Accordion players squeeze out new record

Last Updated Sun, 07 Aug 2005 09:23:06 EDT

Hundreds of musicians hoisted their accordions in the air in St. John's, Nfld., Saturday to celebrate the setting of an unusual record – the greatest number of people to play accordions simultaneously.

Organizers, who needed 645 people to set the record, said 989 participants officially signed registration forms. The results will now be submitted to the Guinness World Records book.

The event drew players ranging from professionals to novices who had their first lessons moments before the playing began.

A deluge of last-minute registrants kept organizers busy, and some had expected the official number to top 1,000.

Dubbed the "accordion revolution," the event, held as part of the St. John's Folk Festival in Bannerman Park in downtown St. John's, drew participants from other provinces, the U.S., the French territories of St-Pierre-Miquelon, and even from Portugal.

"If you like accordions, it sounded great. If you don't like accordions it sounded horrible," joked Fergus O'Byrne, a founding member of Ryan's Fancy and a luminary on the St. John's folk scene for more than three decades.

"No, it sounded great, a great live sound of accordions. It was just fabulous," O'Byrne, who brought along his concertina, told CBC News Online.

The "revolution" drew players of all ages and talent levels, from seasoned professionals to the most novice of amateurs. For more than five minutes, the musicians, grouped together by key, and standing or seated in dozens of rows in front of the folk festival stage, played the Newfoundland folk standard Mussels in the Corner.

Starting as a slow waltz, the players picked up tempo, perhaps because of the thousands of onlookers who clapped in time to the music.

The previous record was set just last month by a troupe of 644 players in Kimberley, B.C. The previous record had been set by a group of players in the Netherlands. Plans to set a record in St. John's were hatched only this summer, before organizers were even aware of a pending attempt in B.C.

The campaign became something of a summer phenomenon, with many people who had never even touched an accordion signing up to get involved.

Participant Bridget Wareham came to the festival without an instrument, and obtained one from a stranger at the festival. Admitting she had "not a clue" as to how to play the instrument, Wareham sought lessons in the hours leading up the event. "I'm just figuring it out," she said. "I'm going to wing it."

Others have played the accordion for years, if not most of their lives.

St. John's resident Clay Coombs says he has been playing "on and off for a long time, but not very well." Like many, he was motivated to take part in a once-in-a-lifetime event, and to establish a little history.

Marvin Willis, who began playing in the 1960s, was motivated to rekindle his love for the instrument. "I decided it was about time to dust it off and play it again," says Willis, who believes the event could usher in a revival of accordion music.

"It's kind of the music we need to revitalize. This is going to actually bring it right back, and we certainly need that."

A staple for generations

Inexpensive and easy to learn, the accordion has been a staple of Newfoundland entertainment for generations. O'Byrne says the folk revival of the 1970s, which included his own band, Ryan's Fancy, as well as Celtic rock pioneers Figgy Duff, helped introduce the accordion to a generation that had been raised on rock music.

O'Byrne says Saturday's event, which attracted scores of children, teenagers and young adults, indicates another renaissance may be coming.

Brothers-in-law John Power and Ed Martin were among the hundreds of players who flocked to take part in the record-setting event.

"This is another regenerative push of it again. It's great to see it," he says.

Jamie Warren, 22, came with several friends, and had never played an accordion until he heard of plans to set a world record.

"I picked it up about a week ago, just for this," he says. "I think it's great. Everybody's involved in pulling together for one thing."

Participant John Power described the event as unique, something even seasoned musicians would find unusual." "Even people in a band don't have this kind of an experience," he said.

His brother-in-law, Ed Martin, travelled from Sault Ste. Marie for the sole reason of taking part in the event.

Martin admitted he had his first lesson "about an hour and a half ago," just before players were grouped together by the key of their instruments.

Barbara White of St. John's brought along the 60-year-old button accordion that belongs to her husband, who was travelling.

"I can play it well enough," she says. "To bring it here today is something special."