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Current players of The Maccann ?


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A couple of observations; Firstly, the sale of Maccann duets on EBay isn't a lot of use in discerning how many players of the system there are. I own two but only play one at a time (multiple ownership is fairly typical I would have thought?) Secondly, there are a number of people who are registered on the Maccann players site who are 'interested observers but who don't actually play the system. Thirdly, there are a significant number (given the world population of Maccann concertinas, aeolas etc.) sitting awaiting an owner in dealers and retailers shops as well as those in collections. This again gives absolutely no indication as to how many players there are. But…it does perhaps, point to the need to evangelise a bit? If only to liberate 'captive' instruments languishing on shelves.

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macannic....Irene is in hospital having new knees attached at the moment!

Don't think Lists of Duet players are uppermost in her mind.

I'm sure you'll all join with me (no pun intended!) In wishing her a speedy recovery.

Hope she's got her own room so she can do some serious practicing. Give her my best wishes please Ralphie!

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macannic....Irene is in hospital having new knees attached at the moment!

Don't think Lists of Duet players are uppermost in her mind.

I'm sure you'll all join with me (no pun intended!) In wishing her a speedy recovery.

Hope she's got her own room so she can do some serious practicing. Give her my best wishes please Ralphie!

Will do Dirge/Geoff.

Fairly routine nowadays, but crutches required for a bit....Mind you, It's always easier playing tina sitting down, I find!

Right then....Serious practicing in the morn. Night All.

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macannic....Irene is in hospital having new knees attached at the moment!

Don't think Lists of Duet players are uppermost in her mind.

I'm sure you'll all join with me (no pun intended!) In wishing her a speedy recovery.

Hope she's got her own room so she can do some serious practicing. Give her my best wishes please Ralphie!

Will do Dirge/Geoff.

Fairly routine nowadays, but crutches required for a bit....Mind you, It's always easier playing tina sitting down, I find!

Right then....Serious practicing in the morn. Night All.

 

New knees ? :huh:

 

I'm a bit more "hip" than that. It was a hip replacement! As to routine, I wish! A collapse,and a crash team on the day after the op ... added a little excitement to visiting time. Shame I wasn't able to observe any of it. However I can report that hospital floors are hard!

 

No own room I'm afraid- but thanks for the kind thoughts. I'l reply to the query in due course. Only just back in my own little bed now.

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Lying in bed and recuperating, I followed one of Leo's video links, and now have another name to add to the list - Elke Satrutin from Germany, who plays a 46 key

http://www.youtube.com/user/Maccanni?feature=watch

 

Anybody know her (I'm assuming Elke is a female name, as I haven't been able to track anything down on the web,) ?

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  • 7 months later...

Bill Whaley, already mentioned here as a Maccann player, is one half of the duo, Whaley and Fletcher. Dave Fletcher sings, while Bill accompanies him on a variety of concertinas, including his 81 key Wheatstone Maccann. I was priveleged to see them performing at a folk club in Harthill, South Yorkshire, last friday night; and jolly good they were too. Bill also plays the EC (he has a 56 key Aeola tenor treble and a 64 key Aeola extended tenor treble) and a Jeffries system 39 key Anglo, made specially for Keith Kendrick at one time, by Colin Dipper. I had a lovely chat with Bill afterwards. I didn't get round to asking him how long he has been playing concertinas, especially the Maccann, but given that he looks to be in his sixties and has been performing for many years, I guess it must be quite sometime. He told me he used to play tunes on his concertinas in their act but the audience didn't always respond well to the tune playing, so now he soley accompanies Dave's singing. Apart from Keith Kendrick, who plays both English and Anglo systems, as a professional performer, along with his partner Sylvia, who plays Maccann duet, I'm not aware of anyone else who professionally plays all three systems like Bill. Pretty impressive, I have to say, to be able to get your head around all three systems, the anglo being his most recent acquisition, some two years ago.

 

Here's a link to a video of them, with Bill playing his big Maccann.

Chris

Edited by Chris Drinkwater
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Nice to see that 81 key again Chris. Did Bill tell you how he managed to buy it? Makes interesting telling. I understood from Bill when I bumped into him again last year that he was using the Anglo he got from Keith in performance pretty quickly after purchasing it (and has another Anglo which he purchased as well, I think). No doubt he took out a pact with the Devil in order to encompass all three systems. :rolleyes:

 

It's not THAT rare an appearance of a Maccann on Youtube Geoff - there are a few if you look for them (although admittedly not as many by any means as Anglo and English videos - or even Hayden duets!) . I'll send you a few links later today !

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It's not THAT rare an appearance of a Maccann on Youtube Geoff - there are a few if you look for them (although admittedly not as many by any means as Anglo and English videos - or even Hayden duets!) . I'll send you a few links later today !

 

 

 

Thanks for the offer to send some links Irene.. I really aprieciate that !

Best regards,

Geoff.

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Private message with various links duly sent Geoff. In the meantime, this is one that I hadn't come across before - John Horsey, accompanying himself on a serenade from Bizet's Fair Maid of Perth on a baritone Maccann.

 

 

It seems to be a fairly recent addition to Youtube, and I don't think his name was on my list of devotees of the Dark Arts (as yet).

Edited by Irene S
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This video was added to Youtube a few weeks ago ... looking at it, I think that it is a Maccann (correct me if I'm wrong please) ... and the lady's name is Mary. Unfortunately, whoever posted it gives her no surname, and little more information about her.

 

 

Anybody know her?

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And of course there are quite a few videos of the lovely Iris Bishop accompanying Martyn Wyndham Read

 

Thousands or More

 

Where Ravens Feed

 

or with husband Jim Ward.... Never Let Your Braces Dangle

 

and Isn't it a Pity (although sadly you can't see Iris!)

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This video was added to Youtube a few weeks ago ... looking at it, I think that it is a Maccann (correct me if I'm wrong please) ... and the lady's name is Mary. Unfortunately, whoever posted it gives her no surname, and little more information about her.

 

 

Anybody know her?

 

 

 

 

I stopped the video whilst Mary was showing the instrument to the audience and thus counted five rows accross.. so I'd say it is a Crane.

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I stopped the video whilst Mary was showing the instrument to the audience and thus counted five rows accross.. so I'd say it is a Crane.

 

Ah - I hadn't got that far ... and had a sneaky feeling it wouldn't be one. (I'm no good at the spot the Maccann business most of the time!)

Edited by Irene S
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