Our November Concert
Our November started with David Rigby playing Swannee River, then he sang Murphy 
And The Bricks, which is also known as The Bricklayers Song. David continued with The Good Old Summertime, Daisy Bell, Que Sera Sera, Loveliest Night, Old Rugged Cross and, to finish, he played Highland Cathedral. Up next was Patrick Halpin, Patrickstarted with Lassie From Lancashire, then went on to play Wild Rover, Whisky In The Jar, A Bunch Of Violets Blue, Rody MCordie, Wild Rover and The Wild Colonial Boy. Arthur Frankland took to the stage and gave us renditions of Fields of Athenry, Danny Boy, Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond, A Finnish Tune and Midnight In Moscow. Our next player was Bernard Belshaw playing Moonlight Serenade, Aint She sweet, Isle Of Capri, Blue Tango, Spanish Gypsy Dance, Blaze Away, Strangers In Paradise, This Is My Song, Dellah, Daisy, Irish Eyes Are Smiling and Ave Maria. To follow this we heard from Bernard Bamber who Played Oh Boy, Bye Bye Love, Hello Mary Lou, You Are My Sunshine, Ramblin Rose, Walking My Baby Back Home and Don’t Dilly Dally. Graham Crow was our next player, he lives on the south coast but tries to get to Leyland Accordion Club whenever possible, Graham played Gonna Sit Right Down, Sunshine Of Your Smile, I Feel Pretty, I Wanna Be Like You and Genevieve. Sara Daly followed Graham, she played Flatwater Frain, Can You Call the Cavalry and Midnight Waltz. Our next player was Ann Parker playing Frog Chorus and Snow Waltz. It was nearing the end of the night so I managed to fit myself in playing American Patrol, Sailors Hornpipe and Triste Sourire. To finish the night Bernard Belshaw entertained us with Wooden Heart, La Mer, Moulin Rouge, La Vie En Rose, La Cumbanchero, The Harry Lime Theme, Moon River and Lara’s Theme. After a very entertaining year of accordioning it will be our final night of the year this week (see Jacobs Join story below). I hope as many of you as possible will be able to make it.
Chester Accordion Club
Chester Accordion Club’s next meeting is on Tuesday 30th January at The Groves Club, Chester Road (A5032), Whitby, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire. Telephone Barry Graham on 01978 760065.
Wyre Club
The next meeting of the Wyre Club is on Wednesday 24th January at The North Euston Hotel on the Esplanade at Fleetwood, FY7 6BN. Further details tel. 01253 883681.
Wirral Accordion Club
This club is on every Tuesday at The Place In The Park, 109 Liscard Road, Wallasey CH44 9AE. The night starts at 7pm.
Jacob Join Christmas Party
As usual this month (December) will be our Christmas Party, please practice your party pieces for December. Remember, at the December night members can play their accordion, but we also ask people to bring along their other skills if they like. In the past we have had bagpipes, keyboards, guitars, monologues, midi kits etc. If you can play a trumpet, juggle, play a clarinet or have something else you would like to perform then December is the meeting to do it. December will also be when we have a Jacobs Join so please plan to bring not only yourself, but also some food such as a few sandwiches, meat pies, sausage rolls or things on sticks to add to our Jacobs Join. December is our informal let your hair down night (for those that still have some). December is also the last meeting before 2018! It seems strange that we are talking about the end of the year already, but its not far away. I will have the big amplifier, John is bringing his electric piano, don’t forget to bring yourself, your accordion and your other talents.
This Wednesday
This Wednesday is our last night of the year. Bring along your accordion, your other talents and hopefully something for the Jacobs Join (see story on page 2). This is your last chance to meet other club members and have a night out with us before the end of the year. The doors open on Wednesday night at 7.30pm for a prompt 8pm start. Please bring along your friends and anyone who might be interested in attending. If you see someone you don’t know then please say hello and make them welcome to the club. If you see someone in the street you don’t know, please bring them along to the club!
See you there…
David Batty
Gary Dahl
Accordionist Gary Dahl passed away unexpectedly at home on the 2nd December. Gary had not long turned 80 years old although he had always promised his daughter Leesa that he’d live to at least 120. his daughter Leesa said “He had a big personality and was a passionate “stage mom” in my early years, having been my first piano teacher. He was a veteran, a pilot, a jazz virtuoso, arranger, renowned pedagogue, loved the Mariners and Seahawks, and most importantly loved my sweet mother and me. There are no words to describe the incredible influence he had on me as a musician. I’m still in complete shock, but when I’m home for Christmas I will be playing his arrangements of carols and I hope he will he listening ”
Gary Dahl is well known for his music arrangements for the accordion, his work is often found in Mel Bay books.
Harry Hussey Christmas CD
At the Christmas party every year we play Harry Hussey’s “Have yourself a swinging 
Christmas” The CD can be bought on Amazon as a digital download for £4.99 . The track listing is:
White Christmas , Winter Wonderland, Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer, Jingle Bells, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, Christmas Song, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Mary’s Boy Child, Silent Night, Ding Dong! Merrily On High, The Holly and The Ivy, Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, We Wish You A Merry Christmas and Auld Lang Syne. To buy on Amazon visit http://amzn.to/2ABJhOG
If you already subscribe to Amazon Music you will already have access to this album.
