Circulation: 

John Kirkpatrick, Alistair Anderson, Douglas Rogers, Lea Nicholson, Bob Senior, Jenny Cox, Harry Scurfield, Tony Engle, Dave Bulmer, Dr Frances Palmer (Horniman Museum), Squeezebox NewsGroup (news:rec.music.makers.squeezebox), John Howson, Andy Spence, Chris Timpson, Don Nichols, Sean Minnie, Alan Atlas, John McNamara, Lea Nicholson, Paul Beard, Wendy Morrison, Pete Young, Keith Fotheringham, John Roberts.

Revision 9 - September 1999

Dear Concertina enthusiast

I here present the latest revision of the Planning Notes for the above project, for your information and for your comments!This is planned to be the most scholarly, well-researched, superbly documented and exhaustive survey of the music of the instrument that we can possibly manage, and we must make a selection of the best, rarest, most unusual and of course most musical examples from all over the world, and from the earliest examples to the most current players and innovators. 

It will be accompanied by an extensive book on concertina history, musical examples, photographs and biographies of all artists, and a state-of-the-art 'FAQ' on all aspects of the concertina.

I attach a very Draft 'wish-list' of tracks and sources for the project, with suggestions for music and musicians that we should consider: it is this list that I really need your comments upon,so I hope you can add comments on a copy and FAX or Email it back to me. I can send a paper double-spaced copy for you to write on and add to if you request it. 

I here list and acknowledge the many suggestions received over the past few months, and have included these suggestions into the Tracklist. I hope you will continue to keep an eye on the various updates, and send further suggestions, as we start the long process of assembling likely recordings for this mammoth project!

New Suggestions received to date are -

1. Reuben Shaw said that Dave Townsend has tapes of him and Peter Honri, and Reuben himself has recordings of him and Wilf Pearce (two of the 'Derwent Trio')

2. Howard Mitchell knows of a 3-concertina group playing North West (Lancashire) Morris tunes, and another playing Bacup 'co-co nut dancers' tunes on the english. Also, he recommends Pete Young & Mike Perry of Wentsum Morris (Canterbury) who play three tenor/treble englishes.

3. Chris Timpson recommends The New Mexborough Concertina Quartet (NW has an LP copy) and say that the Australian concertina band we mentioned is led/arranged by Wayne Richmond, and that the group played a wild version of an Anne Gregson tune 'Groovin' with Mr Lachenal'.

4. Don Nichols suggests a run of representative/comparitive tracks of all the Duet systems, and hopes we find a Sally Army Concertina Band recording. DoN also strongly suggests Bernard Wrigley (a deep-voiced UK singer with a wonderful bass concertina accompaniment style), preferably 'The Mole Catcher (though NW likes 'Nellie the Elephant'). DoN asks - should we include Chemnitzer and Tango/bandoneon style playing? - I think YES.

5. NW has found out about a rounder CD - Rounder CD 1090 - called 'Squeeze Play - a World Accordeon Anthology' - does it have any concertina tracks: has anyone heard it?

6. Pete Young wonders if Ellis Roberts (a 1930s 'english' player for Royton N West Morris) is still alive/recorded. And he recommends Noel Hill and Jacky Daly as great exponents of the Irish style.

7. Sean Minnie supplies a wealth of information on the use of quality, English-made concertinas in South Africa, especially Boeremusic, and with some reference to township use of the less expensive 'squashbox'. He emphasises the major differences between these traditions, and also mentions Morgan O'Kennedy's 33rpm recordings on the McCann Duet. Sean offers a tape of many examples of South African concertina music.

8. Keith Fotheringham strongly recommends John Roberts for a US perspective on Ango-playing, and the great Louis Killen for the English & song accompaniment.

9. Paul Beard says 'where's Mary McNamara?' - a great Clare-style player, on Claddagh Records.

10. Wendy Morrison offers her own examples of music on the English BUT played with the attack and danceable drive of the best of anglo stylists.

11. Lea Nicholson asks us not to neglect the 'first generation of folk- revival concertina players' and cites: Harry Boardman, Louis Killen, Phil Ham, and Tony Woods of Sweeney's men, mentioning their track 'Hall of Mirrors' from their second album. - anyone heard this? Lea also has the master-tapes of his 'Concertina Record', and some tapes of himself from 'Concertinas at Witney'.

12. Jim McNamara hopes the CD set's tracks will be more archival than mainly just items still commercially available. He recommends Nigel Pickles and New Mexborough, Chris Sherburn, Noel Hill, Brian Peters (also on some Witney tapes), Damien Barber ('Boxed' - NOF 002), Steve Turner, Robert Harbron. 

I hope this update is of interest, and that you might continue to chip in your comments and suggestions as they come to mind.

Please add details of any recordings you know of that contain important examples of the music of any type of concertina!. I'll be happy to meet, exchange emails,or speak on the 'phone for a few hours' brainstorming on this project whenever you're free and available, but do get some written comments back to me as soon as you can. 

