What Morris Players Told Us at Upton Folk Festival

Upton Upon Severn, Old Friends, New Conversations and Plenty of Tunes

Upton Upon Severn Folk Festival always has a wonderful atmosphere. Old friends reappear, new conversations begin, Morris sides fill the streets and everywhere you turn there are musicians laughing, talking and playing tunes.

We spent the weekend on our trade stand meeting players and pals, demonstrating instruments and listening carefully to the kinds of things Morris musicians actually notice when they pick up a melodeon.

Interestingly, many of the conversations kept returning to the same themes: responsiveness, carrying power, weight and how an instrument behaves outdoors.

Weight Matters More Than People Think

One experienced Morris player told us:

“I bought a Castagnari because I was told they were nice but it’s too heavy for Morris.”

It was a very honest observation and one that probably reflects the experience of more players than people realise.

In a showroom, many instruments can feel impressive for a few minutes. Morris playing is different. Long days outdoors, walking, dancing and playing in busy environments quickly make players notice weight, balance and responsiveness in a very practical way.

For many Morris musicians, a melodeon is not simply judged by craftsmanship or reputation alone. It has to work outdoors, project clearly and remain comfortable to play for extended periods.

Projection and Outdoor Playing

Another recurring theme was projection.

Players repeatedly spoke about wanting instruments that could cut through outdoors without feeling harsh or difficult to control.

One player speaking about a Dino Baffetti Equinox explained:

“I love my Dino Baffetti Equinox because it’s fourth button start and I can get low fiddle G and I find it so nice to play and when I want to be heard I can be heard.”

That last phrase probably captures exactly what many Morris and session players are searching for — an instrument with enough authority and projection to be heard clearly when needed, while still remaining musical and enjoyable to play.

Instruments Become Part of the Team

Another lovely moment over the weekend was seeing Julie Anne out playing with a customised Dino Baffetti finished in the colours of her Morris side.

It was a reminder that, for many players, these instruments become much more than simply tools for making music. They become part of performances, teams, traditions and personal identity.

Among all the conversations about projection, responsiveness and outdoor playing, there was also a strong sense of pride and personality connected to the instruments people choose to play.

The Turner Prototype Instruments

We also brought along two Turner prototype melodeons which generated a great deal of interest throughout the weekend.

The instruments are still at prototype stage, but the overall reaction from players was extremely encouraging. The comments consistently focused on punch, responsiveness and outdoor usability.

One player described the prototype as:

“As punchy as hell”

while another commented:

“The prototype is the ultimate Morris box — you’ve got it so right. Great for playing outdoors and wonderful for sessions.”

What was particularly interesting was that players were not only discussing projection and outdoor performance, but also how the instruments behaved in sessions. Again and again, people seemed to value instruments that combined projection, warmth and responsiveness.

The two prototype instruments — one fitted with Tipo A Mano reeds and the other with A Mano reeds — were both very well received across the weekend.

Saltarelle Aether III Reactions

The Saltarelle Aether III also attracted particularly strong reactions from experienced players.

One musician described it as:

“The best Saltarelle I have ever played, great projection and lovely tone.”

That combination of projection and tonal character seemed to matter enormously to players trying instruments in busy real-world conditions rather than quiet showroom environments.

Morris Playing and Session Playing Are Closely Connected

One of the most interesting things we noticed over the weekend was how often players talked about Morris playing and session playing together.

Very few players seemed interested in instruments that only did one job well.

Instead, many appeared to be searching for instruments that were:

• light enough for long outdoor use
• responsive and enjoyable to play
• powerful enough for Morris
• musical enough for sessions afterwards

That balance between projection, comfort and musicality came up repeatedly throughout the festival.

Looking Ahead to Chippenham

Upton was a thoroughly enjoyable weekend with plenty of conversations, tunes and interesting feedback from players across the folk scene.

We’ll also be taking instruments to Chippenham later this month and it will be interesting to see whether players there respond in similar ways.

In the meantime, you can explore our current range of melodeons here, including instruments from Saltarelle, Dino Baffetti and selected instruments from the Kingfisher range.

And if you’re heading to Chippenham later this month, do come and say hello.