What are the musical traditions of East Anglia?
Traditional Music Day Melodeons & More Workshops, classes & schools Community Projects
Profiles of traditional musicians Research Jig Dolls Dulcimers Stepdancing
Resources Shop Links Press Room
Melodeons and More - photos of past events
Melodeon evening classes in Suffolk
Melodeons & More
This event started in March 2000, with 40 people attending a master class by Tony Hall during the day and a ceilidh with Old Hat in the evening. It has since expanded to include different levels and subjects, and from 2004 has also provided classes for concertina players. The event also provides a unique chance to browse amongst trade stalls and try out new instruments, buy books and accessories etc. In the evening the Squeezebox Special concert has now become a very popular event, featuring tutors from the workshops plus extra guests.
Do
you like what we do?
Now would be a really good time to show your support and join the Friends of
EATMT.
We’d like to encourage everyone who appreciates the work we do - whether it be this website, the events, the research and publications, the schools
and community projects, the exhibitions, the workshops and classes ... to join the Friends of EATMT and support our work into the future.
If you sing or listen to a local song, play or hear a local tune, dance or watch
or stepdancing, at least part of that is probably down to the work of EATMT,
which has been working to keep our local traditions alive and kicking into the
twenty first century. If you receive a printed copy or an email version of this
newsletter, it’s down to the hard work of our part-time staff and volunteers -
and the same goes if you are reading this on the website now!
We are a small organisation but with a serious reputation for delivering
professional projects and “punching above our weight”. We became a
registered charity in 2000 and are governed by a board of trustees. The membership fee is still £10 per year and hasn’t changed since we founded
the Friends more than eight years ago. Donations are always very welcome, a Gift Aid declaration helps it go even further, and we also welcome
longer-term enquiries about legacies etc.
Please visit our
membership page to download a form. Thank you.
Saturday 24th March 2012
Booking & Payment Details
We don't take credit or debit cards - again to save administrative fees - and so you will need to pay by wheque, or, if you have an internet bank account, you can pay by electronic transfer - give us a ring or email for our bank details to facilitate this.
Classes are labelled
with suitable levels. The vast majority of you consider yourselves to be
Intermediate, so you have plenty of choice! If you’re not very experienced, look
for classes
labelled Beginners/Intermediate: you will be able to participate in the class
and also take away ideas to work on over the ensuing months.
Intermediate/Experienced classes assume a good
grasp of basic techniques, and the ability to play in common keys and rhythms.
These classes will also provide some challenges for more advanced players who
are interested in exploring trickier aspects of the music and instrument.
Absolute beginners have probably never tried the instrument in question before
and teaching will literally start with “which way is up”. For these two classes
only, instruments are provided (you can bring your own instrument, but it needs
to be a C melodeon or a C/G anglo concertina).
Workshops vary in
style, but all classes include demonstration and participation, and are largely
taught by ear in the class itself. Written music is provided by some tutors,
where
appropriate, and we send out recordings and notes about a month in advance. (Not
8 or 16).
Most workshops are
instrument-specific, but one or two are open to players of melodeons and
concertinas. The concertina-only workshops (5 & 13) are for players of any
system;
for anglo players they will work best in D/G but G/C will be accommodated too.
The day
runs from 9.45 to 5.30. Workshops run 10.30-12.15 and 2.15-4.00, with an
informal workshop showcase from 4.30-5.30. Over the lunch break you can take a
stroll, have a
dance or a play at the “scratch” ceilidh, play in a session or browse the
stalls.
There will be a chance to browse amongst specialist suppliers of instruments, recordings and books at the Music Market, which is open until 4.45. If you’re not attending workshops but would like to look at the stalls, you are welcome from 10.45 onwards.
Stalls include:
Veteran - CDs, cassettes, videos and books; Rees Wesson of Wesson
Accordions; Dave Jolly of
Jollybox - instrument sales and repairs and Pete Grassby, The Melodeon
Repairer - who also sells second-hand instruments; Hedingham Fair -
books, cards, t-shirts.
Every year this concert reveals a truly amazing variety of styles, tunes and songs, and the 2012 line up looks like an Olympian line-up of squeezebox players! Come and relax after a hard day in the workshops or just join us for a good evening’s entertainment.
