We would like to improve the quality of our "Jokes" section on the Accordions Worldwide site. Reader Olafur Th Olafsson wrote to us saying "I think I never saw such a sample of miserable jokes as I was reading just now on AWW! Accordion lovers, all of us wish to make the accordion and accordion music as important as possible in the music world, but showing jokes of that kind is not the right way!" We agree with Olafur 100% and his letter has inspired us to ask you all once again to send us some great jokes to improve this section of the site. Please also send us humorous stories relating to accordion performances or concerts you may have attended or performed in.

Wayne Knights Webmaster

• Millennium Concerts - Germany
• Junior Academy Project. - England
• Lips Performs "Apocalypse" in Turkey
• Senegal Concert Series - West Africa
• Christmas Tour in Canada
• Dmitriev in Finland
• January Master Class - Bulgaria
• Deutsch News
• Florencia Herrera Band Concert - Argentina
• Prizewinners Concert - Russia
• Oostburg Concert -Netherlands
• Winter Workshops - France
• "Songs of the Celts" - UK
• "Lights" Festival - New Zealand
• Malaysian Accordionist in Tokyo - Japan
• Accordions at Witney 2000 - UK
• Two Stolen Accordions - France
• Captain Robert P. Foster Passes Away - USA
• Enfants Ensemble Concerts - Italy
• New Year's Eve at Magnanini Winery - USA
• Two New "Zinzin" CD's - France
• Antique Accordion Information

Contributed by Marc-Oliver Brehm

Four Accordion Clubs from the Stuttgart area have joined to form a large orchestra with over 50 musicians. Conducted by Andrej Baumgard, the orchestra will be called "Millennium: Four clubs - one orchestra". This unique event will include a modern and entertaining program to greet the year 2000. Concerts will be held at "Aula", Weil der Stadt (January 22nd), Schoenbuchhalle, Hildrizhausen (January 29th) and Festhalle, Stuttgart-Moehringen (February 5th).

For further information regarding these concerts email: hsm-online@gmx.net

The accordion department of the Royal Academy of Music in London has recently launched its Junior Academy project. The Junior Academy is committed to preparing young accordionists aged from 11 to 19 for the "rigors" of the classical music profession and aims to prepare them in all aspects of musical education for further study at Senior Conservatoire level. For auditioning details please contact: Owen Murray, Head of Classical Accordion, Royal Academy of Music, Marylebone Road, London NW1 5HT. Phone: + 44 171 873 7381

Contributed by Dr Herbert Scheibenreif Manager of Friedrich Lips Productions

Friedrich Lips recently performed "Symphony No. 3" plus "And the sky is darkened" (Apocalypse, chapter 6) for bayan and symphonic orchestra by Sergej Berinskij in Izmir, Turkey. The music represented well-known biblical contents and in the course of its development the human soul is seized by fear and desperation. Basically the music expresses pictures of the Last Judgement.

French accordionist Jean Louis Noton gave several concerts in Senegal at the end 1999, accompanied by friends from Casamanca playing the djembe, balafon and cora. This mixing of cultures produces a variety of new and interesting music. For 10 years, Jean-Louis has been travelling throughout Africa (Casamanca in particular) and plans to set up a recording studio there. For details email: jl.noton@wanadoo.fr

Accordionist Len Wallace traveled throughout southern regions of Ontario during November and December, playing a series of Christmas shows from Kingston to Orillia, Mississauga, Toronto, Brampton, London and Oshawa. Len's next concert will be held on January 29th at the "Off-The-Wall Folk Club", Walled Lake, Michigan, USA. For details phone: + 1 248-624-1421

Contributed by Sergej Tchirkov

Professor Alexander Dmitriev is currently touring Finland until January 24th giving concerts in Kerava, Karkkala and Forsa. Alexander will also perform in duo with Finnish accordionist Ari-Matti Saira, which will be broadcast on Finnish TV on January 21st. For further information email: alexanderdmitriev@usa.net

Contributed by Tsvetana Kojuharova from "Accordion Magic"

A master class organized by the "Bulgarian Accordion Organization" (BOA) together with the Pleven High Music School will be held on January 21st and 22nd in Pleven. The event will include lessons on "Bulgarian Folklore and Variete" by Neno Koichev (Chairman of the BOA Music Council), "Classical and modern music" by Diana Stancheva and "Arrangements for chamber ensembles" by Georgi Mitev. Approximately 25 participants are expected. For details email: biomagia@plov.omega.bg

Contributed by Raphael Frey

The new year has started and we want to publish the next issue of Deutsch News www.akkordeon.com/deutsch on January 28th. I invite the people of German speaking Europe to please send me interesting accordion news by email before January 26th. You can email or post photographs to the postal address on the Deutsch News site.

The Florencia Herrera Band (Florencia Herrera y su conjunto) performed at a number of festivals and "munches" during the New Year period in Buenos Aires. The group (which includes accordionist Florencia Herrera) plays tarantellas, German polkas, waltzes, rancheras, fox trot, tangos and pasodoble. On February 19th they will perform in San Benito City, Province of Entre Rios, Argentina.

