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Sounds right -- of course Rich would have been there with his Wheatstone Hayden.

We were both playing Wheatstone Hayden 46 keys. His with wooden ends, mine metal.

 

How did you guys handle it when the part dipped below Middle C? Switch to the left side (might as well, you're not chording, at least not fromt he score :-), or just take it up an octave?

 

I'd say that those notes from Fiddle G to Middle C are the bane of us Hayden 46-ers (and other mid-size Duets as well).

When playing a single melody line on a duet concertina, it's silly to limit yourself to the notes of the right hand. On the Hayden 46, the low note on the right is middle C, and the high note on the left is B a 7th higher. Notes below the C, I played on the left. Notes below the B but not below the C, I played on the right or left as convenient. I don't know what Rich played (in fact, I don't remember exactly what I did either).

 

Edited for spelling

Edited by David Barnert
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Sounds right -- of course Rich would have been there with his Wheatstone Hayden.

We were both playing Wheatstone Hayden 46 keys. His with wooden ends, mine metal.

 

How did you guys handle it when the part dipped below Middle C? Switch to the left side (might as well, you're not chording, at least not from the score :-), or just take it up an octave?

 

I'd say that those notes from Fiddle G to Middle C are the bane of us Hayden 46-ers (and other mid-size Duets as well).

When playing a single melody line on a duet concertina, it's silly to limit yourself to the notes of the right hand. On the Hayden 46, the low note on the right is middle C, and the high note on the left is B a 7th higher. Notes below the C, I played on the left. Notes below the B but not below the C, I played on the right or left as convenient. I don't know what Rich played (in fact, I don't remember exactly what I did either).

Edited for spelling

Right. I have indeed practiced overflowing low notes to the LH on occasion. Even to using the LH pinky, a most troublesome finger.

Almost (!) like playing an EC.

One of my ragtime arrangements (nowhere near ready yet) calls for a LH solo phrase.

Probalby get a chance to try all this this weekend, when our next communicaiton will be face to face.

--Mike K.

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Sounds right -- of course Rich would have been there with his Wheatstone Hayden.

We were both playing Wheatstone Hayden 46 keys. His with wooden ends, mine metal.

 

How did you guys handle it when the part dipped below Middle C? Switch to the left side (might as well, you're not chording, at least not from the score :-), or just take it up an octave?

 

I'd say that those notes from Fiddle G to Middle C are the bane of us Hayden 46-ers (and other mid-size Duets as well).

When playing a single melody line on a duet concertina, it's silly to limit yourself to the notes of the right hand. On the Hayden 46, the low note on the right is middle C, and the high note on the left is B a 7th higher. Notes below the C, I played on the left. Notes below the B but not below the C, I played on the right or left as convenient. I don't know what Rich played (in fact, I don't remember exactly what I did either).

Edited for spelling

Right. I have indeed practiced overflowing low notes to the LH on occasion. Even to using the LH pinky, a most troublesome finger.

Almost (!) like playing an EC.

One of my ragtime arrangements (nowhere near ready yet) calls for a LH solo phrase.

Probalby get a chance to try all this this weekend, when our next communicaiton will be face to face.

--Mike K.

 

Mike, I'm sorry but you seem determined to set yourself up for this sort of comment.

Your little finger (why do Americans have this nursery urge to call it a 'pinky'? All My fingers are pink.) is extremely important. It's the most flexible of the lot and if you are not using it probably more than all your other fingers you are missing out in spades. And thinking 'RH melody, LH cords' is incredibly limiting and you need to stop it. Sorry, but you must put some effort in and get beyond this sort of stuff. How long have you had TWO duets now?

Edited by Dirge
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...............my experience of playing is concertina bands is limited; maybe three or four times but I found it enormous fun.

In 2007 the Button Box workshop ( this week-end), had a band workshop led my ( I think ) Rachel Hall. There were only five of us but we enjoyed it and were asked to play at the evening concert, to great acclaim (concertina players are kind and forgiving ! ) Bob Snope joined us playing bass.

