Against all the odds we flew to Brussels last weekend to visit the various Xmas markets there.

However the most interesting 'find' there were three likely Rumanian / Romany hammered-dulcimer players busking on the sidewalk.

They were pretty scruffily dressed. The insruments were old, battered, and had very obviously seen better days. The strings were a mixture of steel and brass. The instruments had single bridges US-style, but with some chessmen English-style bridges. One of them - the second - had an inverted bridge.

But the players were the most accomplished I have ever heard. The only player I've seen as good as these three has been Jim Couza. They were playing Greek folk melodies like an incredible three part Zorba, and other popular classical / folk pieces I couldn't place. But I bought a home made CD from them. These were genuine folk musicians, obviously itinerant, and playing for a living. They were well masters of their instruments. We stood and listened to them for quite a while.

If invited, I could well see them busking on Sidmouth seafront. After all they had quite an audience in Brussels in minus 5 deg. centigrade, in the summer sunshine at Sidmouth (say) they'd be a real crowd puller. Apparently their contact no. is: 0489678798.

Photos on my Flickr stream at

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisjbrady/sets/72157625529558437/