This is a past event
A unique celebration of small 'free-reed' instruments, including mouth organs, concertinas, melodeons, diatonic button accordions, and Jews harps, the convention will be just the place to enjoy the appealing music of these delightful instruments from some of the very best talents around, both local to Scotland and from further afield.
Download the programme.
It will be a great opportunity to find out more about the instruments and their music. You can visit a beginners’ session, join an elementary workshop, or if suitably experienced learn about style and repertoire at a players’ workshop. There are also several opportunities for informal sessions in local music-friendly pubs.
The Guests
George Current is a highly respected moothie player from Edinburgh, who plays regularly in the sessions at Sandy Bell’s Bar and leads an informal moothie group. He specialises in Scottish country dance and pipe tunes (he is also a piper), and has wide experience of leading workshops.
Jackie Daly (button accordion) comes from North Cork and plays in the style of Sliabh Luachra, the area bordering Kerry and North Cork, famous for its slides and polkas. Formerly a member of the Irish group De Dannan, he currently plays in Patrick Street.
Fred Davidson of Banchory is a well-known melodeon player in the North East. He has played at all the local festivals and won many competitions. He is also a favourite compère at local ceilidhs.
Gordon Easton, the octogenarian one-man folk festival from Wellhead of Tyree near Fraserburgh, includes moothie playing, Jews harp and diddling in his repertoire of skills. He is our special guest at the Saturday lunchtime concert in the Blue Lamp.
Stuart Eydmann plays English concertina and fiddle and has been a member of the Whistlebinkies since 1979. He received a Glenfiddich Living Scotland Award for research into the free reed instruments in Scotland (the subject of his PhD which can be read at www.concertina.com) and has published widely on the subject. He has taught with the Open University and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.
Vic Gammon is Senior Lecturer in Folk and Traditional Music at Newcastle University where he is programme director of the B Mus in Folk and Traditional Music. His new book, Desire, Drink and Death in English Folk and Vernacular Songs will be published by Ashgate in 2008. He performs regularly, both solo and with ‘Dearman, Gammon & Harrison’. His main instrument is Anglo concertina.
Robert Harbron is a leading light in the ongoing renaissance of English music, considered to be the finest concertina player of his generation. A member of the English Acoustic Collective and a duo with fiddler Emma Reid, he is acknowledged as a teacher and workshop leader.
Katie Howson is an expert on East Anglian Music, particularly stepdance tunes. She is a founder member of The Old Hat Concert Party, a group of singers, musicians, and stepdancers, and has led ceilidh bands for many years, notably Katie's Quartet. She has taught courses on the melodeon and is a director of the East Anglian Traditional Music Trust.
Régis Lechatellier is a Breton accordion player now living in Aberdeen. He is a beautiful stylist, and performs compelling tunes which will add extra spice to the programme.
Spider MacKenzie is ‘the star of the bloos moothie’. Playing since age 13, he is a versatile musician with roots in blues, but also plays country, rock, jazz and folk harmonica. He will be accompanied by Steve Crawford.
Mary MacNamara's vision is that east Clare music will become as beautiful and popular as it was in the days of the house dances and that it will co-exist with all that is best in modern life. In her teaching, Mary encourages the enjoyment of music more than success in competition. Her students can be recognised by their uncluttered style of playing, where sweetness of melody is foremost. Mary has performed extensively from England to continental Europe, Japan, and the USA. One of her former students, Kate MacNamara, will be with her for the festival.
Doddie Murray of Stuartfield has been playing mouth organ since he was a boy in the 1930s. He regularly plays on his own and with other instrumentalists, and is a great favourite at ceilidhs and festivals in the North-East.
Simon Thoumire from Edinburgh is a concertina virtuoso, composer, and educator. In 1989 he won the BBC Young Tradition Award and has featured on several CDs. He has also pursued interests in the industry side of traditional music forming Foot Stompin' Records in 1997, Scottish Traditional Music Trust (2000), and Hands Up for Trad (2003).
Pip Murphy is one of the legendary Murphy brothers from Co. Wexford who learnt to play the mouth organ from his father. He is widely acknowledged as one of the foremost players of the instrument in Ireland.
Tom Roche, originally from Mitchelstown, Co. Cork, but currently resident in Glasgow, plays C#/Dbutton accordion. He teaches and plays Irish traditional music in Glasgow and is a member ofthe Irish-reggae fusion group Paddyrasta. Tom also plays Balkan-Gypsy music with the Jani Lang Band.
Frances Wilkins took up English concertina whilst living in Shetland, and this tradition lies at the heart of her repertoire and unique style. She is a founder member of the group Solan, performs locally with ceilidh bands Danse McCabre and Cabrach, and with the Pictones.
Michael Wright has been at the forefront of researching, playing and promoting the Jew’s harp in the UK for the past ten years. Musically his interest is in the traditional, melodic use of the instrument and influences include Angus Lawrie of Oban. His research is focused on the history of the Jew’s harp in the UK and Ireland.
Directed by Ian Russell with generous help from Pete Murray, Vikki Petrie, Tom Roche, Malcolm Reavell, Norma Russell, Alison Sharman, Alex West, and Frances Wilkins.
Stalls and Exhibitions
Celtic Chords, a specialist Celtic and traditional music shop from Stonehaven and sponsor of ‘Button Boxes and Moothies’, will be providing a stall at the Convention with new free-reed instruments (including low-price mouth organs), and CDs. If you are seeking specific help with an instrument purchase, Pete Murray of Celtic Chords will be pleased to provide you with friendly and impartial advice. The stall will be in Marischal College.http://www.celtic-chords.co.uk/cms/index.php
Theo Gibb, established The Box Place in 2003 in Gateshead and has a growing reputation as a tuner and repairer of free reed instruments of all kinds. He has a particular fondness for concertinas and for Hohner button boxes from the 1930s. He will have a stall at the Convention in Marischal College, where he will be doing on-the-spot repairs and tuning and will have spare parts and a few second-hand instruments for sale.http://www.theboxplace.co.uk/Free-Reed2007.pdf
Supported by
- Aberdeen City Council
- The Blue Lamp
- Friends of the Elphinstone Institute
- The Globe Inn
- Scottish Arts Council
- SCaT
- The Wood Group
- TMSA (Aberdeen Branch)
- Hosted by
- Elphinstone Institute
- Venue
- Aberdeen