These recordings offer a sense of the instruments in different hands,
contexts, and intentions.
Each one reveals something of their response —
not just how they sound, but how they behave when played.
BEGINNING
Barham Down
— Matthew Coatsworth
A bright tune on a traditional-sized English concertina.
This was similar to the first instrument I made — for my father.
At the time, the only concertina player in our family.
He was also an instrument maker.
His influence runs quietly through everything here.
One Evening Having Lost My Way
— Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne
The smallest of the Anglos, but perhaps the sweetest voice.
It uses true concertina reeds.
There’s a softness to the tone — almost like a harmonica —
and the pitch shifts subtly with the bellows.
DEVELOPMENT
My Way
— Edward Jay
My flagship Hayden duet.
One of my most complete pieces of engineering.
The system opens harmonic possibilities that feel intuative,
so the player can think musically rather than mechanically.
Air on a G String
— SoloDuet
The same system, in other hands.
Joe Derrane's Jig
— Mohsen Amini
Blistering speed with repeatable precision.
London's Loyalty
— Rob Harbron
Depth and weight —
and the ability to carry both bass and melody in a single instrument.
Hirlas Horn
— JAY Anglo
Brass Binci reeds — visible as gold inside the instrument.
Rondo
— Dave Townsend
Polyphonic playing on an English concertina.
A DIFFERENT DIRECTION
Out on the Ocean
— Edward Jay
This is my Tritone system.
A whole tone scale on each side, a semitone apart.
Fully chromatic, and repeating patterns.
It’s designed for melody.
Nimrod
— Edward Jay
Classical music performed on a Tritone
RESOLUTION
Rosewood Jig
— Alex Wade
A lighter moment to close.
Colour, movement —
and a player enjoying the instrument for what it is.
That’s the point of all of this.
The Making
— Edward Jay
Materials, and moving parts.
These instruments are made in small numbers, and often begin as conversations rather than orders.
If something here resonates with you, please get in touch. I’m always happy to hear from players.