The Yorkshire Accordion Player - Accordionist
The Yorkshire Accordion Player took up the accordion in his early twenties, after playing guitar and bassoon for the previous decade, and has been playing professionally ever since.
He has performed in a great variety of places including:
Restaurants, Markets, Fairs, Vintage Car Rallies, Ferries, Thames Cruise Ships, Stately Homes, Center Parcs, Barns, Museums, Public Parks, City Centre Events, Car Launches, Castle Howard, Hotels, Care Homes and Conferences.
The Yorkshire Accordion Player has a wide-ranging repertoire of popular and international standards from the 1890's to the 1980s (see his Song List / Repertoire pages for a taste of each category.)
He is also available for these four categories of themed events: French, English, Italian or Scottish.
The Yorkshire Accordion Player provides his own mains powered amplification, and uses it sensitively, ie. not drowning out conversation when booked to create a particular ambiance. The sound carries well without being loud.
Song sheets for Singalongs:
It's possible, in consultation with the booker, to develop a customised song sheet for small gatherings (up to 60 people), and the accordionist will accompany and gently lead the singing. This could be a portion of the event, lasting perhaps 25 minutes.
View similar acts:
The Yorkshire Accordion Player - Accordionist Repertoire
A General Mix of Instrumental Music
- Medley of lively dance tunes 1920's - 40's: Whispering / Lady Be Good / Bye Bye Baby
- Nice gentle tune from My Fair Lady: On the Street Where You Live
- Livelier tune from My Fair Lady: Ascot Gavotte
- 1931 & 1968 favourite: Dream a Little Dream of Me
- Medley of Elvis tunes: Are You Lonesome Tonight / Love Me Tender / Wise Men Say / Wooden Heart
- 1941 & 1962 hit: I Remember You
- Lively tunes medley: I'm Sitting on Top of the World 1925 / Top of the World 1972
- Germanic: Falling in Love Again / Ländler (oompah tune)
- 1913 & 1935 & 1975 Trail of the Lonesome Pine
- 1940-1967 The famous Eric Coates march "Calling All Workers", signature tune for Music While You
- Work, played 4 times a day on the radio for several decades!
- Waltzes 1927, 1953, 1964 Ramona & 1960 Try to Remember
- Brilliant tunes medley: Dixon of Dock Green (50's) / I'm Leaning on a Lamp Post (30's)
- Tangos (30's & 50's) Donna Clara / Hernando's Hideaway
- Mancini medley 1960's : Charade / Moon River
- Scottish Medley: Dark Island / Road to the Isles / Bluebell Polka
- Italian 50's medley: Cara Mia / Santa Lucia
- Edith Piaf: Vie en Rose, la (see the French list for lots more)
- Lively dance tunes: Putting on the Ritz / Top Hat / Pick Yourself Up
- French/ American 1950's Trois Cloches, les (aka Ballad of Jimmy Brown)
- 1940's: Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square
- TV themes: Fawlty Towers / Last of the Summer Wine
- Sunny Afternoon (The Kinks 1966)
- English Folk Tunes: Greensleeves / Brigg Fair / Scarborough Fair
- Scottish Waltzes: Highland Cradle Song / My Home / Waters of Kylescu
- Sealed with a Kiss (Brian Hyland 1962) (Jason Donovan 1989)
- Man of Mystery (1960) and Wonderful Land (1962) (The Shadows)
- Blackberry Way, 1968 Roy Wood of The Move
- Lover's Concerto, 1965 The Toys, 1725 Anna Magdalena's Notebook
- You Don't Know 1961 Helen Shapiro
- If I Fell (1964) / Here There and Everywhere (1966) The Beatles
- Michelle (1965) The Beatles
- The Seekers, various: The Carnival is Over, The Island of Dreams, Georgy Girl, World of Our Own, I'll
- Never Find Another You
- Clair (1972) Alone Again Naturally (1972) by Gilbert O'Sullivan
French
- Bal de la Marine
- Carte Postale
- Les Champs Elysées
- Collines de la Mandchourie
- Compainte de la Butte
- Domino
- Gottingen / Nantes (French songs by Barbara)
- Lonely Accordion (= Joli Mai)
- Milord / Poor People of Paris (Edith Piaf)
- Parapluies de Cherbourg
- P'tit Bal du Samedi Soir
- Je te Veux (Satie)
- Souvenir du Limousin
- Vie en Rose, la (Piaf)
Italian
- Albinoni's Adagio Short version.
