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Accordionist Sammie Catling - Hot News!
Feb., 16, 2012
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Sammie Catling is an amazing Accordionist & Teacher based in Wimborne, Dorset. Available for gigs of any type, situation or musical style.
She has also just set up a new business selling Squeezy products!
Watch this space for further information!!
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Morley - Free Lunchtime Christmas Concert
Feb., 16, 2012
 Morley College Accordion Orchestra - Free Lunchtime Concert.
All are welcome to our December Lunchtime concert.
13th December at 1.00pm
Please bring a friend with you!
Seasons Greetings,
Neil Sanders.
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West Sussex Accordion Club - Christmas Party Meeting - 17th December 2011
Feb., 16, 2012
The West Sussex Accordion Club Christmas Meeting. Saturday 17th December 2011 - 1.30/4.30pm
The Youth Centre,
St Andrew Church,
Cants Lane, Burgess Hill
West Sussex
RH15 OLG
All players & guests are very welcome! 1.30pm to 4.30pm This will be our Christmas meeting and will include our normal usic plus festive tunes. Please bring along your own nibbles and drinks. A Fun - Festive Atmosphere is Guaranteed!
Information:- Sue Bennett
(Accordion Teacher & Performer) 01444 239656
07800 637906
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John Jones M.B.E.
Jan., 17, 2012
 John Jones M.B.E. Stockport Accordion Club's John Jones has been awarded the MBE in the New Year's Honours List 'For charitable services'. John's award is very well deserved and not before time. He has spent much of the last 20 years playing for charities in Macclesfield General Hospital and other locations, and has to date raised over £200,000 for the East Cheshire Hospice, Macclesfield Hospital Scanner Appeal, Macmillan Nurses, and many others. In the process of his long term fund raising John has also proved to be a great ambassador for the accordion, entertaining countless members of the public with his music.
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Ripley Accordion Orchestra Day 2011 - November 19th - UPDATE
Oct., 14, 2011
. Super Orchestra Day - Ripley Surrey - Saturday 19th November 2011 Ripley Accordion Orchestra Day 2011 - November 19th - UPDATE Dear Accordionists,
Just writing with an update regarding the Accordion Orchestra Day at Ripley Village Hall, Surrey in November. We have had a great response and will have a huge orchestra on the day!
Our 'Super Orchestra' will be supported in the evening concert by performances from:- Watford Accordion Band (MD Shona Holmes), Tillingbourne Accordion Orchestra (MD Phil Wheeler) and Morley Accordion Orchestra.
There are only 16 places left in the massed orchestra, so if you'd like to come, or know someone who does, then get the application in soon!
It's a very inclusive day and there will plenty of help on hand for those not used to playing in a group.
or call Julie North on 0208 547 0515
Shortly before the event you will receive (in your self addressed envelope) more information about timings on the day and full directions.
If you are not able to attend during the day come and hear what promises to be a great evening concert - now including 2 West End drummers! The concert, also in Ripley Village Hall, will start prompt at 7:30pm - don't be late!
All best wishes Ian Watson.
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Petri Makkonen will be in the Midlands from 14th to 18th November 2011.
