These are played simply and straightforwardly, bourrées in three. All of them are sans nom in the Bal Folk Tune Book and, as is my custom I give sans nom tunes nicknames. If you know the actual name of any of these, please let me know. The tunes are #79 (“Eevee”) #74 (“Ursula”) #83 (“Dola”). All three are named for cats in my life. Other tunes nicknamed for my cats are “Frida” and “Quinta.” Yes, I’ve had a lot of cats in my life.
Sale at the Accordeonaire Shop! $15 tees!
Sous les Platanes (Waltz in 5)
Here’s a tune from the Bal Folk Tune Book (#197), a five time waltz by Trevor Upham. I’m recovering from a sprained wrist, but wanted to try playing since Brigid was here. It hurt like a MFer, but was entirely worth it!
Mazurka de Pierrefitte (Bal Folk Tune Book #127)
An interesting mazurka because a few of the bars are in 2/4. It must have a particular dance associated with it, which I would love to see.
The Western Sun (Waltz)
This is a waltz by friend Barb Truex that we have been playing for years. I’m playing it here on my new (to me) Castagnari Lilly, which arrived from Hungary JUST YESTERDAY! I am excited. I’m not sure what you can hear, but I can hear a sweetness from this small box, and I can feel its responsiveness under my fingers.
I’ve wanted a Lilly for years and years. Some people would just call up the factory and order one. I can’t do that for whatever neurotic reason. I have to wait until one shows up in my circle, and I determine it’s the right box at the right cost at the right time. Thanks to Péter for selling me the box and getting it to my home safely.
Welcoming a New Accordion into the Family
In honor of the pending new arrival here at Chateau de Chapin, I published this piece over on Medium. A bit of the absurd to start off your year!
New Accordion Coming!
Am I excited? Yes. I am excited.
Free Reeds Are Good for Humans: New Designs from the Accordeonaire Shop
I am super pleased to announce five new designs for tee shirts and merch in the Accordeonaire Shop. These use the charcoal sketch design from the FRLO shirts and declare to the world that free reeds are GOOD FOR HUMANS! There are three concertina designs (anglo, English, and duet), a melodeon design for melnetters, and an accordion design. You can get them on shirts, hoodies, coffee mugs, phone covers et many cetera. Here are the rest of the designs.
Go to Accordeonaire’s Shop to purchase these.
The Return of the Free Reed Liberation Orchestra!
For October 2021, we have a piece learned from and dedicated to Frédéric Paris and La Chavannée. “les Vigneron” is a bourrée in 3 and super charming. Props to Janneke for bringing the harmonium into this “free reed” conspiracy. I invited folks to think freely about submitting counter melodies and accompaniment, and we ended up with TWENTY-SEVEN tracks, most of them video, but some just audio. Well done us! Thanks to Clive and Theo for their support on melodeon.net, the soil from which this plant sprang.
The FRLO is Anahata, Matthew Bampton, John Barber, David Barnert, Gary Chapin, Margaret Cox, Andrew Edgington, Eric Johnson, Howard Mitchell, Gren Penn, Julian Scholefield, Janneke Slagter.
Feel free to tip the orchestra at venmo @Gary-Chapin-7, or buy some of the sweet FRLO swag at The Accordeonaire Shoppe.
Directed by Gary Chapin
If you want to be in the orch, send me your email!
Playing at My Wedding
L'Accordeonaire 