Our June Concert
Our June concert started with Arthur Frankland playing The Little Maiden, Danny Boy, La Valse D’Amelie, Bonnie Bonnie Banks Of Loch Lomond, Fields Of Athenry and Amanda’s Waltz. Our next players was Ann Parker who started with Snow Waltz and Beer Barrel Polka. Ann Continued with Chopsticks, Waltz From Faust and Tarantella. John Robinson was next on to the stage, he played Wimoweh, Floral Dance, The Whistling Gypsy and The Calico Printers Clerk. We then had the break which included the usual chat and socialising. After the break we started the next part with the Bernard Bamber and Patrick Halpin duo playing My Wild Irish Rose, Goodnight Irene, The Wild Rover, These Are My Mountains, Black Velvet Band, Galway Bay, Irish Eyes, When The Saints, Old Flames and If You’re Irish. Our next player was Colin Ensor, Colin played Down Forget Me Not Lane, La Vie En Rose, Cruising Down The River, Dream, Yesterdays Dreams and My Blue Eyed Jane. I had my spot next, playing Oslo Waltz, Black Mask Waltz and American Patrol. Our next players on the stage was Rebecca, she played Moon River, Valse Continental and Home On The Range. It was Gordon Priestleys turn to play next, he gave us Melody Moments, Rochdale Coconut Dance, Much Wenlock, Weasels Revenge and Vienna Forever. Our next act was a double act, Bernard Belshaw and Reuben Higginbotham enjoyed playing Moonlight Serenade, You Only Live Twice, Time After Time, Blue Skies, Besame Mucho, Whatever Lola Wants, Strangers In The Night, Sentimental Journey, If This Is Love and Rags To Riches.
David Batty
This Wednesday
This Wednesday is one of our practice nights rather than a concert night. There will be accordionists sat chatting, drinking coffee and learning music around the room. The doors open on Wednesday night at 7.30pm for an 8pm start. If you see someone you don’t know then please say hello and make them welcome to the club. I had a couple of enquiries about the club this week so we might have a new face or two if we are lucky and both of them are players too. I won’t be there but I hope you all enjoy yourself.
Fylde Folk Festival
This is to be held at Fleetwood from Friday 4th September 2015 for 3 days. The Full Price admission is £75. There are also day tickets available priced at £22.50, £35 and £32.50. For more information contact fyldefolkroots@gmail.com or visit their website at www.fyldefolknroots.org
Heritage Open Days
From the 10th to the 13th of September there will be hundreds of places opening their doors to the public as part of Heritage Open Days. This annual event allows you to visit places you wouldn’t normally be able to see. Keep an eye on their website at www.heritageopendays.org.uk to find out where you could visit. The list of open doors places will appear any day soon, but be warned, for some attractions the free tickets go very quickly. Myself and Rebecca visited behind the scenes at Blackpool Tower last year as part of this free event and have visited other similar ‘hidden’ places after browsing the list of hundreds of attractions on the website.
Glastonbury’s Underground Piano Bar
Written by Ian Youngs for the BBC. The underground piano bar is the stuff of Glastonbury legend – a hidden underground bar that does not appear on any maps or official guides, where well-known artists have been known to turn up for surprise sets. Armed with a little knowledge, I begin searching in the Green Crafts field, looking between and beyond the stalls where you can weave your dreams or carve a plate or make your own vegan spa products, for any sign of something that might look like an entrance to a hidden bar. After walking around the field three times, I wander into a neighbouring area. Eventually, there is an inconspicuous pathway through the trees, with some kind of doorway at the bottom. But the path is fenced off and the doorway is closed. So I come back later. With no signs and no lighting, you could easily walk close by and not realise anything is there. But this time, down the path is a queue of several dozen people leading to the hatch. The secret is clearly out. When I get near the front of the queue, a wild-looking Irish doorman who seems to go by the name Gollum is waving his little finger in the air and delivering a stream of consciousness about how Kanye West “broke the universe”. The Entrance test: I get to the front. “Kiss my finger!” Gollum demands. “Kiss my finger! Kiss it! Get to the back of the queue if you won’t kiss it. Oh, OK, go in then.” I step past, relieved to have avoided puckering up, into a half-height, pitch black tunnel. That opens out into the bar – which is more like a Hobbit-sized dancehall, with a narrow sunken dancefloor that has been dug into the hillside, flanked by steep earthy stepped seating, and with a high stage at one end. The name is a bit misleading. There is no piano that I can see, the bar does not turn out to sell alcohol and most of it is not underground. Instead, it has long, sturdy branches – with twigs and leaves still attached – holding up a canvas roof. On stage is a band playing accordion and fiddle Balkan folk, to occasional whoops and claps from the patrons. Some are revelling in this fantasy creation. Others have looks of happy bemusement, and will at least be able to say they have found the piano bar.
