French melodeon workshop in St Albans, England

[Alison Macfarlane]

For people living in Southern England or passing this way on holiday:

As part of this year's St Albans Festival, we are having a day with
groups from our twin towns of Nevers in France, Worms in Germany and
Nyirghaza in Hungary. From Nevers, we have the group Achille, which
includes Frederic Paris, who is doing a melodeon workshop at 10 am
focussing on the dance music of central France, especially the Nivernais.
This may be of interest to players of other instruments. Then Achille are
playing for a dnace workshop at 12 noon and are heading the bill in the
open air concert which starts at 3pm.

The early timings are to avoid clashing with a certain international
ritual in St Denis, France. For people who don't need to watch the world
cup final, we have a pub session at the same time!

If you would like a copy of the full details of our festival, please let
me know and I will send you the leaflet when it is printed.

Alison Macfarlane

Alison Macfarlane
40 Warwick Road
St Albans
Herts AL1 4DL
England

Tel/fax (44) (0)1727 852111

Email at work Alison.M...@perinat.ox.ac.uk

[Alison Macfarlane]

Sorry, I left out the date, July 12 1998

The whole festival is July 1-12, with major events July 10-12.

[Chris Timson]

Alison Macfarlane <alison.macfarlane@perinatal-
epidemiology.oxford.ac.uk> writes

>As part of this year's St Albans Festival, we are having a day with
>groups from our twin towns of Nevers in France,

But the French melodeon's coming, of that there is no doubt.
I wonder when it gets here, will I still be about.
Will my elbows work the bellows, will my fingers all be thumbs
Will I still be fit to play it when the French melodeon comes.

Sung to the tune of Napoleon Bonaparte by the late, great Dave Houlden,
on the subject of the extended delay from order to arrival of his French
made melodeon. Sorry about that, but when I saw the subject line I just
couldn't resist.

Chris
--
Chris Timson Have concertinas, will travel
and Phone (UK) 01225 863762
Anne Gregson For our home pages and for the Concertina FAQ:
http://www.harbour.demon.co.uk/

[Chris Ryall]

Alison Macfarlane <alison.macfarlane@perinatal-

epidemiology.oxford.ac.uk> wrote:
>As part of this year's St Albans Festival, we are having a day with

>groups from our twin towns of Nevers in France, Worms in Germany and
>Nyirghaza in Hungary. From Nevers, we have the group Achille, which
>includes Frederic Paris, who is doing a melodeon workshop at 10 am
>focussing on the dance music of central France, especially the Nivernais.
>This may be of interest to players of other instruments. Then Achille are
>playing for a dnace workshop at 12 noon and are heading the bill in the
>open air concert which starts at 3pm.

Frédéric is a fabulous bubbly accordionist and and a very nice man too.
I understand the group also includes his brother Manu who plays strong
and often subversive Bournonais pipes in G and is an excellent teacher.
Is Manu going a workshop too? Also Dominic Forge who who some famous
tunes including the Schottiche "Sonsonet". Not seen him (Gurdy)

--
Chris Wirral Eurodance Trust. Bringing the best of Northern European
Ryall music and dance, accordion, bagpipe & hurdy-gurdy music to UK
Home page - http://www.cavendish.demon.co.uk/wirral.euro/

[Alison Macfarlane]

I am replying to the whole group as I have difficulty replying to Chris'
address.

The programme for Sunday July 12 has had to be brought forward to earlier
in the day, because of the world cup match at 8pm. So this is why we are
having Frederic's melodeon workshop at 10 am. We did think of other
musician's workshops, but we don't have alternative spaces to hold them in
and we chose melodeon as I run them twice a year and there is a nucleus of
people who are likely to turn up. The band does include Frederic's brother
manu and Dominic Forge. They will all be playing for a dance workshop with
John Stewart at 12 noon, and then in the second half of the concert which
begins at 3pm. Our other guests, Volker Galle, a singer songwriter from
Worms and Gorice from Hungary don't play squeezeboxes. The Friday night
concert, July 10, features the Chipolata brothers, who include a melodeon
and the band for the Saturday night dance is the Committee Band, who play
24 instruments, some squeezable. As for us locals, we'll be squeezing,
blowing and scraping away for the whole period July 1-12 in between
staggering in to work to recuperate!

Alison Macfarlane