Free Reed(my record and CD company) plans to release the four-CD set during 1999, with a further major promotional push to coincide with both theHorniman Museum'smajor exhibit of the Wayne Concertina Collection,(for which a press release will eventually appear on the squeezebox newsgroup) and with the bi-centenary of Wheatstone's birth in 2001/2.

Please let me have your comments and suggestions! - and if you wish no further updates, please email me back accordingly

Best regards

Neil Wayne, Director

Free Reed Music

Concertina CD Project Draft 8 - April 1997 

I here set out the proposed various sections of the four CDs, and the likely music we should feature in each section.

Sources for Recordings: 

NW = Neil Wayne 

FRR = Free Reed LP Recording 

FRA = Free Reed Tape Archive - (Wayne Collection, Horniman Museum)

HS = Harry Scurfield 

TP = Topic Records Archive 

TPFR = Topic/Free Reed Records & Archives

FEB = Frank Butler Estate

ICA = International Concertina Association sources

SRTW = Squeezing round the World - BBC Pebble Mill Archive & David Corser

BBCA = BBC Archive recording 

LT = Leader/Trailer Archive

DB = Dave Bulmer Archive

DR = Douglas Rogers' Archive

VT = John Howson's Veteran Tapes

SM = Sean Minnie

WM = Wendy Morrison

HM = Howard Mitchell

Section 1:"There is music in the sighing of a reed"

- Earliest days and forerunners of the Concertina 

Sheng & Sho solos: Khene solos, sheng orchestra (all BBCA): Symphonium solo (DR has the original Music for 'Symphonium Waltz):A performance on Wheatstone Concertina No 32 (oldest known numbered concertina): John K playing Wheatstone/Demian Accordeon of 1829: A performance of the earliest piece of Wheatstone published music (Douglas Rogers).: Examples of how each early system sounded

Section 2. 'The Victorians' 

- concertina music of the 1840-1860s. 

Regondi : The Concertina Quartette: 'Oiseaux': 'Morceaux': plus other of Blagrove's compositions: 'Gigue': (from -'John Kirkpatrick's Jump at Sun', LER 2033, LT Archive): The Baritone & Bass concertina repertoire: 'Gavotte' (Alistair Anderson- Trailer LER 2074, LT): Sedgwick's compositions: Allan Atlas's New York concertina group: Douglas Rogers' CD performances of Regondi and other Victorian classics 

Section 3. 'The Halls' 

- The Music Hall Tradition. 

Alexander Prince - many 78s and cassette re-issues: Bros Webb: Ernest Rutterford (many 78s available, HS has 78s): Bros Welch, Percy Honri's Comic Songs (FEB's collection, also via Peter Honri): Charlie Cairoli (UK musical clown): Tommy Williams - FRR LP FRR008 'Springtime in Battersea': Chergwin the White-Eyed Kaffir: Early anglo pieces - (W J Mullaly, Kimber, Clevoner etc, via TP): Peter Honri (he has rare Percy Honri recordings): Walter Linton's Lintophone: Other Music Hall Artistes: (list of NW's 78s, now in Horniman Museum, is available from NW). 

Section 4. 'The Stage'

- The concertina on the variety stage

Alf Edwards: (we need a copy of the USA Fantasy recording 'Art of the Concertina' LP): Vena & Mac McDougal of the London ICA: Charlie Cairoli (Musical Clown): Percy & Peter Honri: The Fayre Four Sisters ('Flight of Bumblebee' 78, BBCA): Novelty Instruments, such as 'Nests' of Concertinas Jack Clevoner (aka Jimmy Hartford - duet star. One 78, recording known, via HS, Richard Carlin's 1970s UK field trip recordings of older UK players incl Frank Butler and Alf Edwards. 

Section 5. 'The Folk'

- Traditional & country players from 1900 to pre-concertina revival 

William Kimber - Headington Quarry Morris dance musician (TP and BBCA): Mrs Crotty - legendary Clare Concertina player (CCE): Australia -(Bushwackers & Bullockies Bush Band - also, any tapes of Frank Holland of Mudgee?) :Tom Prince - Co Durham, UK, sword dance musician (Video - and see Section 6): Mrs O'Dwyer - Dublin concertina player (TPFR LP): South African Boeremusic, Morgan O'Kennedy, Boeremusic Duet Player on LP- detailed survey from SM) - and black Squashbox music - (via HS archives, & SILEX (V225107, African LPs from HS) : Scan Tester (TP LPs, EFDSS LPs and Veteran Tapes re-release): Chris Droney - champion Clare player (TPFR): Cajun Concertina - 'Green's Zydeco', on Arhoolie F1009, via HS; (this is the ONLY cajun concertina track!): Packie Russell - Doolin's concertina maestro (recorded by NW - and all of TP and TPFR field recordings of Clare players): Sword Dances (and Tunes from Tufty Swift's 1790s Belper tunebook as recorded by John Kirkpatrick): French traditional players - from HS and SRTW archive: North West Morris musicians via HM:

Section 6. 'The Gentlemen' 

