News & Articles
Music Tuition in Manchester
If you are requiring music lessons in Manchester please consider Tony Watterson.
For more information on the services he can offer please click onto the following link:
Global Sales
Accordion Bay would like to bring the following information to your attention. It is only possible for us to offer the Accordion hire facility within the UK; however we are delighted to offer a global sales service. Our experienced carriers, TNT, can safely transport instruments world wide on our behalf, for very competitive rates and with surprisingly short time scales. Should you be interested in purchasing an Accordion for dispatch out with UK please contact us by telephone or Email to discuss carriage costs.
Accordion Bay
With a background working with the wonderful family business previously run by Bruce Millers, Norman English now devotes his enthusiasm and vast knowledge of accordions to facilitate the needs of accordionist world wide. Accordion Bay is here to showcase the quality boxes that both amateur and professional players have come to expect from Norman. Norman can also offer accordion rental, a repair service and a search and find service for that special instrument. I am happy to offer advice and guidance when required unlike some faceless internet shopping sites. Accordion Bay has the personal touch previously only experienced on the high street. Accordionists are very welcome to chat by telephone or email with Norman or arrange to meet with him within a reasonable travelling distance, (North East Scotland). When he would be happy to demo any instrument you may wish to consider.
Norman’s life time devotion to accordions leads him to believe in the benefit of trying before you buy (when ever possible) and there are many amusing anecdote from Norman’ long association with Bruce Millers, of an instrument being played down the telephone to help a decision be made.
With the added bonus of web cameras, Norman English and Accordion Bay intend to continue to offer you a unique, professional yet friendly experience when shopping the modern way. Norman English looks forward to hearing from you.
A great musical evening in Tarvis Aberdeenshire
A Harvest Home gathering at Tarvis in Aberdeenshire saw musicians “jamming” together in the best Ceilidh tradition. The picture shows John King, Stuart and George Davidson and Accordion Bay’s own Norman English finishing up what was a great musical evening with saxophone players, Bothy Ballads, fiddlers and of course Norman on the Beltrami accordion. It was an entertaining evening and fun for all ages.
Phil Cunningham and Aly Bain
Meldrum was host to Phil Cunningham and Aly Bain on Friday 3rd September. The event was in aid of the Aberdeen branch of Parkinsons UK and the Parish church. As in previous years the event was a sell out and a great evening of Accordion and Fiddle music was enjoyed by all, both young and old.
The evening was ably compered by the enthusiastic Stewart Begg, who introduced the star performers and welcomed them in their 25th year touring together. Phil and Aly entered to a standing ovation and that set the tone for the rest of the show. Phil Cunningham and Aly Bain were enthusiastically supported by young local talent, always a feature of these events. The audience was delighted by the fiddle playing of two young brothers, George and Stuart Davidson. These young folks had come fresh from the Kirriemuir Festival where both brothers made first and second places in the competition. They entertained with both solo tunes and as a duo and the banter that accompanied their excellent performance showed confidence and humour.
We were equally entertained by Gregor Allan from Tarvis Aberdeenshire. Gregor showed a maturity and demonstrated his musical talents on a Hohner Marino accordion. He too showed a sense of humour and seemed at ease with his audience. Stewart Begg made a point of informing us all that Gregor continues to “busk” at local supermarkets and has achieved a total of over £10,000 for Leukaemia research. Gregor studies at the Aberdeen Music School and demonstrates an ability that belies his years.
In keeping with their usual laid - back style Phil and Aly mixed good “crack” with great music and performed music from around the world. The 25 years of touring showed in the humour and great rapport that is the hall mark of these well loved performers.
The finale gave the up and coming musicians a chance to join the great duo on stage and the audience were delighted to admire the blend of youth and experience as the three fiddlers and two accordionists gave it their all. A fabulous evening and a great opportunity to spot the fiddle players and accordionists of the future, as well as admiring the enduring talent of Phil Cunningham and Aly Bain.
David Morrice – a biography
David Morrice’s first instrument is the violin. He first took up the instrument when he was just ten, winning competitions throughout Scotland - mainly due to his hard work and individual style. He later appeared on television alongside well known Scottish entertainers including Johnny Beattie.
On leaving school David studied music at the Royal Military School Of Music, Knellar Hall and following a sound grounding, that was to stand David in good stead for branching out in to all types of music, he toured the world entertaining royalty, political figures and visiting dignitaries .
David’s love of music and willingness to push himself means his time is taken up in solo performances and playing with the band “Last Resort”. Don’t let the name fool you! The band is the first resort for those planning big corporate events, a wedding, a grand ball or an intimate family party. www.lastresortband.co.uk
This man of many talents, a self taught Accordionist, (aided and abetted by some of the North East of Scotland’s finest players), entertains across Aberdeenshire and not content with the success of Last Resort, a year ago he started up a trio delighting audiences with fiddle and accordion.
Having travelled the world with his music and seeing the range of Accordions played by some of his mentors, David’s enthusiasm for the instrument has led him to Accordion Bay and a desire to help fellow pro musicians, or those looking for a suitable gift for a budding accordionist, to find just what they are looking for at an affordable price.
Piano Accordion Hire Announcement
Please take a look at our Customer information page for further details.
Dear Friends,
Firstly, let me thank you for all those who came to see The Accordionist in Poole, Exeter and at the New End Theatre in London. It´s so important to support accordion events as it creates a demand and inevitably leads to new people hearing and appreciating our instrument. We got some great reviews and are contemplating taking the show northwards this time on a tour. Will let you know when.
All the best
Romano
History of Soprani Accordions
This is one of those stories destined to not only change the life of one man, but also of one town, one country. What happened in 1863 seems to be a legend, but was in fact a reality, important enough to start an industry that would become famous all over the world: the accordion industry. An Austrian pilgrim returning home from a visit to the Loreto sanctuary asked for hospitality for the night at a farmhouse near Castelfidardo.
After having been refreshed, he sat down near the fireside and started to play a strange “box”. This was the house of Antonio and Lucia Soprani and their sons. One son, Paolo, was interested in this musical box which was in fact a copy of the “accordeon” patented in 1829 by Mr. Demian of Vienna. Many different stories tell of how Paolo obtained this box: some say that the prilgrim gifted to him to thank the family for the hospitality; some say that Paolo bought it; some say that during the night, the young Paolo woke up to study all the secrets of the box.The important thing is that, from this little boxand Paolo’s intelligence, after a few years the accordion industry would be born in Castelfidardo. In 1864 Paolo opened a little workshop inside his home, with the help of his brothers; after some years, he moved to a bigger house, engaging some workers.
The first “armoniche” produced were sold in fairs and markets of nearby towns. In Loreto there were always a lot of pilgrims, religious visitors and dealers. Paolo went there to exhibit his accordion and he also became a good player. In 1872 he moved to the centre of Castelfidardo and opened a factory in the Piazza Garibaldi. His instruments had immediate success, especially in the country where the farmers danced to popular songs. Quickly the popularity grew and requests came from other european countries like France. At the end of the 19th century the “armonica” started to be exported to other continents, for example the USA, where a lot of Italian people had emigrated and the sound of the “armonica” eased their homesickness.
To supply the increasing number of orders he needed to find a bigger place and more workers, to organise the phases of production in a better way and create a commercial office. For this reason Paolo with his sons Luigi and Achille opened a new factory in Castelfidardo where about 400 people worked. In 1900 the company had a big success in a fair in Paris; Paolo became a member of the academy of inventors of Bruxelles and Paris and met the President of France. He continued to work in his factory until he was 70 years old, when his two sons took over. He died in his house on 20th February 1918, when he was 73 years old.