Oct., 14, 2011
Finnish accordion virtuoso and accordion composer Petri Makkonen will be in the Midlands from 14th to 18th November 2011. He will be playing at: Catshill Social Club, 13a Meadow Road, Catshill, nr. Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, B61 0JJ. Monday 14th November, 8pm. For more information please contact Poppy Middleton on (0121) 743 6637.The Crescent Theatre, Sheepcote Street, Birmingham, B16 8AE. Tuesday 15th November, 7.30 pm. For more information, please contact the Crescent Theatre on (0121) 653 5858.Barnt Green Friends Meeting House, 6 Sandhills Road, Barnt Green, Worcestershire, B45 8NR. Friday 18th November, 7.30pm.For more information, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .Petri Makkonen might still be available for bookings (not necessarily in the Midlands) on Thursday 17th or Saturday 19thNovember. To sample two sides of Petri Makkonen’s many-sided style, check YouTube for “Like Swans” and “Disco-Tango”… INTERVIEW PETRI MAKKONENFinnish accordion master Petri Makkonen is doing a mini-tour of the UK Midlands in November. We asked him a few questions in advance.Where did you learn to play the accordion? When I was 8 years old, my dad brought home a little piano accordion and I started to imitate familiar tunes my mother hummed to me. I soon started to play folk music. Accompanying a folk dance group was a super rhythm school for me, and the performances and trips abroad were exciting too. I lived in the countryside surrounded by nature and there wasn’t much else to do. One reason I started to write my own music is that I was too lazy to learn from sheet music by myself. When I was 14, I finally started regular button accordion lessons from Heidi Velamo at the Sibelius Academy junior department. It was hard to travel 500km by train to Helsinki once a fortnight, but it was worth it! Then I studied at the Sibelius Academy professional department under the great professor Matti Rantanen. But I’m still learning every day. What is your working life like? And your playing life? My main work is teaching around 30 pupils, mostly children at Kuopio Conservatoire and one professional student at the Kuopio Academy of Music and Dance. I give concerts, mostly of my own music. For many years I have also worked as a theatre musician, and I also play in some folk/rock/pop bands. And I compose. I have an agreement with my publisher to publish one book every spring and autumn. When I have time, I relax by playing The Well-Tempered Clavier by Bach from cover to cover…I understand that you have an accordion club circuit in Finland, similar to the one in England - could you comment on the phenomenon of the accordion club briefly please? Actually, accordion clubs are not common in Finland, but we do have one in Kuopio – the members tend to be older people. I think it’s a fine circuit for amateurs and for those who like accordion music but don’t play. I support the local club by playing at some concerts (together with my pupils) although I am not involved with the regular activities of the club. Some years ago we made a journey as a club to the Sata-Häme accordion festival in Ikaalinen, it was a great trip!Where do you see the future of the instrument and what are the most exciting developments on the accordion at the moment? The accordion is a great instrument for playing a variety of music. I think real music never dies, even though many children find it easier to play music on their phone or You Tube. Of course, the V-accordion is an exciting member of the modern accordion family – I have also played a V-accordion, but for me now the acoustic instrument is still the most flexible tool to express myself.Which musicians do you most admire and why? There are so many! It is so wonderful that in every musical style you can find super musicians who can express human feelings without technical difficulties getting in the way of the message. Some musicians have the talent of working hard, some have a warm heart, everybody has something to admire. If I must choose one, I choose J.S. Bach. You're a composer as well as a performer - what is the process of writing music like for you, and why do you do it? I am so happy I am not a real professional composer, I don’t have to compose for money. Mostly I compose for myself, to experience the amazing feeling of finding the shape of musical expression after hard work. (I think about the details night and day.) If somebody else likes to play my music, it is an extra pleasure for me, of course. One part of composing process is deciding on the titles! In almost every cas,e I first compose and then choose the title. For example I composed the suite Ghost Party with 12 parts in two weeks, but I thought about the titles for 12 months. But Tango-Toccata is a total exception: I put the title together from my pieces Disco-Toccata and Disco-Tango before I’d written a single note. Your style has elements of the modern European accordion sound, a bit of classical, a bit of folk, a bit of pop even - what do you think about musical style? That’s it: my style is a combination of many styles – because of the world I have lived in and where I live now. I can’t forget folk music to turn only to serious modern music, and I don’t want to, or the other way round, being accepted only by a certain group of people. The problem (perhaps for some people, although not for me) is that my music is sometimes difficult to pigeonhole to a particular genre or style. Does humour belong in music? Yes, of course!!! |
