Concertinas at Witney

Subject: Concertinas at Witney
From: Valmai Goodyear
Date: 26 Sep 06 - 05:03 AM

There's no doubt that any concertina player who can get to Concertinas at Witney (Oxfordshire, England) should do. It's an annual weekend of workshops for a wide range of styles, systems and ability levels run by Dave Townsend's Hands-On Music Weekends organisation.

I've just come back from a generous two days of being taught, making music, socialising and putting away a certain amount of Hook Norton.

The event is always the last full week-end in September, so next year's will be on 29th. - 30th. September, starting with an informal pub session on the Friday 28th. There's an excellent trade fair on the second day with a huge selection of concertinas and music books on sale from a range of dealers.

This year's tutors were Tim Laycock (song accompaniment), Rob Harbron, Dave Townsend, Harry Scurfield (jazz, blues) Norman Chalmers (Scottish traditional)Stuart Estell (reggae, rock and anything he gets his hands on) Pauline de Snoo (classical) and Jenny Cox (concertina band).

Have a look at http://www.whitecottagewebsites.co.uk/homweekends/concertinas.htm

Tootle pip,

Valmai
Lewes Arms Folk Club

Subject: RE: Concertinas at Witney
From: The Sandman
Date: 26 Sep 06 - 07:41 AM

were there any tutors specialising in irish tradional tuition, or any tutors specialising in English or Anglo song accompaniment.or any tuition in playing for the morris. not a criticism just a question.

Subject: RE: Concertinas at Witney
From: GUEST,The black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 26 Sep 06 - 08:01 AM

I seem to stopped going to concertina weekends and I'm not quite sure why. I'm not being conceited (I hope) in saying that I am learning less and less at each one and it becomes subject to the law of diminishing returns.
Of course it's nice to meet friends old and new, but I'd prefer to be playing in a session with them rather than a workshop.
I would say that anyone starting in music should go to workshops first and they might find them more to their liking, after all it's taken 25 years for the novelty to wear off for me.

I suppose this means that I've reached the stage where I should be giving back something to the music comunity, but I'm not sure what I've got to offer. I don't read music, know what chords I am playing, or know the names of the notes I'm playing so I'm not much use as a tutor, judging by what today's tutors seem to have to know.

Robin Madge

Subject: RE: Concertinas at Witney
From: Valmai Goodyear
Date: 26 Sep 06 - 08:30 AM

Captain Birdseye: not this year, but there often are people specialising in all of those styles. It wouldn't be possible to cover every existing style every year (as I know from helping to run the series of all-day workshops at the Lewes Arms).

Robin: teaching by ear is very valuable as not many people do it. Will Duke, a brilliant player who doesn't read, has done a couple of workshops at the Arms on the tunes of Scan Tester for all instruments, and both sold out.

The pub sessions in Witney this year were particularly lively and carried on into the small hours thanks to the goodwill of the Eagle Tavern (not to be confused with the Eagle Vaults, which is an entirely different establishment). The landlord also invited people to play in the lunchtimes as well as on Friday night and on Saturday after the main concert by the tutors.

Valmai
(Lewes Arms Folk Club)

Subject: RE: Concertinas at Witney
From: The Sandman
Date: 26 Sep 06 - 10:31 AM

There was a thread on another forum,about being Witney being unfriendly.
I have never been to witney, so wouldnt know. I think they do repeat their tutors[ maybe thats by popular demand]from year to year, it looks like about 50percent, please correct me if i am wrong. this is intended as constructive criticism, I do also understand It is not always possible to get different tutors. Although Ihave no intention of going,I wish the fesTival every success for the future.
   lets hope there is not going to be any Witney bashing from certain quarters.

Subject: RE: Concertinas at Witney
From: Fidjit
Date: 26 Sep 06 - 11:03 AM

Valmai your link doesn't work. But I got through to, "Concertinas at Witney" on my own. Thought of going, but I'd been in England for a month prior to that, doing four festivals. Dave Townsend is fab. He was at Stowmarket earlier this year (March). Which is where I will be next year.

