Billed as the largest accordion event held in the USA for decades, the 2007 Coupe Mondiale is now in progress and concludes on Sunday morning 19th August. Hosted by the ATG and the AAA, who have combined their annual festivals into the weeks accordion activities as well, there is music from morning until late evening every day.
You can read the daily reports on the Internet. These include some results from the AAA and ATG competitions including the Maddalena Belfiore Entertainment Competition for Female Accordionists for which the results have been posted.
Judges
reported that the first section of the Coupe
Mondiale category was of the highest level this year and that
the test music composed by Karen Fremar received positive public acclaim.
The concerts have shown great diversity and are also included in the
Daily Reports.
Results for all the competitions will be available by Saturday evening Washington time and posted on the Coupe Mondiale Daily Reports site.
New Book: An A to Z of the Accordion, Volume 3, Stockport – UK
A
new book, dedicated to the accordion and accordionists, has been published
in the UK. Written by accordionist Rob
Howard ‘An A to Z of the Accordion, Volume 3’ turns
this popular series into a trilogy. This is another reference book
that aims to celebrate the achievements of accordionists, past and
present. There are over 200 articles and biographies, and more than
200 photographs and illustrations, some in colour.
The book includes a great variety of articles, plus autobiographical contributions from accordionists Peter Ayers, Julie Best, Johnny Coleclough, Fred Dunn, Norman English (the man who entered the Guinness Book of Records for endurance playing – 82 hours non-stop!), Jean Hanger, Raymond Jones and Heather Smith.
The articles include: Origins of the Accordion Clubs, The Accordion Collections of Caroline Hunt and Ken Hopkins, Accordion Festivals Revisited, Bal Musette, The Art of Busking, The Art of Conducting, How to Adjust Your Accordion Straps, Irish Ceili Bands, Morris Dancing, Jimmy Shand Recordings, A Selection of Record Reviews, Roland Virtual Accordion, Russian Accordionists in the UK, Scottish Dance Bands, Tales & Trivia, and archive articles such as Accordion Tunings (Graham Romani), American Journey (Adrian Dante), Bellows Shaking (Pietro Frosini), Diary of a Visit to Paris (Gerald Crossman), Medley Mania (John Kirkpatrick), Memorising and Aural Training (Crossman), Practising (Pearl Fawcett-Adriano, Toralf Tollefsen, Kenneth Hacking), Vocal Accompaniment (Jack Emblow)…and many more.
The book costs £15 (plus £4 postage and packing in the UK; p/p £8.50 overseas). Equivalent rates apply in Euros or dollars.
The 17th annual Cotati Accordion Festival held in La Plaza Park, Cotati, California, takes place on August 25th and August 26th, from 9.45am both days.
The chief guest artiste, Tony Lovello, performs on both days. Other guests include the Golden State Accordion Club, Brian Jack and The Zydeco Gamblers, Culann's Hounds, The Mad Maggies, Those Darn Accordions, The Brave Combo, Bella Ciao, Ginny Mac, Sammy Thomas, Alex Meixner, The Freilachmakers Klezmer String Band, Sourdough Slim, The Great Morgani, Motor Dude Zydeco, The Trucco's, Big Lou's Polka Casserole, The Pickpocket Ensemble, and Ramon Trujillo and His Mariachi Los Caporales.
For an itemised program of both days see the USA News.
The 6th Sir Jimmy Shand Tribute Concert at St Andrews Town Hall, Fife, was again a sell out. Jimmy Shand Junior started the proceedings by presenting a cheque for £1,345 to two local charities for the handicapped, Dalghairn Adult Training Centre and CHAS.
The concert compere was accordionist and Radio Tay presenter Billy Anderson, and the performers included accordionists Jimmy Shand Jr, Ian Holmes, David Cunningham, Jack Stalker, Ian McCallum, Billy Anderson, Sandy Anderson, Gordon Pattullo, Dugald Jenkins, Kevin Cheyne, Bill Stewart, John Carmichael, and Ian Cruickshanks. Most of the music played were tunes associated with or composed by the late Sir Jimmy Shand. Also performing were the Joyce Anderson Highland Dancers, accompanied by Pipe Major Les McKinley.
Accordionist Lácides Romero Meza and clarinettist Francisco Javier Rivera, known as the Nuevo Mundo Duet, will perform on August 21st at Fundación Santillana, Bogotá, at 6pm. Entrance is free.
They will perform the following works: ‘Funeral March of a Marionette’ (C. Gounod), ‘Variations on Maman’ - W.A. Mozart, ‘Pizzicato Polka’ - Delibes, ‘La Danza’ – Rossini, ‘Variations on the Carnival of Venice’, ‘Chorando Baixinho’ – Ferreira, ‘Escorregando’ – E. Nazareth, ‘Emma’ – C. Manrique, ‘Atardecer’ – C. Vieco Ortiz, ‘Blanca’ – J. De La Cruz Sánchez, ‘Como p’a desenguayabar’ – J. Olaya Muñoz, ‘Intermezzo No 1’ – L. Calvo, ‘El Bocachico Sinuano’ – T. Romero.