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Club Accord - October Newsletter
Oct., 14, 2011
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Several regulars were on holiday in September (and thinking back, this is the same every year). But some visitors came back, and we got 30 people together. Our thanks too to all those loyal members who have supported the club, time after time, for year after year. Our guest artist was well worth hearing. REG RAWLINGS came down from Southport with two unusual boxes and a fair bit of kit. Reg plays electronic accordion: I thought he was one of the most enjoyable electronic players that I've heard, for a few reasons. He knows his stuff on the instrument: he wasn't trying to impress us with flashy fingerwork the whole time (a lot of the tunes were mellow mid-tempo numbers), but the touch and detail was definitely there. He has a huge handspan, so he can find chords that most of us could only dream of. His arrangements are well put together. He controls the entire sound from his instrument and foot pedals (no backing tracks or midi files), which made the performance more musical. (There was none of the strange business where the player puts his hand in his pocket and the music carries on.) Most of all, with his company Total Transformation Technology, Reg has taken electronic accordion to a new level, taking new realistic samples (most famously the organ of the Blackpool Tower Ballroom) and blending them carefully on the keyboard. The effect goes far beyond the usual set of preset sounds. The night opened before most people had even arrived with a typically nice foot-tapping set from TONY TRENTHAM, including Bourbon Street Parade, Over the Rainbow, Out of Nowhere and On the Sunny Side of the Street. SIMON GARDNER dashed off Folkloristica and Heroes very confidently. Then, for the first half, REG RAWLINGS used an accordion with real musette reeds blended with his electronic sounds for an authentic warm feel. He started with a sophisticated and entertaining French medley, with lots of accents, dynamics, use of the couplers, etc. Then he started to show off his electronics with a James Last/Klaus Wunderlich medley including trumpets, big band sounds and even voices, on their own and combined. Next came the Blackpool Tower organ in a Glen Miller arrangement played in the style of Buddy Cole, with a surprisingly effective sax solo (considering it was on the accordion). A selection of waltzes including Are You Lonesome Tonight were played in a 40s dance band style with organ and piano with brass backing; then we got an old time selection including When You’re Smiling with a proper end of the pier feel, lots of up and down runs and some upbeat cymbals (I could see a few feet tapping during this one). Reg updated his sound with a proper disco beat for some ABBA tunes with his trademark wide chords. A kind of Donald Duck sound came in during this one (also entertaining, although I don’t remember it from ABBA Gold). The rumba medley used the electronic sounds brilliantly, starting on Hammond organ and dramatically bringing in electric guitar and harmonica, including note bending controlled from the foot pedals. Reg has a nice easy-going manner on stage as well. As you can tell, I enjoyed it, and it showed what electronics and the accordion could do in the right hands. In the break MERVYN PRICE continued the entertainment with I Could Have Danced All Night, and Brazil and INGRID GOULD got our guest artist swaying with Toby and My Florence. Then Reg started his second half, this time playing a box with no reeds at all. This took away some of the warmth of the sound but at the same time took us into a world of pure electronics which was effective in its own way. We got waltzes, pan pipes, a Star Trek / Star Wars arrangement with suitably space age sounds, acoustic guitar forFernando, honky tonk piano (12th Street Rag, Tiger Rag), some lush slow tunes (Besame Mucho, For Ever and Ever), a big band approach to Cabaret, an operatic voice singingFeed the Birds, a brave and successful attempt to answer the regular request at our club for a Welsh tune, and, now that the nights are drawing in and people go home earlier, Reg finished his second half with some Scottish reels. It was a very enjoyable performance which blended musical inventiveness with proper entertainment. So: October is a club night, on MONDAY OCTOBER 10th. For November we have our AGM and the up to date European sound of Petri Makkonen from Finland. We are hoping to confirm a guest artist for the Christmas meeting as well; I will let you know. For more information, please contact Poppy Middleton on (0121) 743 6637. CLUB ACCORD: Catshill Social Club, 13a Meadow Road, Catshill, nr. Bromsgrove, B61 0JJ:2nd Monday of the month: 7.30pm for 8pm
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Guildford Accordion Club - John Adams - Friday 17th June 2011
Oct., 14, 2011
 GUILDFORD ACCORDION CLUB FRIDAY 17th JUNE, 2011
WE ARE DELIGHTED TO PRESENT JOHN ADAMS
"EXCITING YOUNG ACCORDIONIST FROM BRIGHTON"
Talented and enthusiastic young player John Adams began learning the accordion at age 13 with Brighton Tutor,Teresa Hayward.Now a member of Horsham Accordion Band, John also plays regularly for social & charity events.