The concert starts at 8pm (doors open 7.30pm) and features Ed Rennie, Matt
Quinn, Issy Emeney, Alex Goldsmith and Gavin and Julie Atkin.
There’s a real ale bar
and tickets for the concert only are available at £13.00 or, for concessions
(Friends of EATMT / OAPs /students /unemployed) it’s just £11.00, so why not
bring your friends and family?
The event is once again held in the village of Mendlesham, five miles from Stowmarket, where there is a rail station and bus links. The event takes place in the Community Centre & St. Joseph’s Centre and in the United Reform Church, both just across the road from the Community Centre. The post code for the Community Centre is IP14 5RT.
The Community Centre is fully equipped for wheelchair users. St Josephs Centre and the United Reform Church are accessible to wheelchair users but have no other facilities. Mendlesham has many historic buildings including two pubs and is known for its unique armoury, housed in the church. The village has a fish & chip shop and a shop with cash facilities.
If you need somewhere to stay locally, you can take a look at this accommodation list or contact Mid Suffolk Tourist Information: ring 01449 676800 or email tic@midsuffolk.gov.uk
Refreshments are provided during the day, and lunch may be booked in advance (see booking form). There will be a real ale bar open over lunchtime and during the evening concert. Details about early evening meals for workshop attenders who are staying on for the concert will be sent to you well before the event.
Saturday 24th March 2012
MORNING WORKSHOPS
1. (B/I) “The Ins
and Outs of Crossing the Rows”: Issy Emeney (D/G melodeon)
How and why, and when to
use it. We'll learn a simple tune using this technique and compare it with a
single row style.
2. (B/I) “Extending your English Repertoire”: Matt Quinn (D/G melodeon) -
1 space left (27.1.12)
Some uncommon yet simple tunes and how to play them in a bouncy English style.
3. (B/I) “Nice up the Dance”: Ed Rennie (D/G melodeon)
Make ‘em dance, make ‘em dance! Bending people to your will
through the power of your music. A look at technique and tired tune revival.
4. (B/I/E) “Adding Life to Your Music”: Martyn White (any system concertina)
Exploring chording, decorations and phrasing to give your tunes a bit of pzazz!
5. (I/E) “Tunes with Space”: Gavin Atkin (any concertina or melodeon, G and
D)
Developing your style with waltzes and schottisches.
6. (I/E) “Tunes from the Book”: Rees Wesson (D/G melodeon)
Some good old East Anglian tunes from the EATMT book “Before the Night was Out”
7. (I/E) “Bass End Rules OK!”: Alex Goldsmith (D/G melodeon)
FULLY BOOKED (10.1.12)
On a 2 row D/G
arguably the bass end can be more important than the right. Find out what to do
with left hand bass progressions, how and why the left hand dictates the right
and explore alternatives to your music.
8. Absolute beginners
anglo-concertina: Steve Dumpleton (instrument
provided)
AFTERNOON WORKSHOPS
9. (B/I) “Right Hand Chords”: Issy Emeney (D/G melodeon)
FULLY BOOKED (16.1.12)
It’s a piece of cake, sounds great, and everyone should do it!
We'll also explore the basic and
some of the not so basic left hand chords.
10. (B/I) “Music Theory for Melodeons”: Alex Goldsmith (D/G melodeon)
Music notation can be
daunting at times but in this workshop we'll strip the music back to basic's and
explore how music notation translates to the melodeon. We'll look at the
fundamentals of music theory, giving you confidence to go away and try that
manuscript book that in the past just didn't make sense.
11.
(B/I) “Learning by Ear”: Katie Howson (any concertina or melodeon, G and D)
FULLY BOOKED (5.1.12)
How to listen in a different way and learn tunes in sessions and from
recordings.
12. (B/I/E) “Private Parts and Major Chords”: Gavin Atkin (any system
concertina)
Playing in parts using music from a variety of sources and styles.
13. (I/E) “French-Canadian Reels” Matt Quinn (D one-row or D/G melodeon)
Expand your repertoire and skills, working in three different keys on one row.