The 36th Mamou Cajun Music Festival takes place on September 2nd and 3rd at the Mamou Recreational Complex. Guest artistes include Jamie Berzas & The Cajun Tradition Band, Savoy Family Band, Lafayette Rhythm Devils Band, Paul Daigle with Savoir Faire, Ray Abshire and Band, and Don Fontenot & et Les Amis De La Louisiane. The festival includes a Presentation – Honoring Ray Abshire, Cajun music workshop, Cajun dance workshop, and an accordion-making workshop.
The Mamou Cajun Music Festival began as a one-day festival presenting some of the local Cajun musicians to the citizens of Mamou and Evangeline Parish. It has since become a two-day music festival, presenting traditional Cajun musicians, dancing, food, and contests.
The
2nd Etnie Musicale music festival takes place in Teramo, from September
7th to 9th, organised by Danilo di Paolonicola and Renzo
Ruggieri. The festival includes contests for accordion,
diatonic accordion, piano, saxophone, classical and modern guitar,
singing and composition.
On September 9th, the festival concludes with a concert featuring Danilo di Paolonicola’s ‘Ethnic Project Solo’, and the Renzo Ruggieri/Mauro di Federicis duo.
The 2007 Lasarte-Oria Accordion Festival takes place on Saturday September 29th at the Casa de Cultura, Lasarte-Oria. Artistes performing include Enrike Zelaia (Spain), Nathalie Boucheix (France), the Elsene Accordion Orchestra (Holland), and the Zero Sette Akordeoi Orkestra (Spain).
The first International Accordion Competition takes place in Jaú-São Paulo on August 23rd to 25th, with live transmissions of the event via the festival’s website: www.acordeon.com.br
The contests take place in the Teatro Municipal Elza Munerato, Av. João Ferraz Neto, Jaú-São Paulo. The adjudicators include Mirco Patarini, Paolo Gandolfi, Dante D’Alonzo, Professor Roberto Bueno, Carlos Gallizia, and Professor David Saidel.
The Eastbourne Accordion Festival, organised by accordionist and organist John Romero, takes place at the Cumberland Hotel, Eastbourne, from October 12th to 15th. At the time of writing, the hotel still has some vacancies.
The guest artistes include: Oleg Sharov – Russia, Mauro Carra – Italy, Julie Best, Harry Hussey, George Syrett, Alastair Cameron and John Romero. Worksop teachers include Sue Bennett, Jean Hanger, Harry Hussey, Angie Lukins and Trevani. The trade show includes Carillon Studios, Geoff Holter Accordions, The Accordion Shop, Roland UK, Stan Mayhew, Trevani Music and Gifts, and UKAO.
Gary Dahl - accordionist as well as a composer, arranger, recording artist and music educator, releases 3 new works for accordion available for purchase online, ‘Beer Barrel Polka’, ‘Fascination’, 'The Music Of The Night'. Samples of this music are available on the site. The music is in eSheet format, able to be emailed to your computer. Purchase with credit card.
English
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Italiano 
Español
Chinese 
Russian 
You can read the daily reports on the Internet. These include some results from the 
Judges
reported that the first section of the 
A
new book, dedicated to the accordion and accordionists, has been published
in the UK. Written by accordionist 
The book includes a great variety of articles, plus autobiographical contributions from accordionists Peter Ayers, Julie Best, Johnny Coleclough, Fred Dunn, Norman English (the man who entered the Guinness Book of Records for endurance playing – 82 hours non-stop!), Jean Hanger, Raymond Jones and Heather Smith.
The 17th annual Cotati Accordion Festival held in La Plaza Park, Cotati, California, takes place on August 25th and August 26th, from 9.45am both days.
The 6th 
Accordionist Lácides Romero Meza and clarinettist Francisco Javier Rivera, known as the Nuevo Mundo Duet, will perform on August 21st at Fundación Santillana, Bogotá, at 6pm. Entrance is free.
The
2nd Etnie Musicale music festival takes place in Teramo, from September
7th to 9th, organised by Danilo di Paolonicola and 
Lasarte-Oria
Accordion Festival, Gipuzkoa – Spain
The first International Accordion Competition takes place in Jaú-São Paulo on August 23rd to 25th, with live transmissions of the event via the festival’s website: 
The Eastbourne Accordion Festival, organised by accordionist and organist John Romero, takes place at the Cumberland Hotel, Eastbourne, from October 12th to 15th. At the time of writing, the hotel still has some vacancies.