I wonder if they could be persuaded to run it again in 2010 if we could assure them of a reasonable number of us, ahead of time.

Any one else interested ?

Robin

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We've all been practicing hard, and now at lunchtime we're off down the M5, three in the car, seven concertinas in the boot (two Anglos, two trebles, two baritones and a bass) and a bottle of wine or two for the evenings!

 

The weather forecast looks good so we may get a chance for a walk in the woods in the spring (we are usually here in January).

 

By Thursday evening it should all be done bar the final tidying up, so we are going out to play skittles!

 

Will we find the Lost Chord? :rolleyes:

 

Nick

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...............my experience of playing is concertina bands is limited; maybe three or four times but I found it enormous fun.

In 2007 the Button Box workshop ( this week-end), had a band workshop led my ( I think ) Rachel Hall. There were only five of us but we enjoyed it and were asked to play at the evening concert, to great acclaim (concertina players are kind and forgiving ! ) Bob Snope joined us playing bass.

And didn't Bob play bass on "Monstertina" or whatever they call the contraption he built out of accordion left-hand sides, with English button layout? I heard it again this weekend, played by Bob along iwth two other Button Box folks, and the sound is awesome without being overpowering.

I wonder if they could be persuaded to run it again in 2010 if we could assure them of a reasonable number of us, ahead of time.

Any one else interested ?

Robin

I'd be interested in playing in it (on Hayden Duet), directing it, and arranging music for it -- tho for the latter I'd have to know in advance what parts (ranges) would be covered. I did the arranging for the 2004 NESI orchestra (at the request of Rich Morse, tho I'd never seen a concertina before), and played "Hallelujah CHorus" under Rachel Hall at NESI 2008.

 

You hit the critical part on the head -- "a reasonable number, ahead of time." Count me in. --Mike K.

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Perhaps. The Lost Chord is a song composed by Arthur Sullivan in 1877 at the bedside of his brother Fred during Fred's last illness. Was that in your repertoire, Nick?

 

Chris

Yes - Sullivan's Lost Chord arranged for Concertina Band is in the can now, along with another fifteen tracks, some old Concertina band standards, some new arrangements, one newly composed and previously unpublished piece, and it went very, very well.

 

I don't think that anything like this has been recorded using modern recording techniques before, and the sound of four bass concertinas at full belt in a march like 'Slaidburn' is amazing! Rob Harbron did the recording and producing and he played us that before mixing. This CD is going to be something different!

 

Nick

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:rolleyes:

 

Gosh it's in the BAG. What a wonderful week of hard work, concentration and FUN.

 

This CD is going to be something newly recorded of old and new arrangements with some amateur nuances professionally mixed.

We all tried our best and sometimes shivers went down your spine and tears to your eyes.

 

Please do support it when it is out and help us publisise and market as this is a one-off experience of great music not previously recorded in this manner.

 

Liz

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I had a very excited Email from Jenny Cox who was delighted with the result.

I look forward to hearing the Cd when it comes out.

Congratulations to all involved, a very Historic Achievement.

Al

I have repeated this posting as I lost the other. Never mind worth putting in again

Edited by Alan Day
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I had a very excited Email from Jenny Cox .....who has at last managed to get herself logged on and can respond to this thread herself, by quoting the email I've sent to the ICA list yesterday.

 

I am delighted to tell you that Hawkwood Concertina Band today finished laying down the tracks for our CD. I am very proud of the 22 players who achieved this in six hard-working days at Hawkwood College, with the expert leadership and inspiration of Dave Townsend, Steve Ellis and sound engineer Rob Harbron.

 

We sat in an inner horseshoe of chairs, an outer horseshoe, baritones on the left, trebles on the right, and a back row of two "C" basses and two "G" basses.We faced large windows which revealed a glorious view of trees coming into leaf in the spring sunshine, Hawkwood's fields and woods, and the Cotswold valley leading down towards Stroud and the hills beyond.

