Review: Reference and Research Book News (Second Quarter 2010) |
The Anglo-German Concertina: A Social History; vol. 1 Worrall, Dan M. 978-0-9825996-0-0 ConcertinaPress, ©2009 ML1083 322 p. $19.00 Popular from Victorian times until the 1930s, Anglo-German concertinas largely disappeared into dusty attics after the Second World War, re-emerging only with the increased interest in English and (especially) Irish traditional music in the 1970s. Worrall (a concertina player himself) has written the first comprehensive history of the instrument, relying heavily on primary sources to chronicle the concertina's ups and downs from its first appearance in the 1830s up to the present day. This first volume looks at the production and marketing of the concertina; the history of the instrument in England and Ireland; and at the concertina at sea (giving an authoritative answer to the vexing question of whether sailors really did play concertinas). Well written and profusely illustrated with period graphics and photographs, this volume will appeal to scholars, musicians, and many general readers. The Anglo-German Concertina: A Social History; vol. 2 Worrall, Dan M. 978-0-9825996-1-7 ConcertinaPress, ©2009 ML1083 272 p. $19.00 This second volume of Worrall's comprehensive history of Anglo-German concertina looks at how the instrument fared as it moved farther away from its European home, examining its histories in Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and North America. (The discussion of concertina playing among the South African Boers and by indigenous African groups is particularly interesting, and will likely be new information even to veteran players of the instrument.) Worrall also examines styles and techniques that developed during the concertina's pre-WW2 heyday, and provides transcriptions for 28 tunes played by musicians who were active during the pre-war period. This meticulously researched volume is generously illustrated with period graphics and photographs. |