Dominique enquired and Nigel suggested I might have something to say. I have been vary about contributing as my last post on the accordion in Scotland attracted considerable flame. To some the accordion family is still viewed as not quite Scottish.
Scotland has a long and unbroken tradition of melodion playing which goes back to the 19th century and reached its peak in the 1920s and 30s when large numbers of gramophone records were made. Only a few have been re-released but Topic's "Melodion Greats" is worth a listen. Also Sleepytoon Records has been doing reissues. I have my own archive and hope to release some too if I can find the time. I have written two papers on the subject mentioned below. The most recent is in a very obscure publication and at present I am not allowed to distribute photocopies. However I do hope to post them in due course on my projected Scottish music website. Keith Chandler has a good article on the Wypers at: http://www.mustrad.org.uk/articles/wypers.htm The www.mustrad.org.uk Also, some interesting material is coming to light in the archives of German manufacturers which shows just how important the Scottish market was and how highly regarded the best players there were. Hope this helps. Stuart Eydmann Eydmann, Stuart (1999) "As Common as Blackberries: The First Hundred Years of the Accordion in Scotland." Folk Music Journal 7 No. 5 pp.565-608. Eydmann, Stuart (2001) "From the "Wee Melodeon" to the "Big Box": The Accordion in Scotland since 1945." The Accordion in all its Guises, Musical Performance Volume 3 Parts 2 - 4 pp.107-125. Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music & Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
