Salvation Army Concertina Bands

[Mark Evans]

Red hair...well that makes it perfect. I'm sure many a down an' out boozer put down his gin and followed the path to salvation just at the sight of her!

[inventor]

The Plymouth Salvation Army Concertinaband, came to play at a Competition session of the West Country Concertina Players around 1986ish. There were around 8 to 10 players. These were mostly Crane Duet Players, but with a couple of treble english concertinas. One lady who played the Bass part did not play in the usual manner but turned the concertina over; rested the treble end in her lap, and played with just her right hand on the bass end. It was an unusually (for a Crane) large instrument; probably the one that can be clearly seen in the photograph. They produced the most wonderfull rounded sound quite unlike anything that I have ever heared before or since from concertina (mostly english concertina) bands. I think there are photographs of them in an early West Country Concertina Players Scrapbook, but the copyright will obviously belong to the photographer. If Malcom Clapp likes to write to the original secretary of the WCCP she may know where the original photographs are (I think her husband took the photographs), for security reasons I am unwilling to give any further details. Malcom must have left the country only a short while before this event!

 

Inventor.

[stuart estell]

Thanks again Stephen for all of the info on Evangeline Booth. I said intriguing but I think enigmatic would be more appropriate, it is such an unlikely pose for a salvationist. I wonder why in particular she chose to be taken with the concertina, as it was not her first instrument?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I wonder, too, from the picture, whether it's a large anglo or a Jeffries Duet - it certainly has lots of buttons and is one or the other...

[Stephen Chambers]

I wonder, too, from the picture, whether it's a large anglo or a Jeffries Duet - it certainly has lots of buttons and is one or the other...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think the photograph was taken a few years before the first appearance of the Jeffries duet, and the Anglo was the most popular system with 19th century Salvationists anyway, usually in Ab/Eb to go with their brass instruments.

 

Bearing all that in mind, my money is on it being a four-row Jeffries Anglo in Ab/Eb.

[red]

Stephen, I hope you will be able to share these photographs with us, especially us Evangeline Booth fans. I can't be the only one, can I? Red

[Stephen Chambers]

Stephen, I hope you will be able to share these photographs with us, especially us Evangeline Booth fans. I can't be the only one, can I? Red

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Red,

 

I will see what I can do, but I don't have a scanner at the moment. It sounds like Mark is quite smitten too ...

[Mark Evans]

You bet Stephen! Even thought about givin' up strong drink for...a week in her honor!

 

Red hair ya say...almost auburn I'd guess. Whew!

[Stephen Chambers]

You bet Stephen!  Even thought about givin' up strong drink for...a week in her honor!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why am I reminded of W.C. Fields and that "Fatal Glass of Beer" ? :

 

There was a young man, and he came to New York

To find himself a lucrative position befitting his talents.

 

And he hunted all the Employment Agencies, but was nearly starved to death,

When at last he got a job in a stone quarry with all the other college graduates.

 

And after work was done, they lured him into a saloon,

And tempted him to drink a glass of beer.

 

But he'd promised his Dear Old Mother that he never would imbibe

That he'd never touch his Lips to a glass containing Liquor.

 

They laughed at him and Jeered, and they called him a cow-yard

Till at last he clutched and drained that glass of beer.

 

When he saw what he had Did, he dashed his glass upon the floor,

And staggered out the door with Delirium Tremens.

 

And the first person that he met was a Salvation Army Lass,

And with one blow he broke her tambourine!

 

When she saw what he had did, she placed a mark upon his brow

With a kick that she had learned before she was sav-ed.

 

And the moral of this tale is to shun that fatal glass,

And don't go around breaking other peoples' tambourines.

 

 

 

Red hair ya say...almost auburn I'd guess. Whew!

Some descriptions say red, others auburn.

[Mark Evans]

Perfection none the less. The eyes, would that they were green.

[JimLucas]

Perfection none the less.  The eyes, would that they were green.

Mark, I suspect that by now she'd be a bit old for you, but have you considered tracing her descendants to see what they're like?

[Stephen Chambers]

Perfection none the less.  The eyes, would that they were green.

Mark, I suspect that by now she'd be a bit old for you, but have you considered tracing her descendants to see what they're like?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, she never married so you won't find any direct descendants, but she was one of eight children and she did have nieces & nephews.

 

There are other pictures of her here, here, with her father (General William Booth) here, and you can even order a poster of her here.

Edited January 21, 2005 by Stephen Chambers

[Mark Evans]

Stephen, thank you for the links. Was dissapointed that Evangelines bio in the first link simply refered to her playing guitar, harp and many other instruments. Lumping the concertina in there as if it were a kazoo...an outrage!

 

A life well lived.

[PeterT]

The Plymouth Salvation Army Concertinaband, came to play at a Competition session of the West Country Concertina Players around 1986ish. There were around 8 to 10 players. These were mostly Crane Duet Players, but with a couple of treble english concertinas. One lady who played the Bass part did not play in the usual manner but turned the concertina over; rested the treble end in her lap, and played with just her right hand on the bass end. It was an unusually (for a Crane) large instrument; probably the one that can be clearly seen in the photograph. They produced the most wonderfull rounded sound quite unlike anything that I have ever heared before or since from concertina (mostly english concertina) bands. I think there are photographs of them in an early West Country Concertina Players Scrapbook, but the copyright will obviously belong to the photographer. If Malcom Clapp likes to write to the original secretary of the WCCP she may know where the original photographs are (I think her husband took the photographs), for security reasons I am unwilling to give any further details. Malcom must have left the country only a short while before this event!