Chas

Subject: RE: Concertinas at Witney
From: Pete_Standing
Date: 26 Sep 06 - 08:03 PM

I've attended Strings at Witney three times as a guitarist/bouzouki player and thought the weekend excellent. It is well organised, the tutors knowledgeable and approachable, the evening concerts enjoyable but the official Friday night session was like death by fiddles! Last February we managed to get some sessions going on the Saturday evening before the concert and the Sunday lunchtime in a pub in Corn Street, which I think was the Eagle Tavern and jolly good they were too.

Mind you, I had some good fun at the Martin Carthy workshop hosted by Valmai at the Lewes Arms earlier this year. I'll be back again with some friends in a couple of weeks for the Kerr/Fagan fiddle/bouzouki workshop - this duo are not just fantastic musicians/performers, but they are good teachers, friendly and helpful.

Valmai, any chance of a session in the back bar between the workshop and the concert?

Subject: RE: Concertinas at Witney
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Sep 06 - 02:45 PM

Horses for courses, I suppose,

I've been to the last 2 Concertinas at Witney - my experience was that I enjoyed and learned a lot from both. Mind you - as a very new concertina player I have lots to learn.

Everyone - tutors, stewards & participants seemed friendly to me.

If the workshop areas are relevant to me next year - I shall be there !

Subject: RE: Concertinas at Witney
From: GUEST,HSA
Date: 28 Sep 06 - 06:31 AM

I went to a couple of Concertinas it Witney when I first started learning and I found it absolutely invaluable. I would thoroughly recommend it for a beginner - it gets you out of bad habits before they become ingrained for one.

The third time I found it a bit frustrating. There was nobody really catering for what I do (For Capt Birdseye - Irish on the English!!) and one course which should have been really good and was clearly billed as "this session will be taught by ear" was devalued by a small section of people who insisted they could only play by reading the dots and had no intention of trying it any other way.

I haven't been since then - but that is not to say I would not if the right session was available.

Many people go every year. Some of them are better the next year and some clearly never progress but enjoy the environment (and there are plenty of courses there for those who want to read from the dots). You pays your money and takes your choice.

Helen

Subject: RE: Concertinas at Witney
From: The Sandman
Date: 28 Sep 06 - 07:15 AM

Yes, to anyone learning Irish music on an English concertina, it was probably not much use this year[ I cant comment on any other years, without lists of tutors]
I recently did a workshop,[ dealing with irish ornamentation] for the jubilee players in chorley, lancs, which was well receieved, I hope I was able to help anglos and Duets., Everyone seemed pleased.
   one thing I think is important, is to be able to sing the tune, then you really know it, those players who can only play from dots, should think of it as if chucking away the stabilisers off a bicycle, when your in a session there are no dots.
however for those people who have a computer, going to whistle or fiddle sites and adapting the ornamentation, is useful for the English Concertina.
One way Witney might attract more customers, would be to have more specialised tuition for irish tunes on english, more playing by ear, more song accompaniment on all systems.These comments are not meant to denigrate Witney in any way ,and I wish them every future success.

Subject: RE: Concertinas at Witney
From: GUEST,HSA
Date: 28 Sep 06 - 11:03 AM

If you get the gig Dick I'll be there!!!

I did go to a workshop one year at Witney on Irish ornamentation for all systems which was run by Luke Daniels on the Anglo. It was interesting and gave space to experiment but he obviously could not explain how to do it on an English.

The "playing by ear" workshop I mentioned above was with Norman Chalmers (Jock Tamson's Bairn fame) and used Scottsh music but it was extremely useful in the way it concentrated on Rhythm. So whichever system you play you can get something out of the right workshop.

Helen

Subject: RE: Concertinas at Witney
From: The Sandman
Date: 28 Sep 06 - 12:45 PM

Somewhere, I read that NOEL HILL instructs english concertinists in his workshops to execute ornamentation on the same side as the note being ornamented.
now there isnt JUST one correct way to do ANYTHING, but I would do the oppOsite and cut on the oppOsite side of the ornamented note,.
because of the nature of the instrument, english players tend to develop good coordination between left and right, anglo players have not necessarily, through the nature of the instrument, developed this skill.,to such a degree.
In other words, because they dont play the instrument they dont understand what comes naturally to the english concertinist, and instruct from the point of view of what comes naturally to the anglo player,.I am sure this wouldnt happen at Witney, and Iam sure this is not the advice in Alistair Andersons tutor. The only time I execute ornamentation ON THE SAME SIDE is perhaps when the note after the ornamented one is on the opposite side. a G on the left followed by an A on the right, I might play a cross fingered triplet for the G. Dick Miles.