- Anema e Core (1950 Italian popular song, aka How Wonderful to Know aka With All My Heart and Soul)
- Arrivederci Roma (1955)
- Azzurro (1968)
- Isle of Capri (1934)
- Barcarolle, by Offenbach (1880)
- Bella Notte (Disney, Lady & the Tramp)
- Cara Mia 1954 / Santa Lucia c.1850
- Come Prima (1958) aka More Than Ever
- La Forza del Destino (Verdi), themes from....
- Funiculi Funicula (1880)
- Godfather Love Theme (1972)
- Godfather Tarantella (1972)
- Godfather Waltz (1972)
- Il Bacio by Luigi Arditi 1822-1903
- Luno Mezzo Mare (trad)
- Mattinata (1904) (Ruggiero Leoncavallo)
- Mona Lisa (1949)
- O Sole Mio (1898 Eduardo di Capua)
- Theme from Zafirelli's "Romeo and Juliet" 1968
- Piacer d'Amor aka Plaisir d'Amour (1784)
- Papaveri e Papere aka Poppa Piccolino (1952)
- Ritorna Me (1957) / Three Coins in the Fountain (1954)
- Tarantellas 1 & 2
- That's amore (1953)
- Torna a Surriento (1902)
- Volare (1958) / Ciao Ciao Bambina (1959)
Scottish
I am generally asked to play for dining / socialising rather than the specialised Scottish Dancing.
So I play mixed-tempo medleys of Scottish tunes. Just one example, featuring very well-known song tunes:
The Dark Island / The Road to the Isles / Bluebell Polka
Thus the medleys are varied, the tunes are played only about twice each, and I will have played 60 - 70 different tunes in a typical dinner session.
The Yorkshire Accordion Player - Accordionist Feedback
“The Yorkshire Accordion Player was punctual and dressed as requested. He added a lovely feel to the event and would definitely recommend to others.
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“What a delightful gentleman! It was a pleasure to liaise with the accordionist to plan my Father’s 90th Birthday celebration. He even produced 51 song sheets for the guests to have a sing-a-long. He is a very accomplished musician and is aware of getting the volume right- which he did. Nothing is too much trouble for him. Communication was excellent, he came with enough time to set up and played unobtrusively. He was enjoyed by all and made the party go with a swing. I’m so pleased we found The Yorkshire Accordion Player, he was perfect and I would definitely recommend him.
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“He was lovely. Very happy with the music he played. My late mum would have enjoyed his playing immensely. Did exactly what was required. Would definitely use him again. Many thanks.
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“Wow what can I say. He was amazing at our wedding, we loved him being there & well his talent is just amazing. He made our wedding breakfast amazing as typical Italians we like loud and fun & he defiantly gave us that. I would love to use him again! Thank you again.
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“He was terrific. His accordion playing was
excellent and just right for then occasion. He was unobtrusive and move around, so he was never in anyone's way but everyone could hear him. His repertoire is extensive and all the tunes were known to us , such as film and tv themes and traditional English and French country tunes. I would certainly recommend him.
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“He arrived early, he was very professional, he was amicable and highly entertaining. We think he had an extremely good manner. Would book him again.
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“Hi Geoff, Firstly, I want to thank you for being so accommodating at such last minute, and also a HUGE thank you to our performer who was unbelievable. Everyone absolutely loved him, he was smartly dressed and played beautifully. He also integrated very well within the party and was exactly what everyone needed to cheer them up! I would 110% recommend him to anyone!
”
The Yorkshire Accordion Player - Accordionist Set Up
He has developed a battery-powered PA system built into my accordion case, which is loud enough for most venues and allows me to perform anywhere with no need for trailing wires.
The Yorkshire Accordion Player - Accordionist Gallery
