Who Plays Classical/renaissance/baroque Music On English Concertina

[squeezora]

I'm very interested in knowing who are the serious classical concertina players in the world. I hope there are some that I've not heard of, but would like to hear of. I like all the different forms of concertina music that I hear, but I personally am more interested in playing the various kinds of music that are lumped together as Classical. I play, Calatayud, Dowland, Hayden, Mozart, Bach, Villa-Lobos, Ponce, etc. as solo pieces, a lot of it gleened from the Classical guitar and lute repertoir and others that I arrange myself. I especially like playing the Bach Chaconne, it's my favorite piece. But are there others doing this, or am I sort of alone. The concertina seems perfectly suited to this music. I busk with these pieces on the streets of Clermont-Ferrand and the music is very well received. I might also add that the French are very generous to street performers, not like in some other countries (I won't mention names) where the people seem absorbed only in themselves and give only a few pennies. So it's a happy place to be for a musician.

T

his is the only thing I do, that is, practice and play on the streets. I play a 48 key Aeola with metal ends and my friends tell me you can hear it 6 blocks away. It is really wonderful playing Spanish dances on the concertina.

 

So if you are playing this type music or know someone who is. Please Post the info here.

 

I praise the invention of the concertina as one of the most beautiful instruments ever thought of and not fully appreciated by most, but it's day will come.

[Henk van Aalten]

I'm very interested in knowing who are the serious classical concertina players in the world. I hope there are some that I've not heard of, but would like to hear of. I like all the different forms of concertina music that I hear, but I personally am more interested in playing the various kinds of music that are lumped together as Classical.

Welcome to this forum squeezora! Just have a look at (or better listen to) the Recorded Tunes Link Page. I guess you will find some favorite samples and players.

[Boney]

I'm very interested in knowing who are the serious classical concertina players in the world.

Well, I have only been playing a few years, and haven't attempted much classical music yet, and I play Anglo. I do plan on arranging at least a few "classical" pieces in the future. But I'm really responding to say, I'd love to hear your playing, maybe you could do a recording? The picture you posted would be a fantastic CD cover, and having music to sell can really help with the busking income.

 

Also, if you haven't run into their websites yet, Pauline de Snoo is a very accomplished classicaly-inclined English concertina player, as is Wim Wakker of the Concertina Connection.

[AnnC]

It's not really ' classical' but I enjoy playing Playford dance tunes,( The English Dancing Master, popular dance tunes from the 1650's onwards ) and O'Carolan tunes. They come out beautifully on the Anglo as do Tango's Rodriguez's 'La Cumparsita' s guaranteed to get people smiling and dancing in the street.

[Mark Evans]

Two others off the top a' me noggin', Alan Atlas and Wim Wakker and there are certainly others. In the picture it looks as if you are playing in a stone chapel. That must have sounded lovely.

 

Welcome.

Edited June 13, 2006 by Mark Evans

[PeterT]

I'm very interested in knowing who are the serious classical concertina players in the world.

Hi,

 

I really like the photograph; what a great concertina. Love your sentiments, and hope that I live long enough to see the concertina carry all before it.

 

A name worth investigating is Douglas Rogers. I don't know how much he has recorded, but he is an exceptional Classical Musician, and has performed some of the 19th century music written for the concertina.

 

Regards,

Peter.

[lildogturpy]

We should also bring in Pauline de Snoo, who as far as I know is the only person to complete a music degree specializing in the concertina (English). She has been posting learning excercises on here which are very instructive. I also heard her play in the final concert at the Swaledale Squeeze. If my memory serves (and it often doesn't) she played a piece from the Marriage of Figaro. Wonderful to listen to.

Edited June 14, 2006 by lildogturpy

[Theo]

Alistair Anderson, though best know as a player in the Northumbrian tradition, he also plays classical on English concertina. Probably the best know example is his collaboration with The Lindsay String Quartet with whom he toured and produced On Cheviot Hills, White Meadow Records, WMR 2002CD.

[The Curmudgeon]

Bonjour

 

Moi aussi, j'ai le goût de jouer la musique classique sur mon concertina anglais. Jusque maintenant, je le joue seulement pour le plaisir. Je ne l'ai jamais joué sur la rue. Je ne voudrais pas d'être impoli aux autres, alors, je vais changer la langue...

 

I usually find music for the classical guitar, violin or harpsichord music and such the like at local libraries. I think that the harpsichord music has a lot of potential for the concertina, but admittedly it gives me more difficulty. Right now I'm trying to learn "My Lady Carey's Dompe" which I'm certain will work well on the concertina (with much more practice). I find that cello music also works well. I transcribed a movement from one of Bach's cello suites up an octave so that it fits on my tenor-treble. I also play some romantic era pieces written especially for the concertina (purchased www.concertinaconnection.com). I haven't yet searched out someone to play piano accompaniment for the latter.

 

As I mentioned, I only play for my own enjoment. Perhaps I could be classified as a serious amateur? I would do in kind, and attach a photo as well, but I have no camera, nor do I share your wonderfully photogenic qualities.

 

Salut

 

John

[RatFace]

I hope you've listed to Dave Townsend's recording, Portrait of a Concertina (which is way better than Concertina Landscape, imo), because quite a lot of that fits with the music you mentioned. I used to play a fair bit of classical stuff (I like the Bach D minor Gigue, and played the chaconne too), but not so much now, because, well, I prefer the cello Speaking of which, I must go and play!

[d.elliott]

Dave Ball has given workshops and has arranged music of the renaissance/baroque style & period

 

Dave E

[Steven]

Lea Nicholson, on his creatively titled "The Concertina Record," plays some great stuff in a variety of styles, including a fabulous arrangement of Bach's 4th Brandenburg Concerto. The first track on the album is a very impressive arrangement of The Liberty Bell, a march by John Philip Sousa that became famous as the theme music for Monty Python's Flying Circus. Monty Python actually used this track on a reunion show they did a few years ago.

