The Compleat Angloer

Contributions to the Concertina Library by Roger Digby.

“Faking It”
by Roger Digby with a section on the Duet Concertina by Kurt Braun: Subtitled "A guide to selecting appropriate chords on the Anglo and Duet Concertinas". Explains how to play the concertina from a “fake book” or “busker’s book”, which gives a melody line and an indication of the chords for accompaniment. 16pp. Originally published for the ICA, 2004.; Posted 15 August 2005; » read full document

“Faking It”: a dozen examples
by Roger Digby: Musical examples to accompany the web publication of “Faking It”. Twelve tunes that are common in sessions and include most of the dance rhythms, six tunes in C and six in G as the most common Anglo keys. Each tune is represented by the music (printed without chords), and also by a sound file of Roger Digby playing the Anglo concertina as you might hear at a casual session. Originally presented at a workshop for the East Anglian Traditional Music Trust, 2004. Tunes include: Blaydon Races, Dannish Waltz, Dorset Four Hand Reel, Family Jig, Galopede, Greensleeves, Harry Cox’s Schottisch, Keel Row, Shepton Mallet Hornpipe, The Man in the Moon, Three Around Three, and Winster Galop.; Posted 15 August 2005; » read full article

Anglo File
by Roger Digby: There is insufficient evidence to address the question, ‘Is there a traditional English style of Anglo playing?’ The situation might have been different if Kilroy, Kimber and Tester had more in common, but they don’t. What these three do have in common is the way that their playing reflects their background and context. Originally published in English Dance and Song (magazine of EFDSS, the English Folk Dance and Song Society), vol. 64, no. 2 (Summer 2002), 6–7.; Posted 15 August 2005; » read full article

H. Crabb & Son, Concertina Makers
by Roger Digby: A brief history of Crabb, written in 1978 as the firm neared 150 years in business. Accompanying photographs of the Crabbs and the Islington premises by Bob Naylor. Originally published in Folk News, 1978. Republished with different photographs at Concertina.net.; Posted 15 August 2005; » go to website

Neville Crabb’s Notes on Crabb History
from Roger Digby: Two pages of manuscript notes written by Neville Crabb c. 1978 as material for Roger Digby to use in writing a brief historical note on Crabb Concertinas. Originally published at Concertina.net.; Posted 15 August 2005; » read full document in pdf

How I Acquired My Crabb
by Roger Digby: The story of how Roger Digby moved to Islington and found himself buying his first quality instrument from Neville Crabb in 1974. Originally published at Concertina.net.; Posted 15 August 2005; » go to website

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Mens canis in corpore sano

Roger Digby: The Compleat Angloer