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Kettle Bridge Concertinas

Concertina group based in Maidstone, Kent, UK

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Kettle Bridge Concertinas Workshop  -  Sun 14th November 2010

Original photo: Alan Glover
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Remembrance Sunday 2010 will always be remembered by Kettle Bridge Concertinas. It was the day they hosted their first concertina workshop in Maidstone. This event was made possible because Kettle Bridge Concertinas had been awarded £5000 from the Grassroots Grants funded by the Office of the Third Sector through Kent Community Funding. The workshop’s aim was to promote the concertina, a traditional English folk instrument, in the locality.

Approximately 50 people made their way to Maidstone for this event. Some were experienced concertina players, others had never picked up a concertina before.

A large number came to play in the concertina band under the leadership of Paul Barrett. He had arranged all the music himself and it proved very inspiring. Particularly poignant was his arrangement of Nimrod that the band played in the run up to the two minutes silence. Other musical pieces included The Teddy bears’ Picnic, some morris tunes and some carols in preparation for the forthcoming Christmas festivities. It was such a great opportunity to join with others and play the concertina together in this way.

The day was not just for experienced players. A series of free taster sessions were held for absolute beginners. Small groups were given free expert tuition by Sally Barrett using one of the club’s own concertinas. By the end of the session all had successfully played a tune on the concertina. Several then went on to attend free sessions to extend their skills further.

All the playing was enhanced by ample refreshments throughout the day which also provided a welcome chance to chat to each other. Thanks are due to the good friends of Kettle Bridge Concertinas, Val, Peter and Alan, for helping out in making many cups of tea and coffee!

For all, it was a very special day with a vibrant atmosphere.