Emigrants And Concertinas

[Stephen Mills]

from Stephen Chambers in the concertina and women topic

There were probably more people playing Irish music in the 1880's than at any time prior to that.

 

I’ve been researching (read “wasting copious amounts of time trawling the web) the diaspora of concertinas from the British Isles lately. Among the many interesting tidbits I’ve found are:

 

A journey in steerage - 1904...[T]hese [irish emigrants] certainly possessed youth and high spirits, good nature, warm affections and a concertina to every dozen or so. The deck spaces of the “Cedric” are so huge that even the 1,700 third-class passengers did not crowd them, and ample room was offered for dancing to the music of these concertinas, every one of which on a pleasant day was in pretty steady service. Young and old danced until tired.

 

and in History of the Darwin City Waterfront (post-1870)

 

The camp had a great love of music. Nearly all the men played the concertina, some were flute-players. And surely they all sang! for night after night when work was over they assembled under a shady tree in the middle of camp and a regular musical entertainment took place...

 

 

Re: the Australians: I presume these immigrants were primarily English (esp. as the author of the piece is named Harriet Bloomfield). What type of concertina would they have most likely played?

 

Re: the Irish: Should we presume most of the Irish emigrants would be playing cheap German concertinas, which may be why not so many of this apparently massive influx of concertinas have survived? I also take it that the percentage of Irish families with concertinas must exceed the 1/12 number, as I would presume that the displaced and disposessed would be less likely to have a concertina. Some, in fact, may have been like this immigrant fiddler:

 

Ed McDermott was born on April 2, 1896 in Corrawallen, County Leitrim, Ireland. This is just outside the larger town, Ballinamore. His father was the local constable and also a fiddler, from whom Ed learned the instrument and attributed his style. He played at the local parish dances, just like many of the other lads. The period of his youth, however, was marred by the political turmoil erupting in Ireland prior to the Easter Rebellion of 1916.

He unwillingly left the country, as he said, "on the run" in 1915. As Mac told it, he and his cousin were sitting in a pub in Ballinamore when a group of Black and Tans came in. They came up to the pair and said, "which one of you is John McDermott?" The respondent was immediately strong-armed outside and summarily shot. Mac made his way out the back door. The local parish priest at the Drumleigh church got Mac a second class ticket on a steamer to America. Mac claimed that he escaped the attention of the authorities because they only checked steerage.

 

Any comments, facts to add, or pointers to quality reference sources?

[twisper]

and a concertina to every dozen or so..............  dancing to the music of these concertinas, ..........

 

 

 

  Nearly all the men played the concertina, some were flute-players........

 

 

What type of concertina would they have most likely played? 

 

Re: the Irish:  Should we presume most of the Irish emigrants would be playing cheap German concertinas, ........................

 

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Hi Stephen..........Is it possible that the chroniclers of this period, in their wide focus of events, might have also characterized small one-row melodians as 'concertinas' as well? Just a thought. ...........Forrest

Edited June 3, 2005 by twisper

[Stephen Chambers]

and a concertina to every dozen or so..............  dancing to the music of these concertinas, ..........

 

Nearly all the men played the concertina, some were flute-players........

 

What type of concertina would they have most likely played? 

 

Re: the Irish:  Should we presume most of the Irish emigrants would be playing cheap German concertinas, ........................

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Stephen..........Is it possible that the chroniclers of this period, in their wide focus of events, might have also characterized small one-row melodians as 'concertinas' as well? Just a thought. ...........Forrest

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Forrest,

 

That would be my suspicion too !

 

As I have mentioned before, the German concertina and the 10-key melodeon were played almost interchangeably in Ireland, and would have been little-different in sound. Whilst Anglo concertinas were virtually unheard of at the time (I know a 90-year old player who still calls them the "new" type, and dislikes the sound of them !).