FTX-085 - THE MAN IN THE MOON

'SCAN' TESTER - CONCERTINA

AND BANDONION

Lewis Tester (1886-1972) playing waltzes, step dances, schottisches, polkas, country dances, quadrilles and a broom dance, as well as performing 3 songs and a story about playing on Brighton beach. Recorded in 1963 by Peter Kennedy at Scan's home at Horsted Keynes, near Haywards Heath, Sussex. Scan plays both Anglo concertina and a larger similar type of instrument called a BANDONION, made in Germany, but better known in Argentina and Brazil where it was used as a dance accompaniment for the Tango. After playing the first tune, Peter asked him if he thought man would ever land in the moon and Scan replied not in his lifetime. In those days we still thought it was made of green cheese but, in fact, it was only six years before the name became a reality and changed our view of our nearest neighbour.

1. THE MAN IN THE MOON (Waltz) played on bandonion - 1'19"

2. Talk about the bandonion/ WALTZ #1/ WALTZ #2/ talk after - 3'09"

3. SCHOTTISCHE #1 played on bandonion - 1'09"

4. Talk about the previous tune and music in his own family - 4'01"

5. THE JENNY LIND POLKA played on an Anglo-concertina made by Crabb - 1'24"

6. SCHOTTISCHE #2 played on bandonion in two keys - 2'20"

7. THE HEEL AND TOE POLKA played on bandonion - 1'30"

8. SCHOTTISCHE #3 played on bandonion - 1'08"

9. WALTZ #3 played on bandonion with talk - 1'55"

10. Talk about playing with other instruments - 1'09"

11. SCHOTTISCHE-POLKA played on bandonion - 1'37"

12. THE STEP WALTZ (or VARSOVIANA) played on bandonion - 1'26"

13. THE BROOM DANCE played on Anglo-concertina (talk before & after) - 2'09"

14. COUNTRY STEP TUNE #1 played on Anglo (talk after) - 1'38"

15. COUNTRY STEP TUNE #2 played on Anglo - 1'03"

16. Talk about concertina and playing on Brighton Beach - 2'06"

17. BARBARY BELL (Country Dance) played on Anglo - 0'45"

18. THE LANCERS Tunes played on Anglo (talk after) - 2'41"

19. Song: JEALOUSY (or POISON IN A GLASS OF WINE) 2 verses with talk after - 0'51"

20. Song: THE FALSE BRIDE (or FORLORN LOVER) 2 verses - 0'59"

21. Song: THE LAKES OF COLDFLYNN talk before - 6'43"

22. Tune of the previous song played on the Anglo concertina - 0'30"

Recorded & edited by Peter Kennedy & first published on Folktrax Cassettes 1975.

LEWIS TESTER was born at Chelwood Common, Sussex on 7th September 1886. He was given the name Scan from a teacher at school. He was small for his age and the teacher used to say: "Come here, you little scanteloper" and the name stuck. His musical experience began at the age of 8 when he started to play the tambourine with older musicians. His elder brothers both played concertinas and the three of them used to play together before the First World War. Scan's father owned a pub and cider orchards and, as a youngster, Scan worked in his father's brick-fields. He also had a job bringing fresh fish to the village from Brighton every day. Between the wars the family had a dance band known as "The Tester Imperial". They used to organise dances locally two or three times a week, giving dancing lessons half-an-hour beforehand. In this band Scan played fiddle, his wife drums and his daughter, Daisy, piano. His brother, Will, played the bandonion, but occasionally Scan took this over, enjoying its deeper sound.

An article about Scan with photographs and an interview with Vic Smith appeared in TRADITIONAL MUSIC No. 4 (Mid 1976).