Man Claiming To Be Sharon Shannon’s Father
A man has been claiming to be Sharon Shannon’s Father and has been demanding free drinks in bars. Sharon posted a message on Facebook in May with a photo of herself and her real Father . Sharon’s Message read “This is my gorgeous Daddy. IJ Shannon. He is 87 years old. He DOES NOT play accordion. There is a man going around Ireland pretending to be ‘Sharon Shannon’s father’. This imposter apparently plays the accordion and is a horrid pushy man. He is in his late 60’s or early 70’s. He demands free drink in every pub he goes into playing his accordion. He has been seen many times in Spiddal and at various festivals all over the country. My father is a very shy and humble man of very few words.”
Cynthia Bennet – West Dorest Accordion Group Leader
Cynthia Bennet Passed away peacefully after a short illness at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital, on the 27th June 2015, aged 88 years. Cynthia was the leader of the West Dorset Accordion Group for 27 years and was awarded an MBE in 1997. Her Funeral Service was held at Weymouth Crematorium on Tuesday 14th July
Val Doonican
On the 1st July 2015 Val Doonican passed away at the age of 88. Val was born in Waterford, Ireland in 1927, He got his big break in 1963 when he was booked to appear on Sunday Night at the Palladium This led to Val being a regular fixture on TV with his own show which ran on the BBC for 21 years from 1965 to 1986, he became known for his trademark rocking chair and colourful Jumpers. He filmed 25 Christmas Specials in an interview Val said “They became something of a national institution, attracting audiences of up to 19 million. It felt embarrassing seeing myself. We’d sit as a family enjoying ourselves but as soon as my show started, I’d nip off to another room”. Val was rarely out of the UK charts in the 60’s and 70’s, In the album chart he had five successive top 10 records and even knocked The Beatles’ Sgt Pepper’s Loneley Hearts Club Band off the top spot in 1967 with Val Doonican Rocks, But Gently. Val stopped performing in 2009 after more than 60 years in show business. There is an 8 minute clip of Val on the The Alan Titchmarsh show in 2009 where Val talks about his career www.youtube.com/watch?v=vN6LDmhOCIA He is survived by his wife Lynn, daughters Sarah and Fiona and grandchildren Bethany and Scott.
Ex Display Accordions For Sale
These Accordion are stock left over after a Music Shop Closed.
Weltmeister 72 Bass Achat Green £1,100
Stephanelli 12 Bass Blue £200
Chanson 96 Bass Black £350
Chanson 96 Bass Red (A couple of the highest reeds on the highest voice are croaky) £250
Second Hand Galotta 12 Bass £190
Rossini 48 Bass Red £300
Contact Kit Flemons on musicalatticus@gmail.com
NME Magazine Goes Free
The Music Magazine NME which started life as Accordion Times and Musical Express is to change the price of the magazine to free, at the moment the magazine has a circulation of 15,000 at a cost of £2.50 a magazine, from September the magazine will be free and the print run will be increased to 300,000 and will be handed out at stations, shops and colleges. Publisher Time Inc said music would stay “at the heart of the brand”, but the magazine will also expand to cover film, fashion, TV, politics and gaming. NME editor Mike Williams said: “NME is already a major player and massive influencer in the music space, but with this transformation we’ll be bigger, stronger and more influential than ever before. “Every media brand is on a journey into a digital future. That doesn’t mean leaving print behind, but it does mean that print has to change. The future is an exciting place, and NME just kicked the door down.” NME.com launched in 1996 as one of the first music websites. But as the brand reached almost four million people each week digitally, its print circulation steadily dropped.
The Royal Lancashire Show
The Royal Lancashire show is back this year on the 7th – 9th August 2015. It is being held at Salesbury Hall, Salesbury Hall Rd, Ribchester, Preston, Lancashire PR3 3XU. Adult day ticket £10 Family Day Tickets (2 Adults with 2 Children Under 16) £30, Concessions £8 Tel 01254 914362 to book tickets in advance. Jason Smyth, one of the UKs leading quad and motorcycle stunt riders will be hosting the action packed Adrenaline Tours, performing amazing routines including hair raising quad freestyle jumps 30ft in the air! there is top class show-jumping, fantastically fast sheep shearing, vintage tractors and steam engines, classic cars and motorcycles. There will be local food and drink showcased in the Field of Food. There will be celebratory real ales and traditional ciders and award-winning artisan foods as well as magnificent meat. For more information visit www.royallancs.co.uk