Posted 22 November 2004
“The Concertina Man”
Presented by Peter Day
Produced by Neil Koenig
BBC World Service
Broadcast 07 September 2004
“Charles Wheatstone was a classic inventor in the dynamic industrial atmosphere of
nineteenth century Britain. An eminent scientist in the fields of electric telegraphy,
electric clocks, typewriters and power generation, he also carried out a lifetime's
research into acoustics and music. He invented the English Concertina , probably the
only musical instrument to be invented in this country in the nineteenth century.
“This small hand held bellows or squeezebox, which is squeezed in and pulled out
to create the airflow and then turned to amazing music by the complex fingering mechanism
at either end, became a popular instrument. The genius of the performer allied with the
genius of this small hand held instrument caught the public imagination and became a craze
with hundreds of craftsmen and dozens of firms making the instrument. Small, portable and
able to sound like half an orchestra in the best hands the English Concertina spread over
the world, much easier to transport than for example the grand piano.
“In The Masterpiece Feature Peter Day unravels the history and the music of this
wonderful instrument and hears it played whenever the opportunity arises.
The Wheatstone Concertina is still being made under the Wheatstone name and the
waiting list to be supplied with one is nearly five years. But you can at least hear it
played in the Masterpiece Feature ‘The Concertina Man.’”
—BBC Summary
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The Concertina Man
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Presented by Peter Day,
Produced by Neil Koenig
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BBC programme on the history and music of the concertina,
focusing on its inventor Sir Charles Wheatstone as a somewhat belated
recognition of his bicentenary in 2002. In addition to the presenter, Peter Day,
the program features (in order of appearance)
Bob Gaskins, Brian Bowers, Margaret Birley, Stephen Chambers,
Frank James, Douglas Rogers, Sean Minnie, and Steve Dickinson. The program
was produced by Neil Koenig.
BBC World Service programme broadcast 07 September 2004.
Audio file in WMA format. Time 22 mins 57 secs.
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Posted 22 November 2004
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The concertina pictured is a 48-key English concertina by C. Wheatstone,
London, serial no. 649. It is made in Amboyna wood,
a luxury finish which is discussed by
Steve Dickinson and Bob Gaskins in the programme. It was originally
sold on 18th April 1843 to Giulio Regondi, the virtuoso who is described in the programme
by Douglas Rogers. This instrument is now in the collection of Stephen
Chambers, who appears in the programme.