- Serious soloists, mainly male, & enthusiast groups, from 1900 

Gordon Cutty (Free Reed LP and archive recordings): Reuben Shaw - (Free Reed Archive recordingsof his 'Derwent Trio', Reuben's tape of he and Wilf Pearce, Dave Townsend's tape of Reuben & Peter Honri,plus any of his recordings from Concertinas at Witney): Tom Prince (NW has Video of Tom's playing, Letchworth Morris have recordings, now at Morris Ring): Tommy Williams (Free Reed LP and interview): Alf Edwards: (need US Fantasy LP of his): Frank Butler (ICA): Vena & Mac MacDougal (London ICA): Derwent Trio - Reuben Shaw, Wilf Pearce): Arthur Clements of Northampton - (ICA) : Nelly Power - Heckmondwike Concertina Band, FRA: Matusewitch Bros and Allan Atlas (recordings via Atlas and NW): Michael Hebbert - Jeffries Duet player, on FRR 009 LP: Harry Litherland (HS and via John Howson at Veteran Tapes): Fred Kilroy - urban style anglo master -(via Alan Ward at National Sound Archive and via John Howson) 'Mitchell & Shepherd' - (HS has 78 record): Ellis Roberts - 1930s North West Morris anglo player (via Pete Young/HM):

Section 7.'The Bandsmen

- Serious soloists, mainly male, & enthusiasts groups, from 1900

Must include 78s of Northern British concertina Bands (HS has 78 of Heywood Band): Nigel Pickles & his revival of a Yorkshire Concertina Band and The New Mexborough Concertina Quartet (NW has LP,also check with DB): Salvation Army Bands - (Plymouth Citadel and Pately Bridge Salvation Concertina Bands): Nelly Power & her recordings of Heckmondwike Band 's repertoire- (2-3 hours of FRA Tapes, also Check with DB): Liverpool Orange Lodge Concertina Bands - (2-3 Hours of FRA Tapes): Bob Senior's Butley Court Concertina Group:The Australian Concertina Band with Wayne Richmond (tape from Chris Timpson & Reuben Shaw): 

Section 8.'Postwar & the Folk Revival' 

-new roles for the concertina in younger hands 

Tony McCarthy: Louis Killen, Harry Boardman, Phil Ham, Tony Woods (Sweeney's Men),Peggy Seeger :Peter Honri: Alf Edw ards & Dave Swarbrick - (many TP LPs): Michael Hebbert , Jeffries Duet - (FRR LP 009): John Kirkpatrick (TP, FR and LT LPs) ( B'ham Fo'c'sles featuring Ron Field): Phil Ham & son - via EFDSS: The Chieftains (Michael Tubridy on TPFR): Lea Nicholson - (LT LP, solo LP, two Virgin Rock singles, Witney Tapes): Alistair Anderson (Bach Piece- gavotte in E, and 'The Entertainer' from LT LP LER 2074): Jenny Cox & Mangotsfield School Band - (Witney Recordings): Noted younger soloists - Jim O'Boyles, Andrew Knight, John Gall, Marie Robson (& her recordings with Gordon Cutty in FRA): Mary MacNamara (Claddagh CC60 CD, via HS) : Noel Hill (NW has LPs): Jacky Daly (Topic LP): Denise Shiel (from Galway, on RSE Records RSEC 035, 11 Station Rd Dublin 5): also, track of Concertina used in film 'Milagro Beanfield War' - on a Stinson LP (via HS): Bernard Wrigley - bass concertina (NW has CD): John Roberts - US Anglo player: Chris Sherburn (DB has CD): Brian Peters: Damien Barker (CD 'Boxed' - NOF 002): Steve Turner: 

Section 9. 'Folk Roots - New Routes'

- Expanding the limits of the concertina, beyond the revival.

John K - solos , and his new John K band CD: Ali Anderson - 'Steel Skies Band' new material: Lea Nicholson - 'Dambusters' & 'Lazy Afternoon' Virgin pop singles: John Kirkpatrick with Steeleye Span and Richard Thompson: Alistair Anderson -' Steel Skies Band': Simon Thoumiere (NW has LP): Robert Harbron: Wendy Morrison - Irish style on English concertina:Bertram Levy - Front Hall LP: Tim Laycock Band: Dave Townsend: Dick Miles: Howard Mitchell : Jean Megly: Philippe Krumm: Iris Bishop (ICA, McCann Player): Harry Scurfield - (Zydeco & roots specialist): Ralph Jordan (Duet player from Leytonstone, London): Anne-Marie Boisard (via HS): Johnny Clegg (uses squashbox concertina in South African Black township rock - via HS & EMI LP 'Cruel & Crazy Beautiful World' EMC 3569 7934461): Fintan Vallely (Cork, via HS): Donald Pullam (fine Duet player, Leeds, via HS): Chemnitzer-style players, tango/bandoneon tracks: - plus more new innovators! 

Section 10. 'The Classical Re-discovery 

- The rediscovery of the Victorian & classical repertoire - 1990s.

Douglas Rogers & The Regondi Guild - (two CDs so far): Bob Senior and the Butleigh Group : Alan Atlas: Bert Levy: and any other classical concertina re-interpreters!

end: Version 8: April 1997

Comments now invited!!

Neil Wayne