In 2010 he featured in several solo spots at the Brighton Dome, in a concert given by well known organist John Mann.
John’s musical repertoire is wide and varied with favourites including composers as diverse as Winifred Atwell and the accordion virtuoso,Pietro Frosini.
When not playing the accordion, John is training for a career in pipe-organ and keyboard restoration with Sussex based specialist,David Houlgate.
Ripley Village Hall - click here for driving directions!
Ripley Village Hall - Ripley, Surrey. GU23 6AF (Close to A3 from Junction 10 of M25).
Doors open at 7.00pm - Interval Tea & Coffee plus biscuits - Club Raffle.
Please bring along your accordions for our popular play along sessions.
Web: http://guildford-accordion-club.org.uk/
See video clip below:-.
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‘Piaf: The Songs’ On Tour – UK
Oct., 14, 2011
 . ‘Piaf: The Songs’ On Tour – UKContributed by Rob Howard‘Piaf: The Songs’ is a concert starring vocalist Eve Loiseau, whose lustrous French tone captures the essence of the Piaf performance in a dramatic musical tribute to the ‘Little Sparrow’, also featuring accordionist Eddy Jay and violinist Fiona Barrow.
Edith Piaf’s life was the stuff of legend, from Paris street urchin to international star, she has become synonymous with French Cabaret of the 1940s and 50s. Her life, however, was anything but ‘La Vie en Rose’, and perhaps more ‘Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien’.Tour dates:May 27th – The Met, Bury, Lancashire 28th - Playhouse, Norwich 30th – Playhouse, Nottingham 31st - International Arts Festival, SalisburyJune 2nd - New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth 3rd - St Donat’s Arts Centre, Llantwit Major 5th - Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry 16th - Borough Theatre, Abergavenny 17th - Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-On-Avon, Wiltshire 18th - Number 8, Pershore 19th, 8pm – Macclesfield Town Hall 30th – Ashbourne Town HallJuly 1st and 2nd - Tobacco Factory Theatre,Bristol 6th - Henley FestivalSeptember 2nd - The Brewery, Mintfest, Kendal 15th - Terry O’Toole Theatre, North Hykeham, Lincoln 17th - Old Town Hall Theatre, Hemel Hempstead 29th - Falkirk Town HallOctober 19th and 20th - Strode Theatre, Street, Glastonbury, Somerset 21st - The Mill, Banbury 28 - King’s School, Canterbury Festival 29th - Wyeside Arts Centre, Builth WellsNovember 9th - South Holland Centre, Spalding, Lincs 11th - The Courthouse, Otley 25th - Rosehill Theatre, Whitehaven 26th - The Rose Theatre, OrmskirkDecember 8th - The Apex, Bury St Edmunds 17th - Civic Hall, BarnsleyDates continue into 2012 and 2013, with many more to follow.For further information email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
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Accordionists - Charity Cycle Ride in memory of the late Ron Beecham.
Oct., 14, 2011
 Craig & Lloyd Beecham - please click here!
Dear friends and family,
It's been 3 years since Lloyd and I cycled from London to Paris in memory of our Dad.
We felt that to earn some more charitable pennies this year we would raise the stakes a bit.
So, this summer, we, along with 2 friends, Ian Hanley and Andy Sims, are going to attempt to ride the length and breadth of the country in aid of the Everyman Campaign to stamp out male cancer.
One man dies every hour from prostate cancer in the UK and testicular cancer is now the most common cancer in men between the ages of 15-44. Despite these alarming figures, awareness among men remains low and research in this area is severely under-funded. Everyman works to raise awareness and fund research into testicular and prostate cancer.
In May, we will be cycling from Lowestoft (the UK’s most easterly point) to St David's in Wales - the widest part of the UK. The aim is to complete the ride in four days, covering a total of 400 miles. However, the challenge doesn’t end there.
