Bruce McCaskey Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 I attended the Friday Harbor camp this year and have posted comments and photos on my website. Located just off the coast of Washington State, Friday Harbor is a great location for this event. There were about a dozen of us in the concertina class this year, and as always Gearoid provided both instruction on tunes and considerable insight into their origin. His classes were relaxed, low stress and addressed a broad scope. Sessions with the instructional staff occurred nightly and all attendees were treated to a great staff concert at the end of the camp. The week was especially memorable for me in that after the event concluded I had a chance to meet and spend some time with Bertram Levy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Evans Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 (edited) What a great report. Such a beautiful location. Bravo Bruce! You must have had a wonderful time. P.S. I suggest that at future concerts you just keep a litte name tag you can pop on that indentifies you as a reporter. Edited March 14, 2007 by Mark Evans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce McCaskey Posted March 14, 2007 Author Share Posted March 14, 2007 (edited) I did have a good time and plan to attend again next year. I was near the back of the theater this year and noted dozens of cameras in action in the closer rows, so chances are she'll have someone else to police next time around. I should share another experience from the camp too. I didn't post this on the web page because it's too concertina specific, but thought folks here might have an interest. The third day of camp Gearoid noted that I had my A/E Edgley (one of Frank's "Professional" models) with me and asked to borrow it for a time. He started playing it as soon as he picked it up and didn't pause for the next ten minutes. I left at that point and later heard from someone that remained Gearoid spent the better part of an hour with it before setting it down. I checked with him two days later, asking if my A/E was still welcome in his house and if it'd been well behaved. Gearoid reported it was quite well mannered and getting lots of exercise, saying he'd like to keep it a bit longer if I didn't object. I didn't see it again until the last evening of camp after the staff concert was over. Gearoid said he'd kept it that long because he'd planned to play it in his second set on stage, but that set was cancelled because the overall program was running too long. When he returned it to me he commented that James Keane had tried it and wanted to take it away from him so he thought Frank might have another customer for one in the near future. Edited to correct the URL for James Keane Edited March 14, 2007 by Bruce McCaskey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Sylte Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 Ahh yes, t'was a great time! I thoroughly enjoyed my first exposure to concertina instruction. And Friday Harbor is an ideal place for such an event. This camp is great for all instruments, fiddle, flute, whistle, guitar, box, and concertina. My sleep deprivation began the day I arrived. Nice write up Bruce, and nice to meet you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidesqueeze Posted March 17, 2007 Share Posted March 17, 2007 Bruce's report is 'spot on' as the blokes on this board are wont to say. Greetings to Bruce and John - I hope we can all play together again one day. Ken Shaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 Such a beautiful location. It is indeed. And IMO Friday Harbor isn't even the most beautiful spot among the islands. Good enough, though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boney Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 IMO Friday Harbor isn't even the most beautiful spot among the islands. So what spot do you think is? I haven't explored the islands yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Molly Roberts Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 Ah, Jim could be thinking of Orcas Island and a fine cottage full of concertinas and their players. It truly is an amazing spot - with an affinity for concertinas. Come visit someday! Cheers, Molly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce McCaskey Posted March 25, 2007 Author Share Posted March 25, 2007 My wife still talks about our visit to Orcas late last summer. She sat out in the garden and watched birds at the feeder and the bird-bath while Molly and I exchanged concertina tunes inside. Ever since that afternoon I keep hearing about how "she want's a garden just like Molly's." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Molly Roberts Posted March 25, 2007 Share Posted March 25, 2007 Bruce, Thanks for the photo. Full disclosure requires me to state that the cottage I referred to earlier was Leslie Liddle's; however Orcas IS a very concertina-friendly spot. Maybe we'll plan another gathering someday. Molly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted March 25, 2007 Share Posted March 25, 2007 Ah, Jim could be thinking of Orcas Island and a fine cottage full of concertinas and their players. It truly is an amazing spot - with an affinity for concertinas. Come visit someday! Well, that's one spot, but IMO there can't be just one spot in the San Juans that's "the most beautiful". In fact, the whole region is worth an extended tour: Seattle (the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, and more) other towns/cities: Vancouver, Bellingham, etc. the Olympics: Peninsula, Mountains, National Park Hurricane Ridge the Pacific Coast a temperate rain forest snow-capped mountains serious wilderness [*]the Cascade Mountains (including Mt. Baker and Mt. Rainier) [*]Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Vancouver Island, etc. [*]whale watching tours (mainly orcas). [*]Microsoft and Boeing [*]tulip farms (which month, though?) [*]and much more . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Worrall Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 Ah, Jim could be thinking of Orcas Island and a fine cottage full of concertinas and their players. It truly is an amazing spot - with an affinity for concertinas. Come visit someday! Cheers, Molly Ah, Orcas. My wife and I visited some friends there last summer. What a spot! The view from the Park there was pretty phenomenal...I don't remember any bad views on that island. Too bad real estate is so expensive there! Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce McCaskey Posted March 26, 2007 Author Share Posted March 26, 2007 * tulip farms (which month, though?) April is best most years to see the tulip fields in bloom. I have some photos from last year and an additional link on my website. Maybe when I go this year I should take a concertina and entertain the tourists? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 April is best most years to see the tulip fields in bloom. I have some photos from last year and an additional link on my website. Maybe when I go this year I should take a concertina and entertain the tourists? You'll learn "Tiptoe Through the Tulips", of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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