World Concertina Day Review and Thanks

[Daniel Hersh]

The first-ever World Concertina Day, organized by the International Concertina Association, was Sunday February 6th. It was a great success, with participation from at least 13 countries! Much of what was created for the day is still available to watch, listen or read.

 

There were a number of in-person events that day and afterwards, initiated and created by players around the world. You can find out more about what happened at https://concertina.org/world-concertina-day-events.

 

ICA’s featured event for the day was an all-star international video concert that is still available for viewing, including new performances from John Kirkpatrick , Rob Harbron, Jody Kruskal, Alistair Anderson, Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne, Caitlín Nic Gabhann, Paul McCann and many others.

 

World Concertina Day merchandise is still available for purchase from online shops in the UK/EU and the USA and Canada.

 

ICA sends a big thank you to all who participated in the day:

• participants in in-person events

• the many players around the world who created and posted videos on YouTube and on Facebook

• everyone who celebrated the day in any way, including posting WCD-related messages on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

• the performers in our international video concert

• the performers in the Eastern North America Online Concertina Concert

• Randy Stein and Janet Dows, who both did online solo concerts

• Robert Minting and interviewer Jeremy Hague for a fascinating video interview about Robert’s father, Harry Minting of the Wheatstone concertina firm

• Göran Rahm, who created a multimedia article for the ICA website about the former Swedish Concertina Society (Svenska Concertina-sällskapet)

• Martin Henshaw, who created a multimedia article for the ICA website about the history of the Chiltinas concertina group

• Michael Hebbert, who wrote an article about Charles Wheatstone and concertina history that was published on the website of King’s College London

• Otto Smith, who put together two radio events in the US that day

• the North Eastern Concertina Players, who made a new audio recording for the day

• the concertina players in Germany who created the World Concertina Day video challenge

• Alan Day, who got people playing his March of the Concertinas

• the Crewkerne Museum and the West Country Concertina Players, who held a concertina “drop-in day” at the museum

• Stephen Rowley of the Anglo Concertina Facebook group, who organized and hosted a players’ gathering on Zoom

• ICA’s own WCD team: Jeremy Hague (chair), Daniel Hersh, Colin Whyles, Paul McCann and Tracy Tye

Edited February 13, 2022 by Daniel Hersh