Free Access, The Scotsman Archives, 1817-1950

[Dan Worrall]

If anyone is interested in a little concertina history research, this week the Scotsman, one of the older newspapers in Scotland, is offering free access to their digital archives (1817-1950). The search routine is quite amazing. You can search on a word like concertina and, as usual, all uses are listed. But the hits are for digital scans of the images, not a re-type...so you can see the original advertisements, etc. If it is a rainy afternoon where you are, its worth a brief try. There are concertina references in this paper going back to the 1840s. The free period is from noon on 30th November and for one week only.

 

The Scotsman:

 

http://archive.scotsman.com/

[Henrik Müller]

If anyone is interested in a little concertina history research, this week the Scotsman, one of the older newspapers in Scotland, is offering free access to their digital archives (1817-1950). The search routine is quite amazing. You can search on a word like concertina and, as usual, all uses are listed. But the hits are for digital scans of the images, not a re-type...so you can see the original advertisements, etc. If it is a rainy afternoon where you are, its worth a brief try. There are concertina references in this paper going back to the 1840s. The free period is from noon on 30th November and for one week only.

 

The Scotsman:

 

http://archive.scotsman.com/

I've finished working for today!! Thanks, Dan, for drawing our attention to this amazing achievement. Most fascinating.

 

/Henrik

[wes williams]

If anyone is interested in a little concertina history research, this week the Scotsman, one of the older newspapers in Scotland, is offering free access to their digital archives (1817-1950). The search routine is quite amazing.......so you can see the original advertisements, etc. There are concertina references in this paper going back to the 1840s.

Thanks Dan. Is it me, or is only the search free? I can't get to any articles There are some Regondi reports as early as 1833 which could be very interesting!

[Henrik Müller]

If anyone is interested in a little concertina history research....

... etc. There are concertina references in this paper going back to the 1840s.

Thanks Dan. Is it me, or is only the search free? I can't get to any articles There are some Regondi reports as early as 1833 which could be very interesting!

You need to create an account with The Scotsman - email & a password. You then "subscribe" to a service (costing £ 0.00) - meaning the use of the archive until Dec. 7. Click carefully

 

I found two articles about Regondi (1840) - in one the concertina is described like this:

 

"The concertina may briefly be described as the accordion brought to perfection."

 

 

/Henrik

 

Happy searching -

[davidcorner]

Just had a quick browse.

 

It seems to restrict searches to 50 results, so I've only looked for "concertina" under oldest and newest.

Oldest only allowed references up to 1845 and newest in the 1870's, but that's been enough to get a flavour of it.

 

Many of the early references are adverts for concerts in the Music Hall, with the concertina sharing the programme with classical instruments, violin, piano, etc.

 

There's an advert for a Wheatstone concertina for sale by a pawnbroker (12th June 1850) - presumably the owner ran out of funds and couldn't redeem it!

 

Edited to add date.

Edited December 7, 2005 by davidcorner

[wes williams]

You need to create an account with The Scotsman ...

Happy searching -

Thanks Henrik, problem solved.

 

I'd hoped to be able to move the earliest known mention of the concertina (although maybe not by name) from Ireland to Scotland, but it wasn't to be . But there was a nice tie in with Regondi playing a guitar piece by Eulenstein, the Jews Harp virtuoso, who performed there a few days earlier.

[davidcorner]

I've been continuing browsing for concertina references in Edinburgh, specifically with reference to the musical career of F. W. Bridgman, who has been mentioned in reference to the visit of the Lachenal sisters to Edinburgh.

concertina.com

 

Firstly, Regondi

The first entries in 1833 are for guitar only.

The concertina is mentioned first in a concert held on 13th March 1840.

The concert gets two reviews, a short one on 14th March, and a fuller review (18th March) with the excellent quotation

The concertina may be described as the accordion suddenly brought to perfection.

The review goes on to describe

this wonderful little instrument, with the dulcet tones of the flute, the reedy swell of the hautboy, and the clear liquid tones of the violin;

and the most rapid passages of execution are performed with scarcely any apparent exertion on the part of the performer.