Subject: RE: Concertinas at Witney
From: Howard Jones
Date: 28 Sep 06 - 01:37 PM

I play Anglo, not English, and I don't use it for Irish music, so I don't know what I'm talking about, but in the finest traditions of internet forums I'm not going to let that stop me!

I wonder whether the reason behind Noel Hill's suggestion to English concertinists in his workshops to execute ornamentation on the same side as the note being ornamented is precisely because the left-right co-ordination is different on the two systems. Irish concertina style is based on the Anglo, where ornamentation is perhaps more likely to be played on the same side - playing on the opposite side may be slicker, may be more natural to English concertinists, may even sound better, but may not recreate the authentic style. Perhaps his suggestion is aimed at getting players of the English to achieve an "Anglo" style. Whether you consider this a good thing or not is up to you.

Subject: RE: Concertinas at Witney
From: The Sandman
Date: 28 Sep 06 - 02:37 PM

Dear Howard,
there is no such thing as an authentic Anglo style but many different styles, from Bernard O Sullivan, to mrs crotty, to mary mcnamara, to noel hill,to Chris Droney to edel fox, to Paul Davis., to Niall Vallelly to packie Russell.Music progresses and evolves ,.                  
the next thing that might happen is an ANGLO PLAYER who bases their style on fiddle rolls, should they be condemned because they are not playing in an authentic   anglo style,[ as taught by noel hill]
but have adapted a fiddle style and created something new, but still based on the irish tradition.
Knowing you of old, I am sure you agree with me.variety of style is what makes music interesting.

Subject: RE: Concertinas at Witney
From: GUEST,Ibo
Date: 28 Sep 06 - 05:12 PM

Sorry,i miss read the thread,i thought there was a Tina Turner concert in Whitby.

Subject: RE: Concertinas at Witney
From: The Sandman
Date: 28 Sep 06 - 06:16 PM

If there was ,I would go ,what a sexy singer .

Subject: RE: Concertinas at Witney
From: Howard Jones
Date: 29 Sep 06 - 04:34 AM

Perhaps I should have referred to "technique" rather than "style". I was suggesting that using a similar technique to play ornaments on the English would sound as if they were played on an Anglo.

I agree that there are many styles and everyone should try to develop their own style. But I believe that Irish music sounds different played on an English rather than an Anglo, and it perhaps follows that since the traditional instrument was usually Anglo, if English players want to recreate that sound then they should try emulating Anglo technique. If they don't, then fine - I'm not making a value judgement here.

There will always be people who insist there is only one way to something, but this is stultefying. Styles develop and progress because people develop their own ways of playing.

Subject: RE: Concertinas at Witney
From: The Sandman
Date: 29 Sep 06 - 04:36 AM

on,the 30 key lay out of the anglo, its quite possible to do fiddle type rolls all in one direction on the notes g and a[ g a g fsh g] [abaga]if wanted, undoubtedly even more can be done on40 key, 34 keys etc,
my advice to all concertina players is to make diagrams of their fingerboards, to see all the potential possibilities, particuarly for anglo players who wish to explore row crossing, and duet players who wish to explore unison overlap for ornamentation.Dick Miles

Subject: RE: Concertinas at Witney
From: The Sandman
Date: 29 Sep 06 - 04:56 AM

Dear Howard ,good points, there is a way that the english can sound rather like the style of the anglo and thats the chord or drone[ tapped lightly]use.you might get a phrase all on the left on the english b g d b, tapping on the right hand side with a low d[ ,its not exactly ornamentation] but reminiscent of both the pipes and the anglo.
and the same for a or e round an a minor arpeggio when it occurs in a tune , I have been doing this for years and I find it very satisfactory . Dick Miles