The Valiant and The Alexander - Mary Humphreys and Anahata

Two English 48 bar jigs.
The Valiant was written by Simon Ritchie, a fine melodeon player, singer, stepdancer, musician for Thaxted Morris and expert on East Anglian folk music.
The Alexander (spelt "Allexander" in the original) is from the William Clarke manuscript from Feltwell in Norfolk. A version of the tune with a similar name is also in the Thomas Hardy tune book.
Mary Humphreys - English concertina
Anahata - Oakwood melodeon
You'll find the whole William Clarke ms in ABC format on Mary's web site www.maryhumphre...
Posted mainly for the benefit of Dave Jolly (www.jollybox.co.uk) who heard us play them yesterday and wanted the tunes.

[@frfancha]

"Posted mainly for the benefit of Dave Jolly" no no my friend, posted for the benefit of us all we are really grateful for that!

[@tjsmithdog5]

You two are absolute dynamite together. You simply play with unbelievable precision. Thanks!

[@steveandisaw3522]

I've just spent a very happy half hour dancing a Charlston to this video. Thank you both so much.

[@MaryHumphreys]

Apologies for all the distracting boxes ( and Dyson) in the background - we have now acquired a screen to hide them!

[@garybrindle6715]

They are very well behaved, ours used to be very noisy which sucked....

[@feelock6452]

I'm always astonished, whenever I hear this, that it's actually written fairly recently. It sounds perfectly traditional. Mr Ritchie, he are a god in yooman form! Fee x

[@TheCryptKeeper8]

So glad I bought your CD's.

[@nikkidavies4823]

ordered the cd from my local music shop, realy enjoying it

[@paulcaswell2813]

@@nikkidavies4823I have a sneaking feeling that 'Out of Reach' resides in the cardboard boxes behind...

[@anahatamelodeon]

@@paulcaswell2813 Just spotted this! They are certainly full of CDs. The markings I can see are FL = Fenlandia, FV = Floating Verses (all gone now), ER = English Rebellion. There'll be some "Cold Fen" there too. Out of Reach, however, was made 2 years after this video!

[@nannymac47]

Bravo! Fun and infectious. Can either one of you smile?

[@Mandolin1944]

Never heard either of these tunes before but they are wonderful. The Allexander is certainly a different tune from Alexander's Hornpipe! Great video.

[@efdiyi]

I love the first one! very nice to listen
Fernando

[@patrickchoux9187]

J'adore vous écouter jouer, j'apprécie beaucoup ce genre de musique, l'accordéon diatonique et le bandonéon sont de très beaux instruments, continuez, vous êtes formidables

[@horaceffitch]

Luvly stuff - keep those gems coming!

[@echosoloconcertina8637]

It's so beautiful, thank you!

[@tangimate]

Great music as always.

[@paulcaswell2813]

I can't somehow see the Alexander working at that speed on a Pokerwork LOL!

[@anahatamelodeon]

Will have to try that...

[@paulcaswell2813]

Have fun!!!

[@ColRAPR]

Outstanding !

[@zimmie99]

Brilliant!

[@archulucky]

I always liked the valiant

[@thunorwodenson]

Lovely tunes!

[@ColRAPR]

Bravo !

[@leonardfleet50]

Foot-tapping stuff!, great!

[@Jack-fs2im]

Wish you could come to my folk club and play,great thanx

[@anahatamelodeon]

Maybe we could. Which folk club is that?

[@Jack-fs2im]

In South London.where are you,they would lover yr music,yr greeeaaatttt.

[@efdiyi]

I love the first one! very nice to listen
Fernando

[@ColRAPR]

Outstanding !!