In an announcement for this concert on 29th February, 1840

Signor G. Regondi will perform De Beriot's first Concerto on the Concertina,

an instrument of extraordinary power, which universally gained the most enthusiastic applause the first time of its being heard in Edinburgh.

which implies that the concertina had been played previously to this in Edinburgh, but by whom?

I haven't found an earlier mention.

 

Later mentions of concerts by Mr. R. Blagrove (6th Dec 1843 for a concert on 11th Dec) include

Concertina - Master Richard Blagrove

 

The first mention of F. W. Bridgman playing the concertina is on 21st May 1845

First Appearance of Master Bridgman playing a Fantasia on the concertina

 

I have found various mentions of F. W Bridgman in concerts in Edinburgh, playing piano and concertina, and also teaching.

 

15th September 1849

Mr & Mrs Eager, assisted by Mr. Bridgman, have the honour to announce that their Academy, 54 Frederick Street,

for the Musical Education of Young Ladies, and the Art of Pianoforte Playing, will re-open on Monday 1st of October.

Mr. Bridgman will be happy to give Private Instructions on the Pianoforte and Concertina at the residence of his Pupils.

 

On 29th December 1892 the paper included a substantial obituary (he died on 28th December) describing his musical career.

This filled in my knowledge about him, and put in context some of the references I had found.

 

He was born in London in 1833, but moved to Edinburgh when young.

(13th Feb 1838 - Mr Eager announces that his daughter Mrs. Bridgman will be arriving from London, and will assist him in his Academy)

In March 1840 he made his debut as a pianist, at the early age of seven years.

(I can find no newspaper reference to this)

His success was such that for some time afterwards he continued to appear in public as a musical prodigy.

( First mention is on 22nd Nov 1843, for a concert on 27th Nov, presented by Mr. Blagrove, and including Master F. Bridgman, Pianoforte)

At length, in 1851, he entered the Conservatoire at Leipsig and distinguished himself there also by his talent and aptitude. In particular, he won the favourable notice of his master, Moscheles, the great pianist and intimate friend of Mendelssohn.

In 1862 he came to Scotland, and settled permanently in Edinburgh as a teacher and performer. As a pianoforte accompanist he had few equals, and his services in that capacity were always in request. Indeed it is authoritatively stated that as pianist with concert companies he has visited nearly every town of any importance in Scotland, and had accompanied nearly every artiste of repute.

He was also an adept on the English concertina, and made a speciality of a Scottish selection on that instrument which was always popular.

 

15th Nov 1862

Announcement of a concert that evening includes

Solo Concertina on Scottish Airs - Mr F. Bridgman

(his First Appearance in Edinburgh for the last six years)

 

In 1890 he celebrated the "jubilee" of his debut with

Mr F. W. Bridgman's Jubilee Concert (24th March 1890)

Mr F. W. Bridgman will play (by desire)

his Scotch Solo on the English Concertina

The report on 25th March stated

Last night Mr Bridgman celebrated the "jubilee" of his musical career by a concert in the Music Hall.

... the concert, which was of a popular nature, was a decided success.

During the evening, Mr Bridgman played his Scottish solo on the concertina, an instrument in which he is a specialist.

He received a well-deserved and unanimous recall.

 

Mr. F. W. Bridgman's repertoire.

Besides his own arrangement, described (18th March 1864) as

"Scotch Airs" (unaccompanied) arranged by Mr F. W. Bridgman

and which appears to be his "party piece"

concert programmes on various dates on the newspaper include various other pieces:

Grand Fantasia on Deh Conte

duet for concertina and harp, "L'Italie et L'Irlande"

Airs from "Don Pasquale" (Donizetti), and from "Lurline" (Wallace)

"Rode's Air" with variations for the concertina

obbligato concertina accompaniment to "Lo hear the Gentle Lark"

All in all, quite a substantial goldmine of information from a short browse through one newspaper's archives.

There may be other items there which a search didn't find, because the image to text conversion, on which searching by keyword relies, was not always accurate.

[wes williams]

I've been continuing browsing for concertina references in Edinburgh, specifically with reference to the musical career of F. W. Bridgman, who has been mentioned in reference to the visit of the Lachenal sisters to Edinburgh....

You can find out some more about Bridgman in Stuart Eydmann's

"life-and-times" chapter 4.