Phil Cunningham Christmas Songbook CD
Phil says “I always wanted to do a Christmas gig. In 2005, I got the chance. Musician 
friend and oft times promoter Stuart Nisbet came to me and asked if I’d be interested in doing a show for Edinburgh City Council’s Christmas programming. I was delighted. I called my pals to see if they would like to do it with me, we contacted some good brass players and then moved forward to create the event. I asked Stuart what we should call it, he pondered briefly and pronounced, ”Phil Cunningham’s Christmas songbook”. And so the concept was born. The gig was a great success, and when the council declined to have it the following year, I went to Adrian Harris of the Queen’s Hall in Edinburgh and asked if he’d be interested in us doing it again. He couldn’t have been more enthusiastic and supportive, so, off we went again. This time it sold out so fast we had to do two nights. That was 10 years ago. It has grown to 5 nights a year at venues across Scotland. The concept, for us, has now become a tradition. Every year, in December, we get together as pals and spend a few days, eating and drinking our favourite Christmas fayre, playing and singing our favourite Christmas songs and tunes, trying to put our own Scottish slant on them…. and we take the result to the road. This gig is all about friends and Christmas, it’s our chance to spend time with each other at the end of a busy year and our chance to share that fun with you.” This concert has now been made into a CD The Track are: Santa Will Find You, Silent Night, Little Drummer Boy, In the Bleak Midwinter, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, Chickadee’s Christmas/365 days till Christmas/A Tribute to Larry Reynolds, Away in a Manger, Sweet Bells, Waltz for Aly/Silver Bells Marches: Tam The Gun/Wee Michael’s March/Ack Stirling’s March, The Holly & The Ivy/ The Sweetness of Mary, Lovely Molly Mae, God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen/ The Reel Beatrice, I Know the Reason, Winter Wonderland/Bluebell Polka, I am not fed up of the Pacific Ocean, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas / White Christmas. To see the members of the band and to buy the CD visit www.verticalrecords.co.uk/product/phil-cunninghams-christmas-songbook/ The CD costs £12
Gordon Pattullo Christmas CD
Accordionist Gordon Pattullo has produced a Christmas CD featuring Frosty the 
Snowman, Jingle Bells, Winter Wonderland, Deck the Halls, Ding Dong Merrily On High, Good King Wenceslas, Fairytale of New York, Away In a Manger, Silent Night, Here Comes Santa Claus, A Holly Jolly Christmas, Mary’s Boy Child, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town, In The Bleak Midwinter, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, O Come, All Ye Faithfull, The Christmas Song, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, O Little Town Of Bethlehem, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, White Christmas, Happy Xmas (War Is Over), The First Noel, O Christmas Tree, We Wish You A Merry Christmas. The CD Costs £10.99 and can be bought from www.gordonpattullo.co.uk/shop
BBC Radio Lancashire Christmas Eve
24th December in the afternoon Join BBC Radio Lancashire for “An Intimate Christmas – LIVE” Christmas Eve with BBC Radio Lancashire and friends…the Houghton Weavers, the 2nd Rossendale Scout Band and a host of special guests will join John “Gilly” Gillmore LIVE on stage for an afternoon of Christmas cheer Tickets are free (with a £1.50 booking fee) being held at Preston Guild Hall, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 1HT to book contact Tel: 01772 804444 or visit https://prestonguildhall.co.uk/shows/bbc-lancashire-intimate-christmas/
Membership
We are starting to collect Membership fees for 2018, this is to remain at the same price it has always been which is £5 per year. I keep prices down to make the club affordable while still helping towards our expenses. You can pay your membership on the door in December or January. The proceeds go towards the guest artists, stamps for postage and also an Internet service to send out the newsletters to those who choose to receive the newsletter by email (those who get the newsletter by email get working links they can click on rather than have to type in). If you are paying by cheque please make your cheque payable to “David Batty”.
Be In the Audience
If you’d find it interesting to be in the audience of a Tv Show the following shows have tickets available.
Britians got Talent, Blackpool Auditions –
16th & 17th January 14:00 and 18:30 filmed at the blackpool operah house http://www.applausestore.com/book-britains-got-talent-blackpool-judges-auditions-2018
Britians Got Talent, Manchester Auditions –
8th & 9th February 14:00 & 18:30 filmed at the Lowry in Manchester http://www.applausestore.com/book-britains-got-talent-judges-manchester-auditions-2018-2
The Repair Shop need items to fix—
In The Repair Shop on BBC Two a team of Britain’s most passionate and skilled crafts people will rescue broken objects and restore them to their former glory. If you have a damaged heirloom, a prized antique, a loved one’s possession or anything else that needs restoring, please get in touch now! The Repair Shop is produced for the BBC by Ricochet. If you are interested visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/takepart/the_repair_shop for detail of how to take part.
Christmas Music
If you are short of some Sheet music for Christmas tunes Sheila Lee has created some sheet music, with varying levels of difficulty. The tunes available range from the traditional Silent Night, Jingle Bells and Oh Christmas Tree to Rockin Around the Christmas tree, Grandma Got Run Over By Reindeer, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus there are more available on the following link…
https://shelialee.wordpress.com/christmas-music/