Old Barn Dances –
Lockyer Valley
(Recorded in August 1986)
A sequence of old Lockyer Valley barn dances played on button accordion by Norm Boughen and Ron Kerle of Minden. Norm and Ron knew literally hundreds of dance and song tunes from the German pioneering communities that have been played for generations by the local button accordion players. Many hours of Norm and Ron’s playing is now held by the National Library of Australia (NLA) in their Oral History collections.
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Brilliant – where can I get this music in a form that a beginner can play?
As a child I remember the dances in our families barns. My Great Grandfather Victor Michael Ilka was well known in the Lockyer Valley as an Button Accordion player,his name is in the Newspaper archives listed as music by M or V Ilka for many events, of course I grew up on a diet of music and dancing. My grandfather Martin Luck also played the button accordion and he could make his Harmonica sing he to played in the local barns mostly at the Glen Cairn school functions. My dad continued the tradition as children when the music began we would each of us find anything that made a sound and join in we would use spoons, boxes, a cup or glass, if it can make a sound it can make music. Three of my brothers are able to play the button accordion and one still has my dads accordion. I can vaguely remember Ron Kerle who was a friend of Dads. there is no photo upload or I would have added a pic of mum and Dad with his accordion.