North Staffs Accordion Club Newsletter - home

North Staffs Accordion
Club
Newsletter
April 2012
No 417
Hi Everyone
I hope that you all have a very
The North Staffs Accordion Club
welcomes all accordion enthusiasts playing or non-playing.
We hold a ‘Clubnite’ at Holditch Miner’s Welfare Club, Chesterton
at 8 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month
where entertainment is provided by club members or guest artists.
The venue also hosts a band rehearsal all other Tuesdays
and a beginners’ class every Monday at 7.30 pm.
Phone 01782 823668.
I wonder if they noticed
that I missed out
the second
movement ??
‘Not another unfinished
symphony….!’
March Clubnite
The March clubnite was
well attended and we
were looking forward to
welcoming Roy Hendrie
to Holditch for the first
time. Roy is a popular
artist at festivals, comes
from Troon in Scotland
and leads a Ceilidh band there called Oran Mor. He also represents Limex,
the Austrian electronics company specialising in Midi and sound systems for
the accordion ,which turned out to be of great interest to some of our members.
First of all the members formed the usual circle for the playalong music. We
were lucky to have Geoff Millward on drums and he soon got the circle swinging, introducing Latin and
other dance rhythms to the music.
Roy then took the floor and beginning with a couple of reels he soon got the audience warmed up. There
was a lot of variety in his music with numbers like Moonlight Serenade, American Patrol, Cradle Song,
some Irish waltzes, the odd Latin or two, marches and couple of Italian pieces, O Sole Mio and Arrivederci
Roma. He certainly made good use of all of the effects from the Limex system and I was quite fascinated
by the drumming sounds from his accordion and asked him about it during the break. I said that I
wondered if he was doing it all himself (which I found hard to believe) or had his accordion got backing
tapes in it. He assured me that he was in fact doing everything and showed me how the drumming effect
worked with the Stradella buttons. Many members came forward to talk to him and find out about the
system and some had a go themselves.
After the break, Derek Wilton, with his mouth organ, played a George Formby medley, and With a Little
bit of Blooming Luck from My Fair Lady.
Roy then returned for his second set. He played a waltz, a couple of jigs and two Scottish marches. He then
changed the mood and played Wonderful Tonight, written and made famous by Eric Clapton. At the end
of the evening the audience demanded more and we then got two or three encores. Finally they reluctantly
let him finish and judging by their applause they had obviously all enjoyed the music of Roy Hendrie.
Geoff Hangs up the Baton
Finally, Geoff Millward has completed his last engagement as conductor of the band with the Woore
concert (see below) and ends many years as our conductor. He is handing over the reins to Steve
Houghton. Steve led the Accordion 1 section in the band for some time and has already made a brilliant

start as our new conductor in practice. Luckily for the club Geoff will still be heavily
involved in the very valuable Monday improvers’ group which he pioneered and in
which he finds much pleasure.
On Tuesday 17 th April, the next clubnite, we would like to mark the occasion with a
farewell to him and hope that as many of you as possible will come along to make it an
enjoyable night. It is a members’ night and so there will be plenty of opportunity for
personal playing and possibly a few more pieces of music for the circle.
Band Fundraiser at Woore
On Thursday March 22 nd , the band performed at St.
Leonard’s Church in Woore at a concert organized for
church restoration funds. It is a beautiful church, but the band
had problems as we were very strung out and found difficulty
hearing each other. However, it all came together very well
and the audience were most welcoming and enthusiastic and
showed that they were thoroughly enjoying themselves.
At the break there was a wonderful cheese and salad buffet
with wine or tea and everyone tucked in. The second session
found the audience singing and at the end of the evening many
expressed their appreciation. In his concluding remarks, the
vicar declared that listening to an accordion band had been a wonderful learning experience for him and it
had given him a new perspective on the accordion and its versatility.
Heather in the Spot light
continued from last month.
A big thanks to Heather for her contribution to our newsletter.
A Charity Concert with Folking About
The Irish music group, Folking About, featuring Mike Richards, is
to play at a charity concert, with pea & pie supper, on 27th April.
The venue is St Thomas Moore Catholic College, Longton Hall
Road, Longton, ST3 2NJ and the tickets are £5.00. If you would
like to go please ring Mike on 01782642101 or email him at
mikerichardsassoc@tiscali.co.uk
7 What is the funniest accordion related thing that you have experienced?
I cannot recall a funny accordion related thing, but I remember very well an
episode when I was 14 years old. Hughie Green presented a Saturday
Spectacular TV show called ‘Atlantic Showboat’ which was filmed onboard
the Empress of Britain, sailing from Britain to Canada. He invited me to
perform on this show and my spot was to be filmed whilst the liner was
docked at Liverpool prior to the voyage. On the day of filming, I was sat in
the lounge with my mother and father ‘waiting my turn’. It was a long wait
and during the day we were well catered for, with snacks and coffee. It was
2 o’clock in the morning and it was my turn, but the film crew were rather
concerned I would be too tired. Several pairs of eyes looked into mine, but
because of the amount of coffee that I’d drunk, they were still sparkling, so they decided I’d be OK for
filming. Everything went well and the piece Hughie Green had asked me to play,’ Dance of the
Comedians’ from the Bartered Bride by Smetana (arr. by Charles Magnante) was ‘in the can’.
8 I understand your home is not far off zoo status. Is this true?
My home a zoo? Well I suppose it used to be a bit crowded with animals but now I have just one dog,
four rabbits, some Zebra finches in an outdoor aviary and some rather large ghost carp in my pond. I love
to keep chickens for free range eggs but with foxes roaming the neighbourhood, it’s not wise. Several