 

Inventor.

 

PLYMOUTH SA CONCERTINA BAND

 

Hi Brian,

 

I posted a comment elsewhere a few days ago. A photograph would confirm numbers, and systems played, one way or the other. The Plymouth SA Band attended the 1986 & 1987 Taunton & Somerset Music Festival weekends, and played after the competition each time. My memory says 8 players the first time, 6 the next year.

 

I listed the following from 1986:

 

1 MacCann (Band Leader)

4 Crane

3 English

 

Interesting comment about the playing of the large Crane, which I did not notice at the time. I presume that the reason would have been to play a melody (or counter-melody) line an octave lower that would have been possible with the normal instrument orientation. This is quite logical if you are used to playing melody with the right hand, and chords with the left hand. In an arranged piece of music, the Treble, Tenor etc. lines would have been played by the other instruments, and the large Crane would have provided the Bass line.

 

SA ANGLO CONCERTINA

 

Back in 1993, I bought a B'/F instrument from Robin Madge, who was selling on behalf of the Bridgewater Salvation Army Band. I presume that it was quite common for other Salvation Army Bands to have the odd concertina or two amongst their line-up. Alternatively, I wonder whether a member might have moved from Weston to Bridgewater, taking the instrument as well (or were the instruments the property of the "home" town band?).

 

Regards,

Peter.

[allan atlas]

FOLKS: please note that volume 4 of PICA will include a nice article on Salvation Army concertinas by Les Branchett..........Allan

[allan atlas]

GOOD FOLKS: see. . . .i have the honor of killing both this discussion and the one on concertinas and sailing ships. . . .it's magic. . . . . .allan

[Stephen Chambers]

Though it isn't of a band, I thought I would post this rather lovely photograph here. It is a Late 19th century cabinet card photograph by Rockwood of 1440 Broadway, New York (Holland Building) of a beautiful Salvation Army lady who is posing with her four-row Jeffries (or possibly Crabb ?) concertina.

 

She has been identified as a highly important Salvationist, and it has been suggested that; "The photo was actually taken in 1904 or later. The rank on her shoulder straps is National Commander. Her name is Evangeline Cory Booth, daughter of General William Booth who founded the Salvation Army. She held the post from 1904 till 1934 when she became the 4th International Commander (general)", however, I wonder if it might have been taken slightly earlier, between 1896 and 1904, when she was head of the Salvation Army forces in Canada.

 

 

And the Concertina Library has today added an article by C.net member Dan Worrall, A Brief History of the Anglo Concertina in the United States, which includes a different shot of Eva Booth that appears to be from the same sitting:

 

http://www.concertina.com/worrall/anglo-in...glous-fig22.htm

 

The 1896 copyright date below that image shows that these photographs must have been taken when she briefly became Commissioner of the Salvation Army forces in the United States, before becoming head in Canada, rather than 1904 when she returned as Territorial Commander in the U. S.

Edited April 16, 2007 by Stephen Chambers

[Dan Worrall]

[

And the Concertina Library has today added an article by C.net member Dan Worrall, A Brief History of the Anglo Concertina in the United States, which includes a different shot of Eva Booth that appears to be from the same sitting:

 

http://www.concertina.com/worrall/anglo-in...glous-fig22.htm

 

The 1896 copyright date below that image shows that these photographs must have been taken when she briefly became Commandant of the Salvation Army forces in the United States, before becoming head in Canada, rather 1904 than when she returned as Territorial Commander in the U. S.

 

Yes, Stephen, the photos seem to be of the same sitting....I thought you'd like that different shot of her. She was only briefly in the US in 1896; she replaced her brother Ballington on short notice when he quit the Army in a huff (and founded the rival Volunteers of America, a charity that is still around here...I've donated them an ancient jalopy or two in my time) over an argument with father William Booth about who called the shots in the US; Ballington was wanting less control from the Army in England. Eva was initially hissed in her appearances that year over this, if you can imagine it, but she eventually won them over. She was a bit young to continue in that post, and was sent to Canada for a few years before returning as Territorial Commander.

 

Eva was certainly the most photogenic concertina player at the turn of the century. I now have a collection of about a dozen photos of her (several in her 'rags' costume, and some where she holds a button accordion...gasp!), which I plan to put in a Gallery later this year. She seems to have enjoyed being photographed in costume and in regalia.

 

Dan

Edited April 15, 2007 by Dan Worrall

[Stephen Chambers]

Eva was certainly the most photogenic concertina player at the turn of the century.

Dan,

 

The most photogenic Anglo player anyway!

 

There was also her very photogenic namesake Eva Taylor, the daughter of another minister (and both no doubt named after Little Eva, the heroine of 'Uncle Tom's Cabin'), who played an English system 56-key treble Æola. I must scan the three post cards that I have of her, so that the English concertina players can have their own pin-up!

 

I now have a collection of about a dozen photos of her (several in her 'rags' costume, and some where she holds a button accordion...gasp!)

Yes, I mentioned I had a picture of her as "the General in rags" with a melodeon (I guess she was well aware that an expensive Jeffries was hardly the instrument to portray a poor woman from the slums), and that I even have another of her with a banjo (double gasp!! ).

 

She seems to have enjoyed being photographed in costume and in regalia.

Hmmm, reminds me of a certain concertina-playing Rural Dean of Hackney!