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The 1997 NORTHEAST SQUEEZE-IN
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Back to Recollections | NESI HOME
The 1997 NORTHEAST SQUEEZE-IN
************
This year's event was rousing and invigorating as usual. Most squeezers must have gotten an early start this year, as almost everyone had arrived by Friday night's dinner. Many a tune and song were had before folks drifted away to their respective beds and bags in the small hours of Saturday morning.
Just
over 100 people came to this year's event, with a strong showing of small
tykes this time around. Several little squeezers gave high marks to Bob
Snope's How to Make an Accordion workshop, which taught participants
how to use cardboard, plywood, some reeds and lots of duct tape to construct
their own accordions from scratch! True, the little devices were a bit
limited in that only the bare essentials of boxdom were attempted, but
the young ones had a grand time demonstrating to the rest of us the two
tones their instruments could produce.
Other
workshops included Wendy Morrison's Easy Tunes Played Through
Slowly a Hundred Times, Faking Anglo on English, and Fun Things
to Do with Your Left Hand; Bob McQuillen and Deanna Stiles's
New England Tunes; Ed Marris on Jigs and Reels;
Craig
Hollingsworth conducting his usual Contradance Repertoire;
Rachel
Hall leading Some Nifty Eastern European Tunes; and
Sylvia
Miskoe's Scottish Tunes. And more: Slow Waltzes for Beginners,
Morris Tunes, Quebecois Tunes for Everybody, Zydeco and Blues, and
the indefatigable Wendy Morrison yet again with a Bellows Workshop
on Sunday morning. Despite these "formal" offerings, folks seemed to find
time for jamming, hobnobbing, chowing down lunch, and checking out what
was available in the Instrument Room. Irish aficionados were noticeably
scarce just before Saturday's lunch, as they had congregated in the barn
to take in an excellent mini-concert given by Noel Hill.
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| A young lady who plays the Chemnitzer,
What a nightmare to find one that fits her! On the pull she's okay, Nothing gets in the way, On the push, though, it nearly de-tits her. |
David Vallelunga |
| A lovely musician named Lena
Was desired by all who had seen her. On their knees men said "Please I would die for one squeeze Like you do when you play concertina." |
Stefani Cochran |
| You're a loverly player, my pet,
That's the nicest accordion yet. I wouldn't complain Hearing Lady of Spain But your squeezebox is just too damn wet. |
Anonymous |
Following
the concert was a traditional contradance featuring an all-participant
band that sported many instruments in addition to squeezeboxes, with PA
player Silvia Miskoe as caller. The dance was followed by
a Cajun session and swing dance. Those who chose to seek other genres wandered
off to participate in jam sessions elsewhere in the manor house, fortified
with midnight munchies, and a song session in the bar, fortified with the
usuals; there were also credible reports of creditable singing in the hot
tub.
Many woke Sunday morning to the tuneful (re)strains of the earlier risers. It wasn't long, however, before most of us were up, fed, and squeezing away again. The instrument room was particularly popular as the last instrument deals and final decisions on which tapes/CD's/books to take home were made, boxes were entrusted to The Button Box for repairs, and folks took their last looks at the museum table that featured strange squeezeboxes from the 1800's, an assortment of original and reprints of squeezebox literature, and a couple of Button Box anglo concertina prototypes.
All too soon came the call for this year's Group Photo. We all piled
up on some picnic tables in front of the Manor house for the cacophonic
event. As in past years, the Bucksteep Manor staff were on hand to be the
photo-takers in order that all, except for those who were still sleeping
or were squeezing somewhere else, could be in the parting shot. See you
all next year!