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 Rob Howard
Stockport Accordion Club Newsletter - March/April 2010
President: Johnny Coleclough Vice Presidents: Pearl Fawcett-Adriano, John Nixon & Walter Perrie
Stockport AC meets on Wednesday evenings at Woodley Methodist Church, Chapel St, Woodley, Stockport SK6 1ND; MDs Derek Stubbs (SAC Band, 7 pm/8.30 pm) and Brian Jenkins (SAC Orchestra, 9pm/10.30 pm).
David Vernon, Club Night guest on April 21st - International Scottish maestro extraordinaire!
The SAC Club Night concert on Wednesday April 21st stars David Vernon, from Edinburgh, making his first visit to us. Those of you who saw David Vernon last year at the ‘Accordions International 2009’ festival at Blackpool will know just what a class act he is – not only a brilliant and very entertaining accordionist, but also a very funny bloke indeed. His repertoire goes way beyond Scottish music, and includes music from many countries. The night before our Club Night, April 20th, David is the guest at North Staffs AC. I mention this because he is well worth seeing twice!! Admission is £5, and we begin at 8pm. The venue is Woodley Methodist Church, Chapel Street/A560 Hyde Road, Woodley, Stockport, Cheshire SK6 1ND (J25/M60). We need support players, so please bring your instruments.
Future 2010 SAC Club Night concerts for your calendars/diaries include Rosemary Wright (May 19th), The Kyiv Duo (July 14th), Jovan Rjnak (September 8th), and Deirdre Adamson (October 6th). Make a note of these dates now, coz they’re all worth seeing…
Our 2010 AGM, held February 17th, went smoothly, and John Jones was voted on to the Committee, which now reads: Chairman: Joan Campbell, Treasurer: Tony Wynroe, Secretary: Adrienne Sharpe, Social Secretary: Rob Howard, Members: Chris Green, Betty Molloy, Rachel White, Sarah Hodge, John Jones. Derek Stubbs was affirmed as the new SAC Band MD.
The Tameside Junior Accordion Band, founded by Betty Pollard, is now run by SAC members Rachel White and Sarah Hodge. The TJAB recently entered the NAO North Central Accordion Festival to qualify for the UK Championships being held at the Metropole Hotel in Blackpool, April 24th/25th, and not only did the band come first in both of their sections but a number of the individuals scored highly in their solo sections.
The TJAB practice on Tuesday evenings at Taunton Sunday School on Newmarket Road, Ashton Under-Lyne, Lancashire, and will be looking for new members to join the band from May. If anyone has any child interested in learning the accordion please contact Rachel White on 07849 797909, or email:
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to know more. Any donations are welcome and will help to fund the band activities.
The last Club Night featured the considerable combined talents of “The Dynamic Duo” Harry Hussey & Ken Astin, both playing acoustically, who treated us to Moonlight in Vermont, Rosetta, What are doing the rest of your life?, Lara’s Theme, Moonlight Serenade/String of Pearls, I’m old fashioned, a French valse musette with no title (learned from YouTube!), Tritsch Tratsch Polka, How High the Moon, Carte Postale, Petite Fleur, The Petite Waltz, The Girl from Ipanema, The Nearness of You, The History of Love, Fine and Dandy, Wheels, Patricia, and Deep Purple. Their encore, to conclude a most entertaining evening, was Tangerine. Quite a number of our regular faces were missing, but we also had many newcomers. Harry pointed out that whilst this concert was part of his plan to play all the country’s accordion clubs during his 80th year, this was most definitely not his farewell tour! Johnny Coleclough contributed an extended spot on his customised Transichord, complete with flashing lights. His numbers included Granada/Lady of Spain, Musetta’s Waltz (La Boheme), Under Paris Skies, The Dark Island, The Shadow of Your Smile, and a lengthy Gershwin medley. Before he played The Dark Island, Johnny joked: “I don’t play much Scottish music, but my dentist is a Scot, so that probably makes me Scottish by extraction.”!
Ken and Harry have just completed the recording of a new CD, Just Friends. A release date has yet to be announced, and details will follow in due course.