Five weeks later, we will take on the legendary Land’s End to John O’Groats cycle in eleven days, a ride totalling approx 1000 miles. We will be completing the two rides with little more than a van and a driver coming along for moral support.
We are looking to raise as much money as possible for a charity that is close to all of our hearts for intensely personal reasons.
If you would like to sponsor us, please visit: http://www.justgiving.com/foursorecorners
If you would like any further information, such as routes, bikes, profiles and other geeky stuff, we have a (very) basic website: www.foursorecorners.co.uk
Many thanks for taking the time to read this.
Craig Beecham
Dear Accordion Friends,
It has been 3 years since my sons Craig and Lloyd cycled from London to Paris in memory of their Dad - Ron Beecham and raised money for the charity EVERYMAN CANCER. Now they are at it again!
"Coast to Coast" on the 28th May 2011 they will leave Lowestoft (The UK's most Easterly point) and 5 days later on the 1st June (hopefully) they will arrive in St.David's Bay in Wales (the widest part of the UK) - cycling some 400 miles.
"South to North" on the 7th July 2011 they will leave Land's End and cycle the 1000 miles to John O'Groats, arriving some 11 days later.
They will complete the 2 rides with little more than a driver and a van carrying spares for their bikes and a change of clothes. They are again riding in memory of their Dad who died in 2006 of Cancer and are looking to raise as much money as possible for a charity that is close to their hearts for intensely personal reasons. The charity "Everyman Cancer" aims to stamp out male cancer. One man dies every hour from prostate cancer in the UK and testicular cancer is now the most common cancer in men between the ages of 15-44. Despite these alarming figures, awareness among men remains low and research in this area is severley under-funded. "Everyman" works to raise awareness and fund research into testicular and prostate cancer.
Alternatively, if you would like to send or give me a cheque or cash, I will see that it is put on the website with your message.
Many Thanks,
Elaine Beecham 136, St. Andrews Avenue, Colchester, Essex CO4 3AQ
Tel: 01206 - 866615 Mobile: 07787-121325
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Romano Viazzani - News Update!
Sep., 12, 2011
 Hi Everyone Please amend your records asap. Further to my last email concerning the show I'm currently in, The Accordionist opens at the New End Theatre Hampstead on April 5th and runs till 24th April (easter Sunday). That's 7 performances per week for 3 weeks. Thats quite a lot of tickets to sell in that time period so please try to come and see it. Happily we got some excellent reviews in Exeter so I hope it will be worth seeing it. Here's a recap to whet your appetites. (Don't tell me what night you're coming on as being a bit new to acting it will only make me nervous!) I have included some of the reviews too for you to read. I hope to see you all after the shows. Do cheer and clap enthusiastically during the show especially after every song and of course at my full-frontal nudity scene (only kidding, just checking to see that you're still concentrating!). You can book tickets from: http://www.offwestendtheatres.co.uk/index.php?where=new_end&showid=555 The Accordionist is the story of talented Piaf tribute act Jacqueline Lacroix (Bethany Jameson) who returns to performing after years of enforced silence. An unexpected encounter with an enigmatic accordionist (Romano Viazzani) brings a mysterious past to bear on the uncertain present. But what secrets do the two artists share?
