A 24 hour accordion play-a-thon is to be held in Portadown this May to raise money for two charities.
The Ulster Accordion Bands will be hosting the marathon musical event that they have termed a ‘Box-A-Thon’ – in recognition of the nickname of the box-shaped instrument.
Accordionists from all over the county will descend on St Columba’s Hall on the Loughgall Road, Portadown at 8pm on Friday, May 2, where they will play in sessions right through the night and following day, finishing at 8pm on Saturday, May 3.
Ewan McNeill – who formed Ulster Accordion Bands in 2023 to help promote accordion bands and to bring some positivity and build a sense of togetherness for the already existing accordion community – said the play-a-thon is a brilliant chance to “give back”.
The charities chosen to be the recipients of the fundraising effort are Cash 4 Kids NI and Light of Foot.
Cash 4 Kids provides much needed support to families in our community and aims to improve the lives of disadvantaged children who are affected by poverty, illness, neglect or have additional needs.
And, Light of Foot is a charity that was started “by band people for band people”. They provide support for band people suffering from mental health problems, as well as spreading suicide awareness and prevention.
Of the running order on the evening, Ewan said: “We will be starting off with a session that anyone can play in for the first two hours and after that we are going to be having a few different solos, duets and groups throughout the night.
“The first band is on at 10am and then it will be bands right through until 8pm on Saturday night.
“It’s something different and we have a bit of a community now within the group to have a bit of fellowship and craic together.”
Ewan – who has been playing accordion for approximately 14 years – believes the group promotes a strong advocacy for accordion bands.
He adds: “This will be a great success, no doubt, and an excellent opportunity for us to display all that’s good about our band scene.
“If people want to come along there will be plenty to do and lots of people to talk to.”
Ewan is inviting anyone who wants to take part to get in contact via the Ulster Accordion Bands Facebook page here.
There will also be a number of trade stalls on the evening for accordion sales and tea/coffee and refreshments.
A programme of events will also be printed which local businesses can support by purchasing a space. Contact Ewan through Ulster Accordion Bands Facebook page here for more information.
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