The last Club Night was originally scheduled for January 13th, but called off due to the snow that made Stockport resemble Antarctica. I spent a lot of time on the phone and sending emails in an attempt to spread the word about the cancellation, yet some people still turned up for the concert. All I can do is say sorry, but I really did do my best to get the word around.
Gillian (Curvis) Bebb, SAC Band keyboard player, is expecting a baby in August. We’re all delighted for Gillian and Wayne (and granddad-to-be John Curvis, of course!), and here’s hoping for a future new band member! Not to be outdone, Marj & I are pleased to announce that in September we also become grandparents as our Jane & Phil (Hamilton) are expecting. Jane is a former SAC Band member, so perhaps another accordionist is on the way?
Bert Santilly is the guest at Chester AC, Tuesday March 30th, 8pm, at the Groves Sports & Social Club, Whitby, Ellesmere Port CH66 2NZ; info 0151 339 9850.
Aly Bain & Phil Cunningham are at the Waterside Arts Centre, Sale M33 7ZF, on Wednesday March 31st, 8pm; box office 0161 912 5616 – tickets cost £13.50p.
This year’s NAO UK Championships take place from April 23rd to 25th at The Metropole Hotel, North Shore, Blackpool (website: www.accordions.com/nao).
Heather Smith tells me that ‘Accordions International 2010’, scheduled for May 9th to 14th in Blackpool, has been cancelled due to unforeseen problems at the Norbreck Castle.
Still on festivals, Marj & I attended the recent Eastbourne Accordion Festival. Bit of a long way, but an excellent weekend, with wall to wall squeezing. Coming home we stopped at the Hilton Park services on the M6, and on entering met Dr Hilary Jones, recently of Dancing on Ice fame. We exchanged some friendly banter with the Doc about ice skating, then he took my blood pressure for the cameras (which was 'normal', thankfully). He interviewed me about my state of health, and I might be on GMTV sometime...but then so might be 100 others!
Tommy Scruton has now made available on CD approximately 45 LPs/EPs by Leo Aquino, Martin Lukins, Charles Magnante, John Molinari, Charles Camilleri, Toralf Tollefsen, and many other accordion ‘greats’. Each comes with enhanced sound quality plus original cover and artwork, and the list of what is available is constantly expanding. These CDs are available for a modest £8 each; for details tel (0161) 789 3799; email
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John Higham now has the 2003 SAC Band & Orchestra Macclesfield concert + Finland’s ‘Primus Ikaalinen’ international competition on DVD (top class playing, even from the little kids – gives me a complex!); contact John on 0161 928 5994 or email:
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For sale: Allodi piano accordion - 72 bass, 5 treble couplers and 2 bass couplers (Rob: “I can email you a picture of this fine looking instrument”:
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); in excellent condition, completely overhauled 3 years ago; comes with a hard case plus a gig bag. Sell for £1,200 (negotiable). Tel Eva Kahan (0161) 720 6425; email:
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Local accordion teachers include: Tony Marchell – piano accordion or guitar, tel 0161 434 1933; Craig Bradley – 5-row button, piano accordion or piano, tel 0161 972 0248; Tommy Scruton – piano accordion, tel 0161 789 3799.
For all piano or button accordion/melodeon/concertina repairs (acoustic or electronic), restorations, tunings, MIDI conversions, etc, contact (Allostock, near Knutsford, Cheshire-based) Roy Whiteley on 01565 723 080; website: www.accordionmagic.com
That’s about it for now, except to say that I hope you can make it see, hear and meet the very entertaining David Vernon. As they say on the quiz shows, have a good time till next time.