An intimate portrayal of love and loss, the unique sound of the accordion embodies both passion and pain in a highly-charged new text. The score features original arrangements of Piaf classics such as MILORD, LA FOULE and PADAM PADAM as well as new songs by Jameson and Viazzani. It’s a short show, 7 pm to 8.10 pm, and you can make it a night out with a drink or a meal afterwards in Hampstead. Or you could see both the shows on that night. The second show is called ‘Double Bass’, about a double bass player, written by Philip Suskind who also wrote ‘Perfume’. Great reviews from the tour so far: ‘The show provides a rare chance to enjoy the wonderfully evocative sound of the accordion, and played by such a virtuoso. Viazzani has an impressive pedigree, and in his hands the instrument becomes a third cast member - sighing its disappointment at thwarted romance; threatening menace with sinister discordance. Jameson's voice has an authenticity that perfectly complements the emotive qualities of the music. The intimate staging recreates the atmosphere of a tiny cafe bar, the performers so close you can see every emotion as it passes across their faces.’ (Devon Life 1st March 2011) ‘The accordion playing is deliciously moving throughout, from the set pieces to Romano's improvisations. The opening number is played on the 1955 'Fisarmoniche Maga Ercole' accordion of Romano's father, while all the other pieces are played on the much bigger and very impressive 'Beltrami'. Bethany's singing is sensuously erotic with gorgeous French diction and a subtle overlay of romantic tragedy. Close your eyes and the sultry voice performing the original French numbers could really be Edith herself - filtered through the fictional character of Jacqueline Lacroix. The final numbers, with Bethany sheathed in gold lamé … complete the 'French cabaret' feel of the show.’ (Phonic FM) We are also recording the songs from the show onto CD, both our arrangements of the Piaf songs and our own songs, so do let us know if you would like a copy. Hoping to see you at the show and for a drink afterwards at the pub next door. Romano |
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Karen Street’s Diary Dates, Bracknell, Exeter, London
Sep., 12, 2011
Accordionist Karen Street has the following engagements pending:
March 19th, 8pm - ‘Piaf: Celebrating a legend’, starring actress/singer Tina May, South Hill Park, Bracknell, Berkshire
March 24th, 8pm - Mike Westwood, South West Big Band, Vibraphonic Festival, Exeter
March 27th, 8pm – ‘Piaf: Celebrating a legend’, Greenwich Theatre, London
April 2nd - Mike Westbrook marks his 75th birthday year. This concert focuses on works for small ensembles performed by different permutations of a six-piece ensemble, Serpent Hit King’s Place, London.
For further information email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
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Follow Us on Twitter & Facebook
Sep., 12, 2011
 We’re no strangers to accordion concerts, festivals, or even hootenannys. But a symposium? Indeed, the first-ever “Thinking Outside the Squeeze Box” Accordion Symposium will take place this September 23-25 in Cedar Rapids, IA.The symposium will celebrate the way accordionists have been mixing traditional music with new approaches. There will be jam sessions, dance parties, and workshops on topics ranging from “Techniques of Rock Accordion” to “Stretching the Horizons of the Button Box”. Presenters and performers are coming from across the country and include Paul Rogers (of Those Darn Accordions), Maggie Martin, Renee de la Prade, Roxanne Oliva, Ron Borelli, and more.Why Cedar Rapids? Cedar Rapids is home to the Czech and Slovak National Museum and Library and has a long tradition of accordion music. Leo Greco, who passed away this week, was one example — he played accordion for years and led his own band (Leo and the Pioneers) in the 50s and 60s.Can’t make it to Iowa? If you still want to support the symposium, consider backing their Kickstarter campaign and help offset the cost of hosting the event.
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Harlow Accordion Club - June Concert.
Sep., 12, 2011
. At our June 23rd concert we are running a special raffle for Craig & Lloyd Beecham and their charity cycle ride for Everyman Cancer. |
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Announces
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Jun., 21, 2018
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Dear collegues, see our latest updates: Hector Villa-Lobos, Samuel Barber, Astor Piazzolla, Pietro Frosini, Hans Brehme, Oscar Peterson, Art Van Damme, Jack Fina, Luiz Bonfa, Yann Tiersen etc. Accordionist.Net is extending its special offer “50+” until end of the summer.
Besides some very special tango arrangements for bandoneon (accordion) and strings published:
A. Piazzolla - Cuatro estaciones portenas →
C. Gardel - Volver y Soledad →
M. Mores - Tanguera →
H. Stamponi - Un Momento →
J. Plaza - Nocturna →
A. Villoldo - El Choclo →
J. Pane - Un vals para Martita →
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Feb., 22, 2018
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Dear accordionists,
see our latest updates on Accordionist.Net: H. Villa-Lobos, Samuel Barber, Astor Piazzolla, Pietro Frosini, Hans Brehme, A. Piazzolla, Oscar Peterson etc.
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