W. Somerset Maugham.

[halimium]

He has been for years one of my favourite authors.

I was rereading The Moon and Sixpence the other day & as I came near to the end this paragraph stood out.

 

Mrs. Strickland and Mrs. Ronaldson looked down with a slightly pious expression which indicated, I felt sure, that they thought the quotation was from Holy Writ. Indeed, I was unconvinced that Robert Strickland did not share their illusion.

I do not know why I suddenly thought of Strickland's son by Ata. They had told me he was a merry, light-hearted youth.

I saw him, with my mind's eye, on the schooner on which he worked, wearing nothing but a pair of dungarees; and at night, when the boat sailed along easily before a light breeze, and the sailors were gathered on the upper deck, while the captain and the supercargo lolled in deck-chairs, smoking their pipes, I saw him dance with another lad, dance wildly, to the wheezy music of the concertina.

Above was the blue sky, and the stars, and all about the desert of the Pacific Ocean.

 

Its funny how you notice these things, when other times I would have barely noticed it at all..

Edited September 27, 2012 by halimium

[Warren Fahey]

It is hard to beat Henry Lawson writing on the concertina.

 

"A shout from the outer darkness, and most of the men and some of the girls rose and hurried out. Fragments of conversation heard in the darkness: "It's two horses I tell you." Then the clack of a gate thrown open. "Who is it Tom?"

Voices from gate wards yelling; "Johnny Mears ! They've got Johnny Mears!"

Then rose yells and a cheer such is seldom heard in scrublands. Out In the kitchen Dave Regan grabbed from the far side of the table

where he had thrown it, a burst and battered concertina, which for the

last hour he had been vainly trying to patch and make air-tight; and, holding it out towards the back door, between the palms as a football is held, he let it drop, and fetched it neatly on the toe of his riding boot. It was a beautiful kick, the concertina shot out into the blackness, from which was projected, in return, first a short sudden howl, then a face with one eye glaring and the other covered by an enormous brick-coloured hand, and a voice that wanted to know who shot "That lurid loaf of bread ? "

And from the schoolroom was heard the loud free voice of Joe Matthews, MC: "Take yer partners! Hurry up ! Take yer partners! They've got Johnny

Mears with his fiddle !"

[jggunn]

Lawson was great poet and some of his work has been given musical settings -- one of the best is the Outside Track.

[Wally Carroll]

Maugham is one of my favorite authors as well. Sadly he is not read much on this side of the pond. I haven't read the "Moon and Sixpence" in many years and didn't recognize this passage so I think it is safe to say that it must have been before I developed an interest in concertinas. Over the past 15 years or so I have been slowly making my way through Maugham's works. Currently I am reading "The Narrow Corner." That is to say, I will soon be reading it . . . it has been sitting on the side of my bed for two weeks now in the "on deck" position and my Tivo recordings are nearly exhausted so it will be any day now that I begin.

[sidesqueeze]

Maugham is one of my favorite authors as well. Sadly he is not read much on this side of the pond. I haven't read the "Moon and Sixpence" in many years and didn't recognize this passage so I think it is safe to say that it must have been before I developed an interest in concertinas. Over the past 15 years or so I have been slowly making my way through Maugham's works. Currently I am reading "The Narrow Corner." That is to say, I will soon be reading it . . . it has been sitting on the side of my bed for two weeks now in the "on deck" position and my Tivo recordings are nearly exhausted so it will be any day now that I begin.

 

Wally,

 

I'll send you the Cliff's Notes.

 

You've got about another 60 concertinas to finish before you get to mine!