Archive

SqueezEast 2009

SUNDAY 14th. JUNE, At STAMFORD, Lincolnshire. Anyone interested in finding out more contact David Nind by Email: david@lomil.co.uk

WCCP is to host the International Concertina Association AGM at  Ruishton Village Hall on November 1st 2008

25th Anniversary Weekend 

This Kilve meeting (March 14th to 16th) had a special theme, the 25th Anniversary of  WCCP. What a great weekend!!  The anniversary theme started with each participant receiving a commemorative box sticker announcing ’25 Years of Music’ and that tradition was continued with a weekend of playing and listening. As well as the music, the birthday atmosphere was helped along by a special celebratory dinner on the Saturday night, attended by many of the founder members of WCCP, as well as birthday cake in the shape of a concertina and a display of photographs from WCCP’s history.  

Throughout the weekend we had brilliant tuition form Claire Wren (band), Mick Bramich (Anglo), Sandra Kerr (English), Iris Bishop (Duet), Brian Hayden (Duet) and Rollo Woods (tunes for Ceilidh). Colin and Rosalie Dipper gave generously, as always, of their time and expertise on a range of topics relating to instruments and their problems from ‘First Aid’ to ‘Concertina tampering for the timid’.  

After a full day of workshops, the tutor’s concert on the Saturday night was a display of virtuoso playing to inspire all of us, whatever our personal preference in musical genre. We heard Mick’s Irish styles of Anglo playing, Iris and Sandra combining in impromptu duets of delicate and emotive airs, and the debut performance by Claire Wren’s band, ‘Junction 25’ whose rousing final piece, a rendition of the brass-band classic ‘Old Kentucky Home’ gave us band music at its most impressive.  

Although Sunday saw fewer people in the dining room for breakfast after the usual hard-to-leave late night/early morning session in the bar, most of us staggered off to various workshops to learn more during the morning. The finale to all this was the usual showcase of workshops that demonstrated, yet again, how diverse our musical learning’s had been. Mention must be made here of Sandra Kerr’s intriguing ‘Knit your own Tunes’ group, who produced a catchy celebratory tune called ‘In Kilve Jubilo’, a tune which had started life as the national anthem!  

Claire’s Intermediate band gave us a terrific rendition of ‘Pastime with Good Company’, with added percussion and a scratch choir. Then it was time for a quick cream tea, for those with sufficient appetite after a weekend of generous portions and excellent food, followed by goodbyes to old friends and new.  

Thanks to all concerned in the organisation and running of an excellent weekend, the tutors, the staff at Kilve, all participants and helpers, but especially to John and Mal Derricott for all the hard work and brilliant organisation which ensured that this Anniversary Kilve weekend was a weekend to remember! 

John Adey (English Player) 

Kilve Residential Weekend – Anglo Concertina Playing ‘The Irish Way’ with Mick Bramich

 

The Anglo concertina players, attending Mick Bramich’s tutorials, do not normally play Irish tunes in the ‘Irish Way’ found that they were to start learning to play again.  Mick had a lot of patience to deliver the tunes, as did the group, who proved to themselves that with dedicated practice they could play in a different way to that they had been used to.  The weekend proved to be a rare opportunity to explore the Irish method of playing, giving an open door to explore the many tunes in the Irish tradition.       

Thank you Mick. 

Mike Long  (Anglo Player) 

Kilve March 2008 – a Duettist's view, by Paul MacCann

 

The days when 2 or 3 duet players gathered darkly and mysteriously in a smoke-filled room are long gone, so the first evening of the WCCP's 25^th Spring weekend found a dozen or so of us being given our Friday night workout by the dark and mysterious Iris Bishop. 

 

I had looked through the weekend's music book and thought "this doesn't look too bad".  Of course, I should have guessed!  Iris had brought along a whole other book specifically for the duet players, full of challenging music by all sorts of people from Souza to Dave Brubeck, to Charlie Chaplin, A.Non, and T.Rad.  All of the parts with all of the notes!  But, as is the way with Iris, somehow, we just seemed to find the notes, even when they weren't really there.  Well, some of us did!

 

An enjoyable bar session, ably hosted by Geoff Thorp, finished uncharacteristically early (i.e. we didn't even make 2 o'clock!), which had the advantage of leaving everyone fresher for Saturday, and the duet players more able to cope with the temperature fluctuations in the "tune room" (or 1960's temporary prefab room, as we like to call it).  PLEASE can we not always be banished out there – we ARE house-trained, you know.

 

After a lot of hard work, we broke for Saturday dinner and a lovely concert from the tutors, Sandra Kerr, Iris, and Mick Bramich, plus a delightful spot from the "Junction 25" concertina band under Claire Wren (well, not literally, obviously).  Then another great (and somewhat later) session, and all too suddenly it was Sunday, time for showcases, cream teas, and tearful farewells (O.K - I exaggerate slightly, but not about the cream teas).

 

Highlights?  I've been coming to Kilve for 15 years now, and I still get goose-bumps of anticipation when I come over the hill on the A39 and see the place for the first time; Iris's easy assumption that somehow we'd just pick up all these tunes (actually we did better than we could ever have expected, thanks to her teaching and encouragement); the favourite songs and tunes in the sessions, and young Cat behind the bar "doing battle with the prawn"; the food, especially the chicken curry; the cakes, the company etc   May the next 25 years be as much fun!

August 15th, 2008
The October weekend went extremely well and workshops were well attended and enjoyed. The tutors concert on Saturday was appreciated—it does us all good to have a goal!

The committee had agreed that the absolute beginners who attended the October Kilve would be given a copy of the Frank Butler tutor book. We hope this will encourage beginners to progress at home and follow it up at Ruishton or the next Kilve weekend. This way beginners can come prepared with questions or what assistance they require.

The weekend was organised by Esther Venn (general organisation—in other words everything except music and tutors) and Beryl Whitehead (all matters to do with music and tutoring). We should be very grateful for this and rememberthat Esther and Beryl and all other committee members do this work voluntarily.

It was as usual a great weekend and if you have never been to a Kilve Weekend, you are definitely missing a great experience!