445 Hz?

[Dee746]

17 hours ago, Bill N said:

I haven't met a Duet player yet, but there are quite a few Anglo and English players in the Golden Horseshoe (Hamilton-Brantford-Toronto areas), and I know of one Anglo player(although his main instrument is whistle) in Buffalo who's a regular at the Sat. afternoon session at Nietzsche's in Allantown.  Also a couple of players at the Corktown Tavern session in Hamilton on Tuesday nights, and a quite a few in Toronto.

Bill thanks for the tip re Nietzsche's.  It's been a few years since I've gone to one of their sessions, but will be sure to get over to listen in the near future.  And if I don't see an Anglo being played, will politely query the whistle players when they're not playing to see if I can find the Anglo player! The sessions used to be played at a fairly high level of skill, and I know etiquette - So i wouldn't go looking to play just yet. But making a connection with another player would be great. As for Hamilton, it might not happen till later this summer, because I'm having some health issues right now that have me pretty much home-bound and not working.  (The good news is it gives me lots of down time to practice the concertina).  But later this summer I will try to get to one of the Corktown Tavern sessions in Hamilton. Thanks again for the info.  Dee

[David Barnert]

On 5/10/2019 at 12:28 PM, Dee746 said:

I hadn't noticed that your avatar gargoyle was holding a concertina...  It's a fantastic picture!

 

The sculpture is quite high up on the tower (right front edge, above and to the right of the helmeted soldier, as seen from the front). Here are some other pictures.

 

 

[Dee746]

Fascinating - Thanks so much for sharing these pictures. It would be interesting historically to know whose idea it was to include a gargoyle with a concertina on the building - imagine it's a rather rare design - and whether it was someone who played the concertina! Also, whether there are other places around the world where concertinas appear on gargoyles, statues or  are incorporated into architecture in some other way.  

[Don Taylor]

I believe that this is actually called a 'grotesque' rather than a gargoyle.

 

The original Victoria Tower burned down in 1916 and was replaced by the Peace Tower in the 1920's.  Since that was the heyday of the concertina it is probably not surprising that a stonemason thought it amusing.  Nowadays I guess such a grotesque would be holding a cell phone.

Edited May 12, 2019 by Don Taylor

[RAc]

10 hours ago, Don Taylor said:

I believe that this is actually called a 'grotesque' rather than a gargoyle.

 

The original Victoria Tower burned down in 1916 and was replaced by the Peace Tower in the 1920's.  Since that was the heyday of the concertina it is probably not surprising that a stonemason thought it amusing.  Nowadays I guess such a grotesque would be holding a cell phone.

 

Coincidentally, this incident has found its way into (at least) one song which is very much worth listening to - "Stonecutter" by the wonderful Canadian Singer/Songwriter James Keelaghan (released on his album "Home"). No concertina in those lyrics, though.

 

We're pretty much completly off the original issue anyways, otherwise the issue should probably be moved to a separate thread.

 

[David Barnert]

14 hours ago, Don Taylor said:

I believe that this is actually called a 'grotesque' rather than a gargoyle.

 

Yes. A gargoyle is a grotesque that functions as a waterspout. This one is not a waterspout, just a grotesque.

[Little John]

On 5/12/2019 at 7:12 PM, Dee746 said:

 It would be interesting historically to know whose idea it was to include a gargoyle with a concertina on the building - imagine it's a rather rare design - and whether it was someone who played the concertina!

 

It's my understanding that choice of subject is the mason's own - so probably a mason who played concertina, or at any rate liked concertinas.