years ago I had six cats, two dogs, a Saanan Billy goat, about 20 geese, two ducks and dozens of chickens
(I had a small holding!!!) and two sheep.
9 I’m sure you enjoy putting on festivals. But lots of hard work. Tell us about it. Are you able to relax
and enjoy the events when they come?
When I first started organizing the festivals, although I’ve always enjoyed doing this, I found it very
difficult to relax during the event. After all the hard work beforehand, you just hope it will all come
together and be a success. After all these years I’m beginning to relax more and enjoy it!!
10 Could you tell us about your accordions and why you chose them.
My accordions, well I have quite a few so I won’t mention them all, but my all
time favourite is my Settimio Soprani Artist VI which was made in the late 50s
and played by Gervasio Marcosignori. I played this instrument when I won the
British Championship and came second in the Junior World Championship. For
several years I had just this one, then when the Cordovox was introduced I
ordered one in 1970, a CG5 model and had to wait 3 months after ordering it
because I wanted a straight tuned double cassotto instrument with handmade
reeds, whereas the popular model was a musette tuned instrument.
It came with a large amplifier and I also ordered a matching Leslie speaker. The
instrument was a wonderful Scandalli accordion and the electronics produced a
fantastic organ sound, very much like a Hammond organ. I still have the accordion but it is now fitted
with midi, although I have kept the amp and Leslie. In the 90s I decided to also have a musette tuned
accordion. After having one or two, about 15 years ago I had one custom made by Mengascini, and had
mics and midi fitted (photo in January 2012 AccPro). I really wanted a five voice instrument which could
be played as a straight tuned instrument or musette. The problem was they were larger and heavier than
the normal four voice, but the first year I invited Giancarlo Caporilli to Pakefield (2002) and saw and
heard his Vignoni Compact Bach, I knew I’d found the accordion I was looking for. The following year
during my annual trip to Castelfidardo, I went to see Giancarlo Vignoni and there was my next accordion
sitting on a shelf. It was waiting for me!!!!
On another visit to the ‘accordion capital’ I popped into Musictech to see Claudio Sabbatini and he
introduced me to his latest development, a digital accordion. Having previously decided I didn’t like these
new fangled digital things (I’d tried one or two other makes), just to humour
him I strapped the accordion on and played it, and I couldn’t believe how I
actually enjoyed making music with it. The instrument is made by Vignoni
and Claudio puts all his digital bits and pieces in. And what happened? I
bought it and I’ve never regretted owning one. It’s an interesting creative
accordion, all pre-programmed so you can plug in and play and as I’m now
discovering, by plugging into an expander, you have twice the fun!!!
11 Tell us about your travels.
Although I’ve toured California and Mexico, my travels have been centred
around the accordion and Castelfidardo for quite a number of years, but in my competitive days I
travelled to Germany and Austria, not forgetting the numerous trips to London (St Pancras Town Hall)
and Glasgow. I look forward to Castelfidardo in September 2012!!
Kimmo Pohjonen- Accordion Wrestling.
On Wednesday June 6 th , The Royal Northern College of Music,
Manchester presents a very novel attraction. Music, film and
wrestling combine for this sport and arts experience featuring the
sonic power of Finnish Kimmo Pohjonen’s accordion set against
the physical prowess of twelve champion wrestlers.
Accordion Wrestling takes a modern spin on the Finnish wrestling
tradition from the early to mid-1900s, when the accordion was used
as a musical accompaniment to wrestling matches. Here we see it
expanded into an innovative and entertaining physical theatre and

