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Category: World Concertina Day
World Concertina Day 2023 – save the date!
The second annual World Concertina Day, sponsored by the ICA, will be on February 6, 2023, the anniversary of the birth of Sir Charles Wheatstone. Since that date falls on a Monday, we will also encourage activities on the weekend of February 4 and 5. Details coming later! You can always contact the World Concertina Day team at wcd@concertina.org.
World Concertina Day events
Lots of events starting on or near February 6, 2022, with more being added every day! Details here.
Eastern North American Online Concertina Concert
In addition to the Eastern North American Online Concertina Concert (ENAOCC) that has been put together, Randy Stein has working with some bandmates on a project to video their performances. He decided to expand the project to include additional selections of jazz, classical, traditional, and popular standards which he had arranged for solo English Concertina.
All to be seen on World Concertina Day 6 February 2022 starting at Noon EST/5.00PM GMT.
Read more…World Concertina Day International Concert
The Chiltinas
The Chiltinas held their inaugural meeting in Maulden, Bedfordshire (about 50 miles north of London, UK) on 23rd February 1997. Some 16 concertina players, mostly English concertina players, from the local area arrived not really knowing what to expect. We were crammed into Geoff Thorp’s garden room, the so-called “Clubhouse”, which conveniently had a small bar.
We discussed how we came to play the concertina and the music we enjoyed, and played some tunes.
It was decided that the group should be called the Chiltern Concertina Group named after the local Chiltern Hills that run through the counties of Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire but soon became known as the Chiltinas.
It was decided to meet once a month at Geoff’s house, but it was not long before the group outgrew Geoff’s Clubhouse, so the venue was changed to the Maulden Church Hall, where we have been ever since.
One of the delights of that first meeting was the beautiful cake baked by Geoff’s wife Carol, which became a fixture for our meetings even when we moved to the Church Hall.
At the beginning there were very few concertina groups in this part of the country and some members drove considerable distances to play with us (two hours or more). As more groups started up these long-distance members joined or started other groups closer to their home and the Chiltina membership dwindled, sometimes only having six members turn up. The group was in decline and at one point to such an extent that we decided we had to try to actively recruit new non-players or disband. Happily, the group was able to attract some non-players and was able to hand out loaner instruments and teach them from scratch.
We also attracted some Anglo players who under the tutelage of John Warren learnt to play and developed their technique, so we now have up to 20 members coming regularly.
With Covid restrictions coming into force in 2020, access to the Church Hall was closed so it was decided to have two-weekly Zoom sessions, which attracted other players from around the country and even from abroad.
When life returns to normality, Zoom sessions will continue once a month, offset from the meetings in Maulden by two weeks.
The group will be celebrating its 25th anniversary, brought forward to coincide with World Concertina Day. We hope to see both Carol, and Geoff’s son Howard, on the day.
Geoff sadly passed away in 2015 and Carol moved south to be closer to her daughter, but the Club continues to thrive, which I am sure Geoff would be chuffed to bits with.
If you are interested in hearing more of the Chiltinas, contact Martin Henshaw.
Martin Henshaw (Chiltinas)
6th February 2022