Ab/eb Concertinas In The Salvation Army

[Dowright]

My comments are in response to "Ab/Eb Concertinas ..." started by "lachenal74693" in the General Concertina Discussion section on 29 August 2015. I view my comments as more appropriate for the History section.

The discussion turned to the Ab/Eb Anglo concertinas used by the Salvation Army (SA). Booth's Instructions for the Salvation Army Concertina (1888) was mentioned. Later (1912) the Salvation Army endorsed the Triumph (Crane) duet concertina. But in the interim, the SA published a unique little guide in circa 1905--The Salvation Army Anglo-German and English Concertina Tutor. Though only 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches and only 72 pages, it contained sections on (Part I) The Rudiments of Music (pages 6-18), (Part II) The Salvation Army Concertina [26-key Anglo, the SA standard at the time] (pp. 19-40), (Part III) An Easy System [of Tablature] For the Concertina (pp. 41-51), (Part IV) The English Concertina (pp. 52-66), and (Appendix) Additional Tunes to Part IV (pp. 67-72). The only other tutor that I have discovered for both Anglo and English concertina is T. J. Juliana, New Instructions for the English & German Concertina (London: Joseph Williams, circa 1870.)

I have more to say, but for now will just attach images of the cover, the 26-key SA Anglo concertina (by George Jones), and the note diagram.

Edited September 5, 2015 by Dowright

[Ken_Coles]

A link to the other thread: http://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=17953

 

I will be interested to hear more about this. I have a crashed 26-key Jones with ends like those pictured in your post in (I think, it is too wheezy to be sure) Ab/Eb, and like the photo of Mike Byrne's in the other thread. If that combination was common for the SA, it would be interesting to know if the alternate key is mentioned in the tutor, as it is in the 1888 tutor. The pages you posted appear to show show C/G fingering.

 

It must be time to fix up and play that concertina!

 

Ken

[Daniel Hersh]

And here's a link to the 1888 SA tutor (also from the other thread): http://www.concertina.com/chambers/booth-salvation-army-concertina/booth-salvation-army-concertina-1888.pdf

 

A link to the other thread: http://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=17953

 

I will be interested to hear more about this. I have a crashed 26-key Jones with ends like those pictured in your post in (I think, it is too wheezy to be sure) Ab/Eb, and like the photo of Mike Byrne's in the other thread. If that combination was common for the SA, it would be interesting to know if the alternate key is mentioned in the tutor, as it is in the 1888 tutor. The pages you posted appear to show show C/G fingering.

 

It must be time to fix up and play that concertina!

 

Ken

Edited September 6, 2015 by Daniel Hersh

[Dowright]

Ken,

You mentioned 26-key Jones concertinas that have the same appearance as the illustration in the tutor. I also have one, but it is in Bb/F and, of course, does not have the lyre [sheet-music-holder attachment].

As you mentioned, the main rows of the Anglo layout are in the keys of C major and G major. However, given the accidentals in the 3-button top row, the tutor states: "The Army Concertina is capable of playing in any key . . . ." To make the point, the tutor has scale exercises in the keys of C major, G major, D major, A major. B major, F# major, F, Ab, Bb, and Eb. It also has two-note exercises on thirds, sixths, and octaves.

The tutor even has sections describing the concertina components and information on concertina maintenance and repair.

The tunes in the Anglo section are subdivided into (1) Melodies only, (2) Melodies with Simple Harmonies, (3) Accompaniment to Singing, and (4) Music for Concertina Bands (separate parts for 1st and 2nd concertina). The English concertina section has Easy Tunes, and the Appendix has additional tunes arranged for 1st and 2nd concertina. As would be expected of the SA, the tunes are spiritual, and I think that these tunes are not found in hymnals. (But one or more may still be used by the SA.)

The Anglo section has tunes in regular music notation with tablature numbers above and below the staff and a set of tunes in a separate style of tablature without the regular musical staff.

I think that I have sufficiently describe the tutor. If someone wants a copy, send me a personal message and we will see what can be done. Maybe I could scan all of the individual pages.

[Roger Hare]

My comments are in response to "Ab/Eb Concertinas ..." started by "lachenal74693" in the General Concertina Discussion section on 29 August 2015.

 

 

And very informative they are too! You have filled in some of the gaps in my knowledge of

these SA concertinas (for example, chronology and the fact that the 26-button was 'standard').

 

Thank you - and to the others who have added information about these SA instruments in this

thread!

 

I may have missed it, but did you post a link to the 1905 tutor? Sounds like a fascinating

document - it will sit nicely on my Android tablet along with the 1888 tutor.(*)

 

I see that in the button layout page you post, the stave is in the key of C. May I infer from that

that the SA also used C/G instruments as well as Ab/Eb instruments? Is the tutor in fact for a

C/G instrument - the key is not mentioned on the cover page - or have I missed something

obvious?(**)

 

Thank you.

 

Roger

 

(*) I have sent you a PM about this.

(**) Spotted by someone else, I now see, and you appear to have answered this point!

Edited September 7, 2015 by lachenal74693

[adrian brown]

 

The pages you posted appear to show show C/G fingering.

 

It must be time to fix up and play that concertina!

 

Ken

 

 

My comments are in response to "Ab/Eb Concertinas ..." started by "lachenal74693" in the General Concertina Discussion section on 29 August 2015.

 

 

I see that in the button layout page you post, the stave is in the key of C. May I infer from that

that the SA also used C/G instruments as well as Ab/Eb instruments? Is the tutor in fact for a

C/G instrument - the key is not mentioned on the cover page - or have I missed something

obvious?(**)

 

Thank you.

 

Roger

 

 

I would imagine that the anglo was still being treated as a transposing instrument in the later tutor. In the 1888 tutor, the layout is given as a Bb instrument, although the sounding pitch is Ab ("...because this key is the same as Bb on the cornet"). Seeing that the layout in the 1905 tutor is given as C, rather than Bb, it's possible the music was written in C to sound an Ab. But it would be nice to have the whole tutor and look at the key signatures used. If they are mostly flat keys, it might well have been a C instrument. On the other hand, the 1888 tutor has the anglo as a chordal rather than melody instrument. It's possible that by 1905, the arrangements used the instrument more as a melody instrument and as an alternative to the English system.

 

Adrian

 

Adrian