Very sad news

[Peter Brook]

I'm genuinely shocked and saddened at this news. Rich was a true gentleman, so patient with answers to questions which he must have answered over and over. A real loss to the concertina community, but he does leave a great legacy, both as a designer/manufacturer and as an honourable, patient person who helped so many others on their concertina journey.

[hit & miss]

Rich

Thanks for all the great music you have created. You are deeply missed.

To his family and friends my greatest sympathy.

jim

[Chris Timson]

On Mudcat somebody (JWB) quoted the old Concertina & Squeezebox slogan and applied it to Rich. I think that was well done, so I'll copy the idea here: Comprimere in aeternum, Rich. Squeeze on forever.

 

Chris

[alaskan anglo]

Hello,

i never met Rich, although I did buy a concertina from him. I did find him a moderate voice on many topics that I thought were about to become argumentative.

Mike

[ragtimer]

Rich

Thanks for all the great music you have created. You are deeply missed.

To his family and friends my greatest sympathy.

jim

Great music -- does everyone knwo that among all his other talents and achievements, Rich was a composer?

 

He wrote at least three piano rags, plus several tunes for concertina.

One, "The New Box", is included in the book "Along The River."

Another, "Leap of Faith", has been used in teaching, and is a great dance tune besides.

 

We should make sure Rich's music is available here.

--Mike K.

Edited March 5, 2009 by ragtimer

[David Barnert]

Great music -- does everyone knwo that among all his other talents and achievements, Rich was a composer?

He wrote a tune widely used by Morris dance groups for the dance "Three Musketeers." It also goes by the name "Mr. Morse's Morris." Here's the abc:

 

X:1
T:Three Musketeers
C:Rich Morse
M:C|
K:G
GABc d2G2|e3e  dBG2|GABc d2g2|edcB AcBA|
GABc d2G2|e3e  dBG2|c2ec dBAG|E2F2 G4  ||
G2G2 E2E2|F2FE D2F2|G2E2 F2D2|E2F2 G2A2|
GABc d2G2|e3e  dBG2|c2ec dBAG|E2F2 G4  |]

 

I'm not sure if the last 3 notes in the first line are part of the tune or embellishment, but it hardly matters...

[Frank Edgley]

Does anyone have a sheetmusic copy? I would like to learn one of his tunes.

[David Barnert]

Does anyone have a sheetmusic copy? I would like to learn one of his tunes.

Frank-

 

Copy the abc I posted above (everything inside the "code" box) and paste it into the box at the ABC Convert-A-Matic . Click "Submit."

 

You can read the music off the next screen. You can hear the tune as a MIDI or get a high-resolution pdf for printing by clicking the appropriate links above.

 

If you have trouble, e-mail me directly and I will send you the pdf.

[Animaterra]

Thanks for that tune, David. I'd forgotten that Rich had written it! Our team uses a different tune for "3 Musketeers" (Campbell's Farewell to Redgap) but other local teams use this one.

[Jeff H]

Very sorry to hear this.

 

Rich was a generous and honorable guy.

[Stephen Chambers]

I never met Rich, but I'd hoped I would, one day. I'm very sorry to hear of his passing.

[Perry Werner]

I met Rich at the shop and at the 3 or 4 Squeeze-In's I've attended.

Though I did not get to know him real well, he appeared as a kind and gentle person and always very enthusiastic, no excited, about almost any subject with which he was involved in discussion in which I was involved or might have overheard.

He has done a tremendous service for the contemporary concertina world, especially here in the U.S., with The Button Box, his beautifully designed instruments and organization of concertina, and yes, accordion related events.

He will be missed.

A trek to Massachusetts will not be the same without Rich being at the shop.

I just hope The Button Box will continue to function on 47 buttons.

It would be a great tribute to it's founder.

 

Perry Werner

Edited March 6, 2009 by Perry Werner

[fiddlerjoebob]

I just hope The Button Box will continue to function on 47 buttons.

It would be a great tribute to it's founder.

 

Perry Werner

 

 

Nicely said Perry.

 

 

Randy

 

fjb

[bellowbelle]

What awful news... I just now made a rare (these days) visit to the forum and found out. Sad news, and he and his talent will be greatly missed.

[Radioboy]

I am very sad to hear of Rich's passing. He was always very nice to me and so thoughtful of others in all his actions. He will be greatly missed.

Howie Leifer

[Ken_Coles]

I was away for a week (including a vacation from computers), so I just heard the news. I had no idea Rich was not well, which is representative of how he conducted himself over the 12 years we were acquainted.

 

Like many of you I got out my Morse concertina, but instead of playing it myself handed it to someone Rich cited not too long ago as an example of a beginner on concertina, a market he served and encouraged well. Me, I got out the battered but most excellent fiddle I bought from Rich Morse two years ago (and play a lot). It was his "number two" fiddle, and he told me he hardly played since the 1970s, having devoted his time to free reeds. We had a duet - the most fitting tribute we could do on the spot.

 

Ken Coles

[Michael Reid]

A thoughtful and affectionate biography/tribute is up now on The Button Box's site: http://buttonbox.com/Rich.html. It fills in the picture of Rich's many talents and passions. It was a life well-lived.

[Priscilla]

Rich was one of my earliest acquaintances in the Concertina world. I met him at NESI 2008 and he was my partner for one of the dances at the Saturday night Contradance. He was very gentle, cheerful, helpful as I was learning/relearning the steps, always encouraged me, always smiled, light on his feet, a pleasant person to be with on an occasion. I remember him as very kind, warm and welcoming and a good dancer, very knowledgible and helpful, had a buoyancy to him, just being around him gave you confidence, made you feel better about yourself and the world.

I'm grateful to have met him where I think he was happiest, at NESI, amongst friends and encouraging beginners. God bless his soul. May we meet again someday in some form perhaps. May his spirit of kindness live on at NESI's to come.

Priscilla