music performance with Finnish wrestling group Helsinki Nelson, members of the British Wrestling
Association and Finland’s leading creative production team.
Using the latest lighting and sound technology, Accordion Wrestling features film, music performance and
choreographed wrestling presented on a specially designed amplified wrestling mat and using surround
sound to dramatic effect. This is a pioneering sport and music production that you have the chance to catch
before it moves on to its residency at New York’s Lincoln Centre. What an opportunity!
Tickets are £15 with concessions available. Ring 0161 907 5555 to book
‘Finland may be a land without Elvis……but it is a land with Limmo Pohjonen’. Wire.
German Accordion Band to visit Crewe
Two years ago, Crewe Brass, a brass band based in Crewe, made a trip to
Crewe's German twin town of Bischofsheim where they headlined the town's
music festival, sharing the stage with their accordion band.
This May the German accordion band is making a return trip and Crewe Brass
are hosting a joint concert on the evening of Saturday 5th May at St
Michael's Church, Ford Lane, Crewe, CW1 3TN at 7.30pm. Tickets are
priced at just £5 and are available from Merben Music in Crewe - contact
Jamie on 01270 582728.
The concert will feature the accordion band to showcase their talents, as well
as Crewe Brass and uniquely some joint pieces with the two groups. It would
be great if some of us from the accordion fraternity could go along to lend
support to our German counterparts as well as enjoying the wonderful Crewe
Brass and we are considering the possibility of a block booking for those of
our members who wish to go. The Bischofsheim band has confirmed that their
programme will feature a range of music from classical to swing so it should be a great evening!
For more information about the German accordion band (seen above without their accordions – possibly
safer when you’re climbing trees) you can visit their website on http://hhs-bischofsheim.de/ (although
obviously this is in German).
For more information about Crewe Brass you can visit www.crewebrass.co.uk
If you would like to book, get more information, or, if you have any questions, please ring 07837 595326
or you can ring me on 01782 823668.
Band Enter Competition at Newcastle Festival
On Saturday 17 th March our band went to St. John Fisher Catholic College having entered a band
competition at the Newcastle Music Festival. The college was full of bands but there were four in our
group and a room was set aside for us to get ready. Competing against us was The Cooperative Wind
Band, Hassell Street Jazz Guitar Group, and
Edenhurst Chamber Orchestra. We had to take no more
than 7 minutes to get settled and play and so we chose
Ken Farran’s lovely arrangement of Dvorak’s Largo
from The New World Symphony. This piece is slow and
emotional, with lots of dynamics, Phil using just the
cymbal, making setup easy but also very effective.
After all of the bands had played, the adjudicator gave us
some very encouraging feedback and declared that we had
come third. The feedback read as follows:
‘Loved the opening with its (picture of hairpins here). Most effective. Well controlled at such a slow
speed, and controlled in volume as well. Well done. You played together as a real team and you are a
tight ensemble. Such impressive climax when required. A very powerful sound when at your loudest –
but appropriate for the instrument and the arrangement. Super ending! Thank you. Most enthralling.’
Photo by John Plumb.

Karen Tweed’s Ladies Orchestra at Leek
Karen Tweed’s ladies accordion orchestra is appearing at St. Edward’s Church, Leek at
7.30pm on Saturday May 19 th as part of Leek Arts Festival. They are an all female group
of ten and they play anything from French musette to Irish set dance to tango – from
Edelweiss to Stevie Wonder – from Piazzolla to Paris. That’s obviously quite a varied
programme with something for everyone and should be very enjoyable. Admission is £8.00.
Diary
Every Monday 7.30pm Beginners/Improvers night at Holditch
Tuesdays other than 3rd Band rehearsal at Holditch
Every 3rd Tuesday of month Clubnite at Holditch
Tuesday April 17 th (clubnite) Members’ night at Holditch – Geoff’s Farewell
April 27 th to 29 th NAO UK Championships, Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool
May 13 th to 18th Accordions International, Norbreck Hotel, Blackpool
Saturday May 19 th Karen Tweed’s Ladies Orchestra, St. Edward’s
Church, Leek – (Leek Arts Festival)
Sat 14th July to Sat 21st July St. Audries Bay Accordion Week, Somerset.
July 17 th 2012 (clubnite) Steve Roxton & Jean Dauvin
Members’ Adverts
Accordion Tuition.
Pauline Hardwick Tel 01782 397248 Accordion and/or piano
Stefan Andrusyschyn Tel 07958261024 Accordion and/or piano
Mike Gibson Tel 01782 660865 Piano
Concertina teacher required. Ring Jean – Tel. 01782 866091
For Sale
Barcarole 120 bass accordion. Black, 3 treble couplers, 3 bass couplers, good condition, hard case. £220 Phone Janet
tel 01782 920668
Weltmeister 80 bass accordion. 5 treble couplers and 3 bass couplers. ‘Cordal’ in blue/silver. As new. £600 previously, but no
reasonable offer refused
Tel: Suzy 01782 504589 or 07779262703
Parrot accordion, 120 bass, Red, 7 treble couplers, 2 bass couplers, hard case, very good condition, £220. Tel 01782 823668
Hohner Atlantic IV DeLuxe accordion, black, 120 bass, 11 treble couplers, 3 bass, double octave straight tuning, highly
polished metal casing, case, £500.
Tel. 01543 276500 or email g.green604@btinternet.com
Roland FR3S V accordion, dark grey, full working order, with gig bag. 37treble keys, 120 bass, only 18lb 4oz! For full specs
go to http://www.roland.com/products/en/FR-3s/
Only selling as I have changed to button accordions. £1,150
Contact Johnathan on 01782 876306 or email johnathan.kemp@ntlworld.com
Wanted - a small light weight accordion – poss. a ladies model, musette tuned. Ring 01782 616482
President Brian Shufflebotham 01538 382610
Chairman Mike Richards 01782 642101
Secretary Shelagh Mayer 01782 783821
Treasurer Ann Millward 01782 638570
Committee
Aubrey Lowndes, Steve Hughes, Graham Hughes, Lily Lynch,
Graham Butler and Les Jackson
Web address - www.northstaffsaccordionclub.co.uk
Editor Lily Lynch email - accordions@northstaffsaccordionclub.co.uk