Contributed by Sergej Tchirkov

Recent International Competition prizewinners (and students of Professor A. Dmitriev's class) will perform in concert on January 30th in one of the most significant halls of St.Petersburg, State Glinka's Capella. Performers include V. Dmitriev, S. Tchirkov, K. Istchenko and A. Iurov. Their program will include music of different genres, as well as the world premiere of Sergej Tchirkov's new accordion work entitled "Lamento" (dedicated to A. Dmitriev). For further details email: sergejt@stpeterburgclassics.com

Contributed by Berna van Vilsteren

"Coeur Vagabond" (which includes accordionist John Jacobs) will perform at the Ledeltheatre in Oostburg on January 29th. Their program will include musette and swing pieces such as "Swing Valse" and "Brise Napolitaine". For details email: berna@xs4all.nl

Twenty five students each week took part in winter workshops under the pedagogical direction of Frédéric Deschamps and Eric Pisani in the Chalet des Alpes, Saint Etienne. Students came from France, Japan and various European countries, to prepare for future international competitions this year. Twenty one students are preparing for the Klingenthal International Competition in May, thirty for the Trophée Mondial & Coupe Mondiale qualifying trials and forty two for the Castelfidardo International Competition.

The workshops were so successful that a further series are planned as follows: February 14th to 18th & February 24th to 28th in Saint-Etienne March 11th and 12th & April 1st to 5th in Paris April 20th to 24th in Saint Etienne

For registration details phone: + 33 1 53 79 04 34

British accordionist David Farmer has been asked to feature on the latest "Adiemus" album by Karl Jenkins, "Songs of the Celts" due to be recorded in early February. This is the 4th installment in Jenkins' Adiemus series. The score will be used as the soundtrack to a TV documentary called "The Celts".

David will also record the accordion part of a new Warner Bros movie due for release in America in autumn.

Auckland accordionist Tracey Collins performed nightly concerts to over 1,000 people at the New Plymouth "Lights" Festival held in Pukekura Park from December 26th to 28th. Her program included a variety of Christmas and Latino tunes as well as her own compositions.

Contributed by Toru Katou

On January 22nd Malaysian accordionist S. Atan will perform with Hawaiian guitarist Yuhki Yamanouchi at the Cay Restaurant Bar, Tokyo. The duo will perform traditional Malaysian tunes. For further information phone: + 81 3-3498-5790

Contributed by Dave Townsend

"Accordions at Witney 2000" will take place on February 12th and 13th at Henry Box School, Witney, Oxon, UK. This is a non-residential weekend music course for piano accordion players. Course units will be led by Karen Tweed, Ian Lowthian, Alan Dunn, Paul Hutchinson and Dave Townsend, covering musical traditions from Ireland, Scotland, England, Louisiana, and Eastern Europe. Some places are still available. For booking details email: Homweekend@aol.com

Antoine Denize has had two Castagnari accordions stolen in Fontenay sous Bois. One is a 12 bass Handry model, 3 rows, 3 voices, 4 registers, in light yellow pinewood, and is fitted with microphones. A distinctive sign is a small decorated copper crossbar, which links the windchests. The other is a 12 bass model with 3 rows, 2 voices, in dark wood, with a nonstandard tuning and an original image of a boat inlaid into the wood. If you can help please phone: + 33 1 48 77 14 72 or email: a.denize@claranet.fr

Contributed by Faithe Deffner, President of the American Accordionists' Association

The American Accordionists' Association mourns the passing of board member Captain Robert P. Foster who recently succumbed to cancer after battling the disease for many months. Bob was known throughout the accordion world as a person who adored the accordion. He and his wife, Helen, traveled everywhere to observe and listen to accordion events and his enthusiasm for the instrument influenced everyone he encountered. For details see "Memorials".

Contributed by Holda Paoletti-Kampl

The Enfants Ensemble (conducted by Patrizia Merciari, Chairperson & Artistic Director of the 6th Casarza Ligure International Competition) recently held a series of very successful concerts. Their program included pieces by Bach, Verdi, Boelmann, Screiber, Wagner, Albinoni and Franck together with lighter works by Ferrari, Rossi and Horner as well as some of the conductor's own compositions.

During December, the ensemble took part in a national "Telethon" and the "J. Brahms" International Competition, with members winning 1st prizes in the piano, folk accordion and classical accordion categories. On December 31st two ensemble members Marco Baratta & Mattia Nieri gave a well received New Year performance in San Lorenzo della Costa (province of Genoa), while the ensemble celebrated the occasion with its many fans in Vallerana (province of Alessandria).

On New Years' Eve, accordionist Mario Tacca performed with vocalist Mary Mancini Tacca at the Magnanini Winery in Walkill, New York, followed by a New Year's Day show in Boston. This month the duo are working on a new CD, a collection of Italian Love Songs.

Contributed by Jacques Ferchit

Two new CD's by accordionist "Zinzin" have been produced and composed by Jacky Delance and Jacques Ferchit and released by Coppelia France Editions. The first is entitled "Ma plus belle histoire d'amour" (My most beautiful love story) and includes a variety of melodic French songs. The second "Le bal à Zinzin" (Zinzin's Ball) includes 20 original dance titles.

Zinzin performs every afternoon on Pascal Sevran's program "La Chance aux Chansons" on the French television channel "FRANCE 2". For details email: jacques.ferchit@free.fr

Carol van Moorsel has a black Rubens accordion, about 30 years old and in very good condition. If you can help with information and possible value please email: cvmoorsel@aol.com

Lloyd Mattair would like some information on a Pancordian video model made in Italy. Please email: LMattair@aol.com

If you have any information on a Crucianelli Pancordion, hand made in 1955 in Italy please email: TheSandster@aol.com