Rob Howard (0161) 480 8858; email:
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Accordion websites: UKAccordions - www.ukaccordions.co.uk and Accordions Worldwide - www.accordions.com
An A to Z of the Accordion – Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4
These unique books are dedicated to the accordion and its close relatives, offering a wealth of articles and biographies. Included are articles written by such eminent authorities as Gary Blair, Charles Camilleri, Tony Compton, Gerald Crossman, Adrian Dante, Jack Emblow, Pearl Fawcett, George Garside, Ingrid Gould, Conway Graves, Johnny Handle, John Kirkpatrick, Charles Magnante, Mike O’Regan, Toralf Tollefsen, Douglas Ward, Charlie Watkins, Peter Whiteley, Francis Wright, Rosemary Wright, etc
An A to Z of the Accordion: Articles - Advice for the Aspiring Accordionist; Be a Better Player; Competing at Accordion Festivals; Composing & Arranging; Famous People Who Have Played the Accordion; French Musette; Looking after Your Harmonica; Improve Your Playing; Irish Traditional Music; Let’s Play Jazz; Magnante the Magnificent!; MIDI; Nostalgia; Playing For Others; Relaxation; Scotland’s Accordion Heritage Biographies – Larry Adler, Jimmy Blair, Chiz Bishop, Jack Emblow, Pearl Fawcett, Martin Lukins, Dermot O’Brien, Tommy Reilly, Jimmy Shand, Toralf Tollefsen, Francis Wright, Rosemary Wright, and many more…
An A to Z of the Accordion, Volume 2: Articles - The Story of the Accordion Bands; Accordion Heritage; Which Accordion – Button or Piano?; The Art of Accompaniment; Bellows Control; British Chromatic Accordion; Diatonics & Dancing; French Musette Stars, Past & Present; Inside Your Accordion; Instrument Reviews; Ireland’s Accordion Heritage; A History of the Concertina; Looking After Your Accordion; Memorising; Memory Lane; Playing for Scottish Country Dance Classes; Scottish Scene; Some Hints On Sight Reading, etc Biographies: Allodi family, Tom Alexander, George Barton, Harriet Bartlett, Joe Burke, Capaldi Brothers, Bernadette Conlon, Bobby Crowe, Matt Cunningham, Shirley Evans, Mick Foster, Geraldo, Conway Graves, Lisa-Lee Leslie, Paolo Soprani, Art Van Damme, Charles Wheatstone, Colin Whitfield, etc…
An A to Z of the Accordion, Volume 3: Articles - Accordion Clubs, Accordions – Then & Now; Accordion Tunings; Accordion Festivals Revisited; Accordions in the Theatre; The Art of Busking; The Art of Conducting; Bal Musette; Diary of a Visit to Paris; Irish Ceili Bands; From Russia With Love; Memorising & Aural Training; The Musical Heritage of Thomas Hardy; Practising (3 archive articles, by Pearl Fawcett, Toralf Tollefsen, Kenneth Hacking); Roland Virtual Accordion; Scottish Dance Bands; Tales & Trivia; The White Heather Club; Use Those Couplers!; Vocal Accompaniment; Writing & Arranging, etc Biographies: Peter Ayers, Joss Baselli (Jo Basile), Julie Best, Ronald Binge, Bill Black, Charles Camilleri, Johnny Coleclough, John Leslie, Francis Mabbutt, Roya MacLean, Iain MacPhail, Will Hannah, Lindsay Ross, Heather Smith, etc…
An A to the Z of the Accordion, Volume 4: Articles - Accordion - a few playing tips; Accordion in Retrospect; Accordion Manufacturing Process; Accordion Museum; The accordion with other instruments; Beltona Records; Diatonic Musings; Double Acts – Alexander Bros, Foster & Allen, etc; International Stars of the Accordion; Irish Traditional Playing; The Italian Connection; The Jazz Accordionists; Memories of Don Destefano; Memorising; Paris Musette; Playing From Piano Music; Getting to grips with the Roland Virtual Accordion; Shand Morino; Tips for Practising and Playing Solos, etc Biographies: Brian Bayliss, Elaine Beecham, Don & Rico Destefano, Blair Douglas, Emilio, Richard Galliano, Ron Hodgson, Eddy Jay, Flaco Jimenez, Ronnie Kennedy, Shona Kipling, Maurice Larcange, Roy Magna, Margaret Mitchell, Owen Murray, Máirtín O’Connor, Brendan Power, Billy Reid, Donal Ring, Pete Shutler, Will Starr, Emile Vacher, Valentino, Mika Väyrynen, Romano Viazzani, Douglas Ward, etc…
A grand total of 900+ articles & biographies, and 700 pictures!!
£15 per volume (post free, UK), cheques payable to Rob Howard
Can accept Paypal
Special offer – all 4 volumes ordered together for only £45 (post free, UK)
Rob Howard, 42 Avondale Road, Edgeley, Stockport, Cheshire SK3 9NY
(0161) 480 8858 Email:
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