 

Check out http://www.jayls.com/jamring/ to find out more and buy the CD, or find it on eBay, where Lea often sells it.

 

Steven

 

Disclaimer: My only financial connection to this CD is the money I spent to buy it.

[Galley Wench]

Lea Nicholson, on his creatively titled "The Concertina Record,"

 

I understand that Lea is bringing some new stuff out later this year. It will be interesting to see what he is going to include.

[Cogsey]

Grew up in the Irish music tradition but have found a love for Classical/Baroque music. I play Anglo which makes it tough to fit in chords etc to fatten the melody but it's possible and challenging. Tried playing bits of Bach and Boccherini but my limitation is knowledge of suitable pieces in the first place to go and try. All ideas very welcome.

 

(BTW - Still working on the audacity recording etc, but hopefully will soon have some offerings to share - some with a classical flavour)

 

Ciaran O'Grady

Dublin

28 Jeffires anglo

[m3838]

Working on Bach's Minuet and Adagio, using Anglo.

Also entertain an idea of recording soon and sharing.

I'm using partial chords, intervals and octaves etc. to "fatten" the melody.

The biggest challenge for me is not the availability of ready chords, but the automatic choppiness of

the push/pull, when music asks for legato. Also missing middle C# is a bummer.

Constantly thinking about English, but the Anglo's automatic octaves flies circles around EC.

[Peter Brook]

Andrew Cronshaw plays and writes beautiful music which is a mix of many cultures, styles and influences. There is a wonderful recording on the BBC World Music page here although he is not playing concertina on this recording. He has played concertina in the past particularly on the "Andrew Cronshaw Album"

[PeterT]

I like all the different forms of concertina music that I hear, but I personally am more interested in playing the various kinds of music that are lumped together as Classical. I play, Calatayud, Dowland, Hayden, Mozart, Bach, Villa-Lobos, Ponce, etc. as solo pieces, a lot of it gleened from the Classical guitar and lute repertoir and others that I arrange myself. I especially like playing the Bach Chaconne, it's my favorite piece. But are there others doing this, or am I sort of alone. The concertina seems perfectly suited to this music.

Juliette,

 

I didn't think to ask when submitting my previous posting; how long have you been playing English concertina?

 

Did you acquire a concertina and then realise its potential for the music which you play, or did you research the instrument and then actively seek one? You certainly made a good choice.

 

Regards,

Peter.

[squeezora]

I like all the different forms of concertina music that I hear, but I personally am more interested in playing the various kinds of music that are lumped together as Classical. I play, Calatayud, Dowland, Hayden, Mozart, Bach, Villa-Lobos, Ponce, etc. as solo pieces, a lot of it gleened from the Classical guitar and lute repertoir and others that I arrange myself. I especially like playing the Bach Chaconne, it's my favorite piece. But are there others doing this, or am I sort of alone. The concertina seems perfectly suited to this music.

Juliette,

 

I didn't think to ask when submitting my previous posting; how long have you been playing English concertina?

 

Did you acquire a concertina and then realise its potential for the music which you play, or did you research the instrument and then actively seek one? You certainly made a good choice.

 

Regards,

Peter.

 

Hi Peter,

 

I’ve been playing the English Concertina since my early teens, 6 or 7 years now. I started playing violin several years earlier. I liked playing in the school orchestra and the teacher let me play some violin parts on my concertina. I like to listen to all kinds of music, but when it comes to practicing and playing I seem to wind up wanting to play the more classical types.

 

My father gave me a basic mahogany Lachenal at first, it was very nice and in good condition, but it had some limitations (slow reeds and not too much air available) and he thought a better instrument would make it easier for me to learn, which it did. So I wound up with my Wheatstone, which I really love.

 

I got a small music scholarship cash award from my school when I graduated which encouraged me to continue my music studies. It was for my concertina playing which I had gotten a competition prize in our school system. I worked for a year at music and then I studied Art for the next 2.5 years. But I continued to play the concertina and after I left art school I studied at CNIMA (The National and International Center of Accordion Music) here in France. They are a really great accordeon school, possibly the best in the world, certainly the biggest. The teach all styles of accordeon, however they don’t teach concertina per se, but many of the technical ideas are very similar, particularly the use of the bellows in expression. They received me with great enthusiasm. While studying there a particular teacher, Sebastian, who is a fabulous Accordeonist and composer, suggested that I play more than one voice at a time. At first I thought I couldn’t do it, but with my fathers encouragement (he played classical guitar for many years) I found that I could. He said that a guitarist can only play 6 notes at a time, but a concertinist can play up to 8 notes, even more, at a time, so theoretically I should be able to do it. I worked at it and found out that I can. I have to arrange the pieces especially for the concertina, but sitting down and working it all out helps me to learn and understand the music.

 

I do know, and/or know of, the above mentioned people like Pauline de Snoo, Douglas Rogers, Wim Wakker, Alan Atlas, Alistair Anderson, David Townsend, Lea Nicholson, and a couple others. I respect and admire and appreciate all they have done, some of which has been shared with me. But this is really a very small group when you think of it, and so my hopes were that this post would turn up more people who are engaged in pursuit of playing classical style music on the concertina.

 

I’m happy say that accordion playing is alive and well in France. Lots of very cool young people study and play the accordion, and every weekend there are accordion fetes and dances all over France, especially in the small villages. The level of playing is awesome! Also the French made accordions are fabulous and have unique features that make them different from others, but very desirable.

 

Juliette