Noel Hill Irish Concertina School Oregon Class of 2008
(Click on photos to enlarge)
We had all but one attendee in this photo
A cluster of 30 standard sized concertinas of all makes plus note Noel's miniature on top (just above the center of the photo)
Because of their scarce numbers, some concertina players are driven to seek out others and join into regional groups. Little is known about such groups in other parts of the world but this is the rogue Oregon "Ring Finger" gang displaying their traditional recognition sign. Or maybe it's that concertina players like to display their marital status (ring finger) to brag that they were able to find a mate despite their choice of musical instrument. Actually, I don't think I was privy to the motivation for this particular finger display but the group decided it'd be a great idea to all emphasize the importance of playing a "3rd finger A."