The ‘concertina’ is a term used for the concertina family. Another bellows driven, free reed instrument, the concertina has several different systems to chose from, their keyboard layouts differ with some individual buttons which produce unisonoric (same) sounds and other systems which have individual buttons producing bisonoric (two) sounds on the pull and push of the bellows.
Thankfully two East Anglian respected players and tutors, Sally Barrett (English Concertina) and Roger Digby (Anglo Concertina) have kindly helped to demystify their chosen instrument. In addition, musician, tutor and researcher Mary Humphreys has also added an article about her playing English Concertina for Molly Dancing.
Sally Barrett – The English Concertina
Mary Humphreys -Playing for Molly Dancing
Roger Digby – The Anglo Concertina
Resources
An excellent forum for concertina players and wannabe players is concertina.net. It’s an excellent resource to head for in the first instance.
Makers
Mentioned in Sally and Roger’s articles are makers Wheatstone. The home of Wheatstone is now Stowmarket in Suffolk – Steve Dickinson is the man behind the C Wheatstone & Co. As well as providers of concertinas, they are also repairers and restorers of concertinas.
(Steve and wife Mary also run the Suffolk based Everyman Folk Club.)
Other makers include Colin & John Dipper.
Stockists
Barleycorn Concertinas are a large supplier of concertinas.
Repairers/Restorers in East Anglia
Mike Acott is a Suffolk based restorer and can be found via concertina.net. David Robertson is a restorer based in Norwich and Martyn White based in Essex will consider concertina restoration and sale.
Anglo concertina – try before you buy
EATMT has a Duet Maccann Concertina and several Anglo concertinas for hire for a very reasonable £10 per month. See our HIRE page for more details. Squeezeast Concertinas also have a wide selection of tutor instruments available for hire and both organisations are able to put a keen learner in touch with a willing teacher.
Shakespeare Concertina (English) for sale (July 2021)
Rare English concertina made by T. Shakespeare, London
6-fold bellows; metal-ended with 48 metal buttons.
Reconditioned by Mike Acott. For more details, please enquire at EATMT.