Hi Dave
Just a little message to say how much I enjoyed the wekend. The people were very friendly - it's strange, but I've never yet met a concertina player I didn't like! Organisation excellent, tutors very good. All in all, a very pleasant way to spend the weekend. Even had good weather.
many thanks.
(unsolicited testimonial)
Music for English, Anglo and Duet Concertinas.
Jenny Cox
Concertina Band
Keith Kendrick
Anglos by Ear
Michael Jary
Harmony on English Concertina
English Concertina for Dance Music
John Morgan
Duet Concertina
Welsh Music
Emmanuel Pariselle
French Regional Styles
L'Art du Franglo
Simon Thoumire
Scottich Music on the English Concertina
Advanced Repertoire and Technique for English Concertina
Dave Townsend
Across the Western Ocean
Song Accompaniment
Ability Levels Terms & Conditions Booking Form
JENNY COX is a skilled English concertina player who is well known for leading, researching and arranging concertina band music. Whilst leading workshops at festivals and concertina events all over the country, she has taught concertina to people of a wide variety of ages and backgrounds.
MICHAEL JARY is one of the best of the younger generation of concertina players. He cut his teeth as a member of The Pack and Fiddler’s Wreck, and is now part of the acclaimed trio Ola, who were finalists in BBC Young Tradition Award. He works as a sound engineer and is a regular tutor at concertina events.
KEITH KENDRICK describes himself as a shameless practitioner of the songs, monologues and dance music connected with his home background - Derbyshire, the Midlands, and England. He’s performed with The Druids, Ram’s Bottom, Muckram Wakes and a host of others over the years. He plays English and Anglo concertinas, and is a popular workshop leader.
JOHN MORGAN, born and bred in the Ogmore Vale, bought his first duet (MacCann system) about 30 years ago, and taught himself from scratch. He plays mainly tunes from Wales, but not exclusively, which he often modifies and adapts. His playing features on Megin (bellows), a concertina and melodeon CD, and Blodeugerd, Ceri Matthews’ project for the Smithsonian Institute. In between a full-time teaching job, he’s played at festivals and tutored at concertina events.
EMMANUEL PARISELLE is an experienced professional musician and singer from France. He has worked with squeeze-box legends including Kepe Junkera, Riccardo Tesi and Martin O’Connor, and has taught melodeon in many countries including the U. K. He has been active in developing new models based on the two-row melodeon. He currently plays in a duo with button-accordionist Christian Maeys, performing a wide-ranging repertoire of Irish, French, Balkan, and Quebecquois music.
SIMON THOUMIRE, an acknowledged concertina virtuoso, has dazzled audiences with his playing all over his native country and across Europe and America as a solo artist, with The Simon Thoumire Three and Keep It Up. A winner of the BBC Young Tradition Award, he is now a veteran of broadcasting, recording, composition and worldwide festivals. Simon is the driving force behind Foot Stompin' Records, and is founder of The Scottish Traditional Music Trust.
DAVE TOWNSEND performs solo and with various groups,
including The Mellstock Band and The Lost Chord. His
formidable technique and unique style in playing traditional and classical music on English concertina are only one part of a wide range of activities, including music for television, film and theatre, as well as recording, composition and research.
Ability Levels Terms & Conditions Booking Form
SATURDAY COURSE UNITS:
A1 - Keith Kendrick - Anglos by Ear
Keith will guide you gently through everything you need to know to be able to learn and play tunes by ear.
[Level - B/I]
A2 - Michael Jary - Harmony on English Concertina
How to play chords and counter-melodies on English Concertina.
[Level - I/H]
A3 - John Morgan - Duet Concertina
Tips and ideas for playing duet concertina.
[Level - B/I/H]
A4 - Emmanuel Pariselle - French Regional Styles
An introduction to dance music from different parts of France, for all concertina systems.
[Level - B/I]
A5 - Simon Thoumire - Scottish Music on the English Concertina
We will learn a Scottish medley and look at the various types of ornamentation involved. We will learn a march, strathspey, reel, jig, air and hornpipe.
[Level - B/I]
A6 - Dave Townsend - Across the Western Ocean
This is an opportunity for any concertina player to experience playing in a band. We will play selections from Dave Townsend’s new community piece, arranged for concertina band. The whole suite is based on familiar sea-shanties, and there are easy parts suitable for basic-level players of any concertina, including C/G anglo. They provide a chorus around which high and low instruments weave more challenging counterpoint and harmony lines. Bass and Baritone English Concertinas will be available for loan.
[Level - B/I/H]
SUNDAY COURSE UNITS:
B1 - Jenny Cox - Concertina Band
A variety of music arranged for concertina band, for
reasonably able music-readers on any system. Basses & baritones (English) available to borrow.
[Level - I/H]
B2 - Michael Jary - English Concertina for Dance Music
How to play the English Concertina for dancing.
[Level - B/I]
B3 - John Morgan - Welsh Music
Tunes and Dances from Welsh Tradition, for all concertina systems.
[Level - B/I/H]
B4 - Emmanuel Pariselle - L’Art du Franglo
Emmanuel plays the “Franglo“ - a hybrid of anglo and melodeon devised by Colin Dipper. This workshop is about applying ideas from the French melodeon tradition to the concertina. So bring along your anglos, melodeons and franglos if you have one.
[Level - I/H]
B5 - Simon Thoumire - Advanced Repertoire and Technique for English Concertina
We will look at some more advanced tunes – more chromatic and slightly more difficult than the norm. We will examine how to master the techniques required, and how to use them in more day-to-day material.
[Level - I/H]
B6 - Dave Townsend - Song Accompaniment
How to approach accompanying songs on any concertina system - A step-by-step guide to starting to create your own accompaniments.
[Level - B/I]