templepatrick. Ballymena is just 20 miles down the road from me here, but I'm afraid it's not exactly a hot bed of Traditional Music. Ever been to Ballymena on the 12th of July, Dick? Plenty of traditional music in the streets then! Admittedly Ballymena is not the first town that springs to mind when you think of music. A very dour populace. In the old days of live variety shows, they said that if you could please a Ballymena audience, you could perform anywhere. However, it is associated with my earliest musical memories. I was born there and lived there for 7 years. And it was during those formative Ballymena years that I caught the concertina bug. The Salvation Army Citadel was just round the corner from our house, and I was taken there on Sunday mornings before I was old enough to sit through a "normal" church service. I've loved listening to brass band music ever since, but the instrument that I really wanted to be able to play some day was a concertina like the one the S.A. Captain played. It must have been a Crane/Triumph duet. The sound just spellbound me. BTW, the boys in my Irish folk group (all Germans) thought that we should have a song about my home town in our repertoire. There aren't any! (Or if anybody knows of one, please give details!) So I had to write one. It turned out to be the basis for a rather nice classic-banjo ragtime piece. Cheers, John PS. Wee joke about Ballymena, which is linguistically what they now call "Ulster Scots": An American businessman found himself stranded in Ballymena one evening. He approached a local man in the street, and said, "Hey, buddy, any night-life around these parts?" "Well, there's some nice pubs," said the Ballymena man. "Naw, I meant a bit of entertainment," said the Yank. "Well, there's the pictures - the cinema ..." The American, exasperated, realised that he'd have to say what he meant, so he asked, "But what do you guys do about sex?" The Ballymena man smiled cheerily and said, "Oh, we have our tay about sex!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptarmigan Posted June 23, 2011 Author Share Posted June 23, 2011 Ever been to Ballymena on the 12th of July, Dick? Plenty of traditional music in the streets then! Admittedly Ballymena is not the first town that springs to mind when you think of music. Well, to be fair, just out the road a bit, in Broughshane, there have been very good Fiddle classes now, for a number of years & the likes of the Cullybackey has produced some great musicians & singers, like Leslie Craig & John Kennedy. Plus, the Derry & Antrim Fiddlers used to hold their monthly meetings just out the road a piece in Newtowncrommelin ..... so it's not completely barren & believe it or not, they actually have a session in Ballymena now, every Thursday night ...... so things are looking up! ... a concertina like the one the S.A. Captain played. It must have been a Crane/Triumph duet. The sound just spellbound me. Mmmmmm ... I wonder where that Concertina is today? Don't suppose you remember his name? Oh yes & more good news .. they've actually stopped locking up the swings in the public park, every Sunday now! ... Praise the Lord! Cheers, Dick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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