Programme Presenters

In no particular order

Ray Simpson

Raymond Simpson is an expert in traditional Australian music, dance and legend. His grandfathers both played in old time dance bands, and one of them even rode with the real Man From Snowy River--Jack Riley. 

Ray plays concertina, accordion, didgeridoo, carpenter's saw, bones, spoons, lagerphone and many more!. He can call dances, sing and demonstrate dances in fine style. 

Mike Martin

Mike's musical journey started in North Wales and took him on a long journey in search of the 'meaning of life'.  
Travelling and working and playing music in South America, Central America, and North America before coming to Australia via New Zealand.
The stars aligned and on his first attempt at busking in Sydney he was heard by one Declan Affley and invited to a Sydney folk club where he found inspiration.Fast forward to meeting the legendary Gulgong fiddler Joe Yates and let's let him tell you about this himself.

Wayne Richmond

Always looking to enrich the sound of his English concertina Wayne was one of the players in the original Concertina Band in the 1980s. When he is not busy with his music venue Humph Hall, Wayne looks for opportunities to encourage group playing of tunes with harmonies using his compiled book of tunes. Baritone and Bass instruments are especially welcome.

Gary Lovejoy

Octave playing has been described as the distinctively Australian style of playing anglo concertina. "Dooley" Chapman recordings illustrate this quite well. Come and go through the cross-row scales needed and try a few tunes using the technique.

Dave Johnson

Dave is well known in the bush music world as singer, fiddler and concertinist. The concertina used by our bush musicians - the anglo - caught his interest some years ago and it has gradually become a favourite. A Jeffries C/G and a Dipper G/D are his tools of choice and the simple jigs and reels and waltzes are his tunes of choice.
Dave will feature a couple of tunes that Gary Lovejoy and Peter Ellis collected from button accordionist Doug Daniels at Queanbeyan on their way home from the 2008 Goulburn Gathering.

Steve Wilson

Apart from driving the enthusiasm and cobbling the weekend program together, Steve is:

  • coordinating a session on how we each began in the world of concertinas; 
  • showing his favourite concertina videos; and
  • giving a session on the history of the concertina.
  • coordinating a public display/ session to focus attention on World Concertina Day

David Hornett

David has spent considerable time working out the intricacies of the concertina in order to be able to make them.

Now he is offering to share some of his secrets on general concertina maintenance and perhaps on the more arcane making and tuning of reeds.

Carol Helman

Carol has been a mainstay of the Concertina Convergence since its contemplation and conception. She is busy travelling  at present and will have more tales of the road to share when we see her. She is hoping to guide a subdued session of beautiful tunes.