 

We worked on one piece of music at a time. In due course the curtains were closed (for acoustic reasons), concentration intensified....and another track was recorded.

 

We will all remember the very special atmosphere of group effort, co-operation and achievement. In about three months our unique CD will be on sale, and you too will be able to share all the music we played.

 

A special "Thank you" to the International Concertina Association and Barleycorn Concertinas who sponsored us, to the people who have already ordered our CD, to the many people who have sent us good wishes, and to all other band players who have in various times and places trialled many of the pieces we recorded, and thus supported the concertina band revival which led to this project.

 

This afternoon Rob let us listen to our newly-recorded track of that grand old concertina band march "Slaidburn". It thrilled us! I said that track alone was worth the £12 that the CD will cost.

 

If you would like to order a cd, please send your name and email address or other contact details to me at bandstand@coxboxes.co.uk. Keep playing together!

 

best wishes to all concertina musicians everywhere

 

Jenny

Edited by bandstand
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In 2007 the Button Box workshop ( this week-end), had a band workshop led my ( I think ) Rachel Hall. There were only five of us but we enjoyed it and were asked to play at the evening concert, to great acclaim (concertina players are kind and forgiving ! ) Bob Snope joined us playing bass.

 

I wonder if they could be persuaded to run it again in 2010 if we could assure them of a reasonable number of us, ahead of time.

Do not forget that the prime mover behind the annual concertina band sessions at NESI was Rich Morse. Before he persuaded Rachel to take the lead, it was he who sought out musical material, enlisted participants, and made it happen.

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In 2007 the Button Box workshop ( this week-end), had a band workshop led my ( I think ) Rachel Hall. There were only five of us but we enjoyed it and were asked to play at the evening concert, to great acclaim (concertina players are kind and forgiving ! ) Bob Snope joined us playing bass.

 

I wonder if they could be persuaded to run it again in 2010 if we could assure them of a reasonable number of us, ahead of time.

Do not forget that the prime mover behind the annual concertina band sessions at NESI was Rich Morse. Before he persuaded Rachel to take the lead, it was he who sought out musical material, enlisted participants, and made it happen.

Hear hear! It was Rich who talked me into arranging the music and conducting the band session at 2004 NESI, thus introducing me to the wonderful world of squeezing. I owe Rich a lot. Rachel Hall played contra-bass EC in the band that year, and did a fine job.

 

In fact, wasn't NESI as a whole Rich's brainchild in the first place?

Yes, RIch was an impressive person in many ways.

Edited by ragtimer
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In fact, wasn't NESI as a whole Rich's brainchild in the first place?

It depends how you define terms. The acronym "NESI" is fairly recent, and only appeared here on concertina.net as other events in other parts of the world appropriated the name "Squeeze-In." The Button Box has been running the Northeast Squeeeze-In since (I think) 1991, but Concertina & Squeezebox magazine ran it for a year or two before that. However, I went to an informal "squeeze-in" type affair (I don't remember if it was actually called a "Squeeze-In" at the time) at Rich's house in Vermont in the late 1980s. I remember that he had invited me to one the previous year that I could not attend. I also remember that it was in the winter.

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While enjoying the excellent food supplied by Hawkwood, I got a first line and tried to complete it.

A concertina player from Bristol

Had a vision as clear as crystal,

I'll get up a band

of the best in the land

And I'll keep them in line with my pistol.

I've been trying to think of a better last line, but there isn't much that rhymes with Bristol.

Perhaps someone out there has a better suggestion. :rolleyes:

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While enjoying the excellent food supplied by Hawkwood, I got a first line and tried to complete it.

A concertina player from Bristol

Had a vision as clear as crystal,

I'll get up a band

of the best in the land

And I'll keep them in line with my pistol.

I've been trying to think of a better last line, but there isn't much that rhymes with Bristol.

Perhaps someone out there has a better suggestion. :rolleyes:

 

'I just need to find the right stool', is my suggestion.

 

Ian

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