14. (I/E) “A Minor Incident”: Ed Rennie (D/G melodeon)
Let’s
off road! Taking the D/G melodeon into uncharted territory and play in a moody
(maybe even downright creepy!) way and make the bass end follow. Develop your
skills and confidence in playing in minor keys.
15. (I/E) “ A Little Bit of Scandinavia ...”: Dave Jolly (D/G melodeon) -
only a few spaces left (27.1.12)
Learn
some lovely tunes using cross-row fingering.
16. Absolute beginners
melodeon: Steve Dumpleton (instrument provided)
Please note that if you have received a yellow leaflet through the mail, workshops 8 and 16 should be swapped (i.e. absolute beginners' anglo-concertina is in the morning and absolute beginners' melodeon in the afternoon). The information given here is correct.
Click here for a printable booking form
Click here for details of accommodation in the vicinity
Workshops are about far more than just learning a new tune or two, and our team of regular and guest tutors are all fine musicians with much to share with you.
Ed Rennie (right)
(“Nice up the Dance” & “A
Minor Incident” )
Ed was last with us in 2007 and many people
asked us to invite him back ... so here he is!
Ed led the Bismarcks ceilidh band and hasplayed for morris for many years, and since his
move to Devon, now plays with The Dartmoor
Pixies and runs the Devon Squeezebox
Foundation.
He teaches individuals and groups as well asdoing festival workshops and community
projects.
Click here for Ed's Youtube channel "Hohnerous"
Click here for Ed's dance band A New Vintage
Click here to find out more about the Devon Squeezebox Foundation
Issy Emeney (left)
(“The Ins and Outs of Crossing the Rows” & “Right Hand Chords”)
Born in Suffolk, Issy was inspired to take up the melodeon by the playing
of the legendary Tony Hall and is renowned for her lyrical and sensitive musical
style.
She works with husband David and cellist Kate Riaz, performing much self-penned
material.
She has been teaching melodeon for a number of years and has been known to
inspire people herself!
Click here for Issy's website.
Alex Goldsmith (right)
(“Bass End Rules, OK!” & “Music Theory for
Melodeons” )
Alex lives in Suffolk, where he plays and teaches, after
spending several years touring with the phenomenally
successful band Mawkin:Causley.
He attended the very first EATMT melodeon day in 2000,
taught his first workshop for us in 2010 and we’re very
pleased to have him back!
Matt Quinn (left)
(“Extending your English Repertoire”& “French-Canadian Reels”)
Matt is a remarkable young melodeon player, already master of several musical
styles and various squeezeboxes.
He was brought up with English traditional music, is presently studying
on the Folk & Traditional Music Degree at Newcastle University.
Matt plays with Dogan Mehmet and the Deerhunters as well as leading
ceilidh band The New Slide.
Click here for Matt's website.
Katie Howson (right)
(“Learning by Ear”)
Katie is director of the Melodeons and More event and plays
(with dance bands Katie’s Quartet and Polkaworks) and teaches
all over the country.
She is a passionate advocate of playing by ear, but understands
the difficulties in trying to pick up tunes this way when you’re
not used to it.
Gavin Atkin (left)
(“Tunes with Space” & “Private Parts and Major Chords”)
Gavin is a great enthusiast for traditional and old fashioned music
and plays a wide range of instruments, including Jeffries duet
concertina, melodeon and fiddle.
Gavin is a member of the well-known band Florida,
accompanies singer Julie Atkin (his wife!) and runs
regular traditional music classes near his home in Kent.
Dave Jolly (right)
(“A Little Bit of Scandinavia”)
Dave has been playing for nearly 40 years and has played all over the UK and
Europe with bands Stocai and Asha, as well as solo gigs.
He was due to teach here last year, but never made it, so we’re keeping our
fingers crossed this time!
Rees Wesson (left)
(“Tunes from the Book”)
Rees has worked with us for many years, and always comes up
with something interesting!
Despite being a Welshman he has a lovely East Anglian style with
influences from his other interests such as Cajun.
He decided to offer this class after hearing very few East Anglian
tunes in a session in Suffolk recently!
Rees builds & produces one-row melodeons.
Click here for his website.
Martyn White (right)
("Adding Life to your Music")
Maybe a new name but a familiar face to
some of you!
Martyn is from Essex and has been playing
melodeon and anglo concertina for over 30
years and is currently bandmaster for
Chelmsford Morris.
He also repairs, tunes and lovingly restores
vintage squeezeboxes.
Steve Dumpleton (left)
(Absolute Beginners melodeon and anglo-concertina)
Steve (another one born in Suffolk!) is a popular regular tutor at Melodeons
and More and has lots of experience (and success!) at starting people off
on both melodeon and concertina.
Click here for a printable booking form
Click here for details of accommodation in the vicinity
Once again we had a great line-up of tutors and concert guests
providing a wide choice of workshops, this year with a focus on music from
Lincolnshire and the Fens, and for the first time
we had two workshops for mouthorgan players.
Well it had to happen one year - at 9am came the panic phone call “I’ve broken down” from one of our tutors. It was Dave Jolly, a regular stallholder at our annual Melodeons and More event, who was due to run an afternoon workshop on French music this year. Although he actually wasn’t far from Mendlesham, he would have struggled to get here. By an absolutely amazing stroke of good luck, Richard Overton had called in during the morning without any commitments, and was able to take over the class at only four hours notice! Dave got his car sorted and was able to make his evening gig elsewhere, so although it was a mighty disappointment, all was not completely lost.
Apart from this last minute hitch, the rest of the day went well, and was a
lively and inspiring event for those who attended classes, dropped into the
music market, or came to the Squeezebox Special concert. A personal highlight
was the extraordinarily good playing from the workshop participants in the
afternoon showcase, including a group of harmonica players playing for their
tutor to dance to - fabulous! As ever there were plenty of suggestions from
participants and lots of positive comments:
“Masses to think about!”
“Inspiration”
“More confidence to experiment”
“Group support”
“New ideas to improve my playing”
“Many ideas and a greater understanding of the instrument”
“Lots of pleasure and satisfaction”.
The highlight of the evening concert, for many people, was young harmonica
player Will Pound. The rest of the world had to make do with seeing him on
television that night (in BBC2's series "Goldie's band: By Royal Appointment" where he worked with
Goldie and Cerys Matthews amongst other musical mentors) but the audience in
Mendlesham were the only ones seeing him live!
In 2011, Melodeons and More was followed on Sunday 27th March by our second Melodeon Maintenance Day - a practical day led by Theo Gibb and Rees Wesson.
We are proud to lead the way in melodeon skills yet again, by hosting the first ever workshop days for melodeon players to learn about maintaining their instruments. The first such event was held in March 2009.
The next one is on Sunday 27th March 2011, and will be led by experienced repairers Rees Wesson and Theo Gibb who ran the first one together for us, and who have both worked with us on our Melodeon-Makers courses over the last three years.
During the day, there will be a mixture of
demonstrations and practical work, with the aim of help participants to identify
and evaluate problems and learn some of the recommended methods for maintenance
and repairs, including tuning.
Click here for
full details and a printable booking form.
In March 2007, we were proud to be able to offer a unique opportunity in the UK. Eight people joined a course taught by French instrument-maker and musician, Emmanuel Pariselle, to make their own high-quality one row melodeon. The course ran again in October 2008 and April 2010. This course has now gained an international reputation, and places are highly sought after. We do not have a date for another one yet, however, you are welcome to email us and state your interest, as we aim to continue providing these courses in the future.
Click here for further details.
Melodeons and More - photos of past events
EATMT resident photographer John Halliday has posted a set of photos on Facebook, which anyone can access by clicking here. Videos of several of the workshops playing for the afternoon showcase have been posted by one of the course participants on Youtube - follow this link and you will find several examples (not always labelled very accurately!)
To see photos from previous events on Facebook, you can click on the following links: Photographs of Melodeons and More 2009, Melodeons and More 2007.
We run regular evening classes in Stowmarket, in the centre of Suffolk - at present they run on Tuesday evenings and we are catering for beginners/improvers and intermediate levels. Click here for details of the current courses.
Home News Diary of events About EATMT Friends of EATMT
What are the musical traditions of East Anglia?
Traditional Music Day Melodeons & More Workshops, classes & schools Community Projects
Profiles of traditional musicians Research Jig Dolls Dulcimers Stepdancing