English Players Going To Bucksteep Squeeze-in

[BruceB]

Just wondering if there are any English players going to the NE Squeeze-in who would like to get together to play tunes from "Dancing With Ma Baby." I've never heard any of these tunes played by anyone else and it would be interesting to hear how others play them. If there's any interest we could pick some tunes from the book to work on. I'm willing to work on anything in the book, but some of the more difficult tunes in the back are somewhat beyond my ability.

 

Any interest?

bruce boysen

[bellowbelle]

I don't have that book, but I'm beginning to think it's one to get!

 

I play English and will be at the NE Squeeze-In, but...shall have to get back to you on this one, when/if I get to the Button Box or something, to buy a copy.

[BruceB]

I don't have that book, but I'm beginning to think it's one to get!

 

I play English and will be at the NE Squeeze-In, but...shall have to get back to you on this one, when/if I get to the Button Box or something, to buy a copy.

Hi Wendy,

 

I don't think the book is currently available. Perhaps the Button Box still has some copies, I don't know. If it's not available I could copy a few of the tunes and send them to you. The book is really great, you should try to find a copy.

 

If we get some people interested I'd like to make a list of tunes to work on. Sweet Auburn is pretty easy and is possibly my favorite, sounds great on concertina. Old Malabar is slightly more difficult, and is another that is really fun. I've Got A Lovely Bunch Of Coconuts is a great arrangement. Love's Old Sweet Song has gorgeous harmonies but is a lot more difficult to play than the others I mentioned. Let me know if you can't find a copy and want me to send a few tunes your way.

 

bruce

[Richard Morse]

Though I'm not an English player (I play Hayden duet), I have tried a number of tunes in that book, and would be interested in getting together to play tunes from it. I didn't get very far into the book mostly because I wasn't familiar with many of the tunes (I only recognized 4). I'd love to play through them with folk who know what the pieces are supposed to sound like.

 

Maybe a bunch of us can get one of them together enough to play for Saturday night's concert?

[BruceB]

Though I'm not an English player (I play Hayden duet), I have tried a number of tunes in that book, and would be interested in getting together to play tunes from it. I didn't get very far into the book mostly because I wasn't familiar with many of the tunes (I only recognized 4). I'd love to play through them with folk who know what the pieces are supposed to sound like.

 

Maybe a bunch of us can get one of them together enough to play for Saturday night's concert?

Hi Rich,

 

I wish I knew what these arrangements are supposed to sound like! I've never heard anyone play them and I've often wondered how badly I might be butchering them. I hope to get some ideas if we get some interest at the Squeeze-in.

 

Like you, I only know a couple of the melodies. I've heard "I've Got A lovely Bunch Of Coconuts" (Danny Kaye singing?) tons of times. When I was growing up my parents had a 78 of this song & my brothers & I played it all the time. A friend of mine has a James Joyce website (http://www.james-joyce-music.com/) and his college roomate sings "Love's Old Sweet Song" on the site. It's from a CD of Joyce era music they made. Other than that and a few melodies I recognise, I don't know what the tunes should sound like.

 

It would be even more fun to hear how they sound on other systems. How about David Cornell? I wonder if he plays any of them on his Maccann? He wrote the review of "Dancing With Ma Baby" that was in an old issue of Concertina & Squeezebox.

 

Rich, are there any paticular tunes from the book that you like?

 

bruce boysen

[Richard Morse]

Hmmm.... Now that I revisit the tunes (rather than just check over the titles) I find that tunes I THOUGHT I knew, I really don't:

 

The Jenny Lind Polka version there is *very* different than the one I know.... Ave Maria is a classical piece I'm sure I've heard a number of times but I can't seem to play it well enough to remember how it goes.... Under the Double Eagle is NOT the Sousa tune I thought it was (I had gotten the name confused with his Invincible Eagle march.... And Tannhauser's Pilgrim's Chorus is another case of very familiar classical *name* but I couldn't resurrect a familiar tune from the dots.

 

I guess that makes me more clueless than you, Bruce, as I now rank at knowing only half of one tune! It really *would* be nice to hear how these things are supposed to go.

 

Taking your lead though, I'm working through your list and really like that Sweet Auburn. Interesting how the first few bars sounds like The Little Rascals....

Edited June 24, 2004 by Richard Morse

[bellowbelle]

I don't think the book is currently available. Perhaps the Button Box still has some copies, I don't know. If it's not available I could copy a few of the tunes and send them to you. The book is really great, you should try to find a copy.

Okay...thanks! I shall work on this after a decent night's sleep...after a decent cup of coffee, etc. (it's okay for me, I NEED caffeine!). I'll see if I can find a copy of 'Dancing With Ma Baby.'

 

Most likely, though, you'll be hearing from me that I couldn't find one.

 

I do have a copy of 'The English Concertina Melodist.' I'm working on some of that.

 

I find it SOOO much easier, though, to work on things that have vocal lines. So, my favorite book at the time is actually a voice/piano book.

[Ken_Coles]

Hmmm.... Now that I revisit the tunes (rather than just check over the titles) I find that tunes I THOUGHT I knew, I really don't:

 

Under the Double Eagle is NOT the Sousa tune I thought it was (I had gotten the name confused with his Invincible Eagle march.... And Tannhauser's Pilgrim's Chorus is another case of very familiar classical *name* but I couldn't resurrect a familiar tune from the dots.

Both these pieces are identical to the ones I know from my brass quintet work. Under the Double Eagle is even in the same key. I always wanted to try it with the EC and the B5tet alternating the repeated sections -- it would be great! I doubt I can get any of my quintet (besides myself) to come to the Squeeze-In, however.

 

Jay Lamsa, who hasn't chimed in here yet, is working on this book too. I recall he might be coming to the S-I. Me, I'll work on reading bass clef and play some of those notes for you on my baritone.

 

Ken

[BruceB]

Hmmm.... Now that I revisit the tunes (rather than just check over the titles) I find that tunes I THOUGHT I knew, I really don't:

 

Under the Double Eagle is NOT the Sousa tune I thought it was (I had gotten the name confused with his Invincible Eagle march.... And Tannhauser's Pilgrim's Chorus is another case of very familiar classical *name* but I couldn't resurrect a familiar tune from the dots.

Both these pieces are identical to the ones I know from my brass quintet work. Under the Double Eagle is even in the same key. I always wanted to try it with the EC and the B5tet alternating the repeated sections -- it would be great! I doubt I can get any of my quintet (besides myself) to come to the Squeeze-In, however.

 

Jay Lamsa, who hasn't chimed in here yet, is working on this book too. I recall he might be coming to the S-I. Me, I'll work on reading bass clef and play some of those notes for you on my baritone.

 

Ken

Ken, do you know where I could hear (CD or online) "Under The Double Eagle?" I hadn't tried this one before. I find some of these tunes at the back of the book pretty hard to play and it sure would help to hear any version of them.

 

Just a thought, but a lot of these tunes were arranged by Henry Stanley and somewhere in the book it said that his master library is actually all Duet arrangements and that he'd adapt them to the ability of the player and to the system it was to be played on. It sure would be interesting to hear these same tunes arranged for & played on Duet.

 

bruce

[Jay Lamsa]

Yes, I'd be very interested! As Ken said, I'm trying to work through the book a little at a time. I've done most of the pieces in the so-called "easy" section. Maybe we could come to a concensus on say, three to five pieces and play them? I've never heard anybody else play these either!

 

I just recently met another english concertinist - I'll see if I can get her interested as well.

 

Jay

[Ken_Coles]

Ken, do you know where I could hear (CD or online) "Under The Double Eagle?" I hadn't tried this one before. I find some of these tunes at the back of the book pretty hard to play and it sure would help to hear any version of them.

I have a home recording of our quintet playing "Under the Double Eagle" at a local nursing home four years ago. I am amazed to think of a single person playing all that on one concertina! If you are enough of a geek to use ftp Bruce, I can put a compressed version of it up where you can get it. Write me off bbs.

 

Jay, and all of you in New England (and Britain for that matter) are lucky to have other players around. Make the most of it, I say.

 

Ken

(currently in Indiana for part of the summer)

[bellowbelle]

To BruceB...

 

As far as I know, I just sent you an e-mail (through the boards) re 'Dancing With Ma Baby,' but I'm just a bit unsure if it was actually sent. So, if you don't receive it, please let me know and I'll try again.

 

Thanks!

[BruceB]

Yes, I'd be very interested! As Ken said, I'm trying to work through the book a little at a time. I've done most of the pieces in the so-called "easy" section. Maybe we could come to a concensus on say, three to five pieces and play them? I've never heard anybody else play these either!

 

I just recently met another english concertinist - I'll see if I can get her interested as well.

 

Jay

Jay,

 

Yes, let's make a list. How about 6 tunes? I'm open to any tunes from the book. How about two from the easy section, two from the medium & two from the difficult tunes? Obviously, only work on as few or as many tunes as you're comfortable with, the Squeeze isn't that far away.

 

Anyone want to propose which ones? Sweet Auburn is pretty easy yet sounds good.

 

bruce boysen

[BruceB]

Tentative list from Dancing With Ma Baby for Squeeze.....

 

1. Side By Side

2. Sweet Auburn

3. I've Got A lovely Bunch Of Coconuts

4. Old Malabar

5. Dancing With Ma Baby

6. Love's Old Sweet Song

 

It's fine with me if the final list is completely different, this is just to get the ball rolling. Love's Old Sweet Song is the only one that is really difficult for me.

 

bruce boysen

[bellowbelle]

Tentative list from Dancing With Ma Baby for Squeeze.....

Bruce, I wonder if it would be of use to some players if you posted what key these are in, in that book?

 

Then, anyone going that basically knows the songs but doesn't have the book, would be more ready to 'jump in' and play.

 

....If you've got the time to look that all up, of course!

[Jay Lamsa]

Tentative list from Dancing With Ma Baby for Squeeze.....

 

1. Side By Side

2. Sweet Auburn

3. I've Got A lovely Bunch Of Coconuts

4. Old Malabar

5. Dancing With Ma Baby

6. Love's Old Sweet Song

 

   

That list looks good - I haven't tried the last three, so that gives me something to shoot for! The Jenny Lind is interesting, too.

 

Jay

[Ken_Coles]

Bruce, I wonder if it would be of use to some players if you posted what key these are in, in that book?

 

Then, anyone going that basically knows the songs but doesn't have the book, would be more ready to 'jump in' and play.

 

....If you've got the time to look that all up, of course!

Well, I do, and for once I am in the same place (on holiday in Indiana) as all my music. Let's see:

 

1. Side By Side F major

2. Sweet Auburn F major, part of Trio section in Bb major

3. I've Got A lovely Bunch Of Coconuts C major

4. Old Malabar F major, Trio in Bb major

5. Dancing With Ma Baby C major, Trio in F major

6. Love's Old Sweet Song F major

 

Hmm, do we see a pattern here? Apologies if any of these are actually in the relative minor, I tried humming the melodies to myself (since of course I can't play them) and they all seem to be major.

[BruceB]

Bruce, I wonder if it would be of use to some players if you posted what key these are in, in that book?

 

Then, anyone going that basically knows the songs but doesn't have the book, would be more ready to 'jump in' and play.

 

....If you've got the time to look that all up, of course! 

Well, I do, and for once I am in the same place (on holiday in Indiana) as all my music. Let's see:

 

1. Side By Side F major

2. Sweet Auburn F major, part of Trio section in Bb major

3. I've Got A lovely Bunch Of Coconuts C major

4. Old Malabar F major, Trio in Bb major

5. Dancing With Ma Baby C major, Trio in F major

6. Love's Old Sweet Song F major

 

Hmm, do we see a pattern here? Apologies if any of these are actually in the relative minor, I tried humming the melodies to myself (since of course I can't play them) and they all seem to be major.

Yikes! The list does seem major key heavy. I'm not sure why that is, if anyone wants to suggest a tune in a minor key I'll try to work on it.

 

I made an interesting "discovery" last night. I found my copy of Duet Arrangements for Maccann that David Cornell did some years ago (the arrangements are at the Maccann site), and tried a few out on my tenor English. The first one I tried "Ashgrove" worked fine. I'd say it's moderate difficulty on an English. It's a nice arrangement too. I'm surprised by this as I thought they'd need extensive changes to work on a different system. It looks like lots of them will work with no more than minor changes. Waltzing Matilda is another excellent arrangement that seems pretty good on English.

 

You can check them out at the Maccann site.

 

bruce boysen