How did I miss this? In early August, 989 accordion players assembled in St. John’s (where else?) to break a world record:
Dubbed the “Accordion Revolution,” the event–held in a downtown park as part of the St. John’s Folk Festival–drew participants from beyond Newfoundland and Labrador, including other provinces, the United States and the French territories of St-Pierre-Miquelon.
“If you like accordions, it sounded great. If you don’t like accordions it sounded horrible,” joked Fergus O’Byrne, a founding member of the band Ryan’s Fancy and a staple in the capital’s folk scene for more than three decades.
Wow, that’s an insightful assessment. Apparently they played a Maritime standard called Mussels in the Corner. Here’s a page dedicated to the Accordion Revolution. Sadly, there’s no video.
DarrenBarefoot.com 
You’re not the Accordion Guy, are you?
See photo at http://www.cbc.ca/story/arts/national/2005/08/06/Arts/accordian-record-050806.html.
Note typo in their url!
how did you miss this? I’m still trying to figure out how you didn’t!
In Edinburgh, there will be massed pipe band event next week: http://www.pipefest.com/.
They expect more than 400 bands, and at the massed band event that will mean (assuming an average of only 5 pipers per band, very low) at least 2000 bagpipes, and more likely 4000.
