We are pleased to be able to present an exciting concert featuring the talented melodeon players: Pete Coe, Will Pound and Hartwin; currently appearing as tutors as part of the Melodeons in Ribblesdale tuition weekend based in Settle, which is running from 25th to 27th April 2025.
Pete Coe started playing melodeon when he was dancing with Green Man Morris & was told by caller Hugh Rippon, “if you want to play the melodeon young man, you need to go and see Bob Cann”.
Listening to Bob play in his kitchen and going to one of The Pixies dances, attended by local Dartmoor Rockers, was a revelation & set Pete playing for dancing ever since.
In the mid ‘70s he joined up with Muckram Wakes to form The New Victory Band, recording for Topic Records, appearing at most major folk festivals in England & touring throughout Europe for the next few years.
Following this he set up Hooke’s Law where he was also the caller. He currently plays with The Black Box Band & calls with other bands & includes some of the Dales Dances & tunes featured in Bob Ellis’s book ‘There was None Of this Lazy Dancing!’
He’s an experienced performer & teacher playing for dancing and accompanying songs. He’s been a professional musician for over 50 years and was awarded a gold badge by EFDSS for services to folk music.
Will Pound's work on the melodeon stems from his love of folk and roots from morris to the breathless sounds of his current ceilidh band Relentless. His playing defies the limits of the 'keyed' instrument and its traditional genres - taking it from gospel to blues and jazz. He released two albums as half of the melodeon and viola duo Haddo (Homecoming 2013, Borderlands 2014), receiving four-star reviews in The Scotsman, Songlines and The Daily Telegraph . Their arrangements and pieces were firmly based on traditions of the UK, as a reviewer for Spiral Earth emphasised:
'Jigs from Scotland, Morris tunes from Oxford, fresh takes on trad tunes and reworkings of contemporary classiscs ... an interplay of two strands of the same musical tradition that stretches from Shetland to the Scilly Isles.' Melodeon is an instrument of heritage for Will, a morris dancer with a strong sense of his roots, as he celebrates in the album and Arts Council funded collaborative project Through the Seasons: A Year in Morris and Folk Dance (2018).
Hartwin is an accordionist and composer, born and based in the Northern part of Belgium called 'Flanders’; The heart of Europe. The name ‘Hartwin’ is old Germanic and means 'strong friend', a role he endeavours to fulfil in his personal life and his presence as an artist. His instrumental songs serve as the medium through which he shows his most authentic self, his connection with the divine, and offer hope, joy, inner peace, and emotional support during challenging times. Over the years, he developed a unique style of playing the diatonic accordion combining melancholy and simplicity, creating a cinematic and atmospheric universe. His music has a certain softness that can be best experienced firsthand during live concerts where the listener finds himself in a safe space for emotional connection and healing. In a world where authenticity resonates deeply with listeners, Hartwin’s music speaks to the heart and offers the accompanying soundtrack for the listener’s inward journeys and reflections.
Vicky Cooper is band leader for Silkstone Greens North West Morris and is a relative newcomer to all things folk, but long time musician. She has previously taught at North East Playgroup, Derbyshire Playgroup, Whitby Folk Festival and Melodeons in Wensleydale. She has a passion for encouraging others to take up the melodeon in the hope they love it as much as she does! She plays D/G and G/C melodeons, with a particular soft spot for French tunes
Helena Painting is a keen advocate for adults beginning their musical journey, teaching Absolute Beginner melodeon workshops at melodeon events and folk festivals since 2018. Helena is a regular tutor at Melodeon Playgroup, and has taught at folk festivals including Towersey, Sidmouth, Shrewsbury and Chippenham, working solo and alongside Ed Rennie as part of their Squeezebox from Scratch project. A lover of folk dance and music, Helena runs supportive steady-speed sessions, with a particular focus on English tunes.
Adults £15 , under 18s free
Please note, online bookings are subject to a booking fee. Tickets can also be bought by phone on 01729 825718, or in person at our box office. Opening hours are 10am-2pm, Monday-Friday.
Show end times given are an estimate only. Doors open 45 minutes before show start times.
Settle Victoria Hall reserves the right to turn away any customers not adhering to social-distancing laws, government guidelines, and/ or venue safeguarding policies.
Tickets are non-refundable, except in the case that the event or date has been changed by Settle Victoria Hall.
