Amazing Concertina Recording

[CaryK]

Eagerly awaiting their release.

[felix]

Eagerly awaiting their release.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Daniel, you don't need to apologize, it was only an observation and a correction of your previous e-mail.

 

"I am happy that you have posted this because I have a couple of questions. I notice that you are playing a "C#/G#" Dipper instrument. Are these keys the traditional keys for the music? If so, is that based on the tuning of the bagpipes, or have you just chosen that particular tuning. Is the fiddle in a normal tuning EADG or is it tuned sharp?"

 

It is a difficult question, here we play music in a wide range of keys. Nowadays the most common instrument for playing traditional music is the galician bagpipes, second the accordion and the wooden flute (usually small types tuned in F or G, or larger types in D), and third, others, fiddle, hurdy-gurdy, etc.

 

Vocal repertoire is usually different (in key and modes) than instrumental repertoire for pipes, etc. (there are many songs that can be accompanied with instruments but a traditional way of singing is only with tambourine accompaniament)

 

Here we don't have a key widely used (as irish playing instruments in D (pipes, flute, etc.) for D, G, A keys, etc.) and it is a trouble because we need to have more instruments for playing with your friends, and other people...

 

As the most common galician bagpipes today are tuned in C, D (one octave higher than uillean pipe) and B flat ( but there are all the range keys for pipes from high F to Low D), people uses instruments for playing in these keys. But it isn't common here in folk groups, they play more in the keys of C, D, G, A, relative minors, etc. etc.

The b flat pipes are played a lot in pipebands, and the C pipes are more common in traditional quartets (two pipes, and two drums -bombo e tambor-).

 

As you say the concertina tuning is because we play usually with b flat pipes. We like the b flat pipes because (choosing between the C, D and B flat galician bagpipes) it is the best for playing with the other traditional instruments (flutes, fiddles and accordions....), more compact sound, all playing in the same octave, and then one of the best concertinas for playing is the concertina tuned in C sharp / G sharp.

 

Nowadays people who plays in a folk style tunes the fiddle sharp for playing in B flat, E flat keys, as other folk musicians do (but there isn't any fiddle in the recordings we sent for the collection).

 

Galician bagpipes changed a lot from the XIXieth century up to now, in tuning, sound, volume. Today they are fully chromatic, can play in the second octave three notes more, but they are quieter, and they have the typical "classical" tuning for playing well with other instruments (clarinet, accordion, etc.).

 

We sent to the collection the tunes that we have already recorded in which the concertina was more present, there were tunes more melodic and lyric that others we play that are faster. There are a lot of very complicated and fast tunes in galician music (a lot of the nowadays composed tunes are in this manner) but we like more to make good arrangments with more traditional tunes that sometimes are simpler for playing but that are better for good harmonic arrangments that some times in very quick tunes with a lot of semitones, etc. are impossible to do.

 

Sorry for the long post, but I like a lot explain things about galician music.

 

I have now ordered a new C/G concertina from Suttner for playing in more "normal" keys (i will receive it the next November), I have a Lachenal in these keys, but there is a lot of difference between the Lachenal and the Dipper.

;-)

 

Felix

[Alan Day]

Having been recently captivated by the lovely harmony singing of Jane and Amanda Threlfall with Roger Edwards on Anglo concertina on the collection,I went to see them perform at the Folk Club in Lewes Sussex.What a fantastic evening.

I was given by Roger their latest album "Gown of Green" which I love and it has dragged me away from the three CDs I have constantly been listening to.

Sadly Roger does not play much anglo on this CD as Martin Ellison the superb melodion player is playing a lot of the lead music.They are now Trio Threlfull with more of Roger on Anglo and I prefer the new line up.I was even asked to go and perform up front after a fifteen year absence.I did not feel that my fingers were attached to my brain, but did get asked afterwards to another Folk club so I could not have been as bad as I thought I was.

Al

[Spectacled Warbler]

Not sure about the etiquette of resurrecting an old thread, apologies if this should be a new one.

 

I just wondered if there’s any news on the release of the CD yet, or if it’s too early to ask. Christian Mayne was once again saying nice things about it and played a couple of tracks from it, this time on his Radio Britfolk programme (lots of concertinas) - hearing that just made me wonder how things are going.

 

Regards,

 

Joy

[Alan Day]

Well funny you should say that Joy- The Spectacled Warbler (Rare bird?).

The project hit the buffers a month ago when it went to the Sound Engineer and we hit a number of technical problems ,including the birth of the Engineers baby and computer problems.

The mixing and tweeking has been immense as the recordings have come from all over the World and rare archive material,all of which Graham has spent some considerable time getting right

Just today we have released the CD master for manufacture.We have been told about 10-14 days.

The marketing is now in Grahams hands and will shortly be advertising on this site with details of where to buy them.I will also let you know when we have them.The new recordings of Noel Hill I have yet to hear so I await with anticipation,although one I have heard one over the phone which I loved.

It has been a lot of hard work, but we are pleased with the final result, however you will be the judge as to whether we have got it right.

To recap the final lineup (concertina players only named)

 

Noel Hill,John Kirkpatrick,Niall Vallaley,Mary McNamara,Chris Sherburn,Jody Kruskal, Roger Edwards,Andy Turner,Will Duke,Kate McNamara,Frank Edgley,Tom Lawrence,Harry Scurfield.Roger Digby,Kate McNamara,Regardt de Bruin,Bertram Levy,Felix Castro Vicente,John Watcham,Mandy Murray,Zak van de Vyver, Archive material from Nigel Chippendale,Fred Kilroy, Scan Tester,Zulu Squash box music and a little bit from me.

 

Al

Edited August 19, 2005 by Alan Day

[Alan Day]

I have just listened to the programme on Radio Britfolk and I would recommend a listen.There are twa featured tracks from the Album, Andy Turner Early Music set and John Watcham`s Morris tune set.I hope the reproduction of the two tracks are better on your computer than they were on mine, but my thanks to Christian for including them.

Al

[Spectacled Warbler]

Alan - thanks for the information. I'm looking forward to hearing the Mandy Murray tracks that you talked about in another thread. The one I've heard is superb. It'll be fascinating to see hear the different sorts of music that's played on CD, the frustrating (or exciting) part will be that I'll probably acquire another armlong list of things to learn.

 

 

Radio Britfolk sounded o.k. on my computer, using Realplayer. I've heard better radio streams with Ogg Vorbis, but Britfolk was certainly very listenable with a 500kps link, no hiccups or stoppages, same quality as the BBC.

 

Regards,

 

Joy

 

(Rare bird? So I've read. Small, pretty, lives in warmer climates and sings sweetly. Soon they'll club together to sue me for misrepresentation.)

[Animaterra]

Well, Alan, I too have been totally enjoying Gown of Green (thanks!) but still eagerly await this one. I know you'll let us know, so I'll stop holding my breath and will just try to be patient....

[Chris Timson]

Chris

[Alan Day]

Thanks for the laugh Chris,

Thats exactly what I have been doing for about six weeks.

Keep twidling for another ten ish days.

Reminds me of a certain add "Let the fingers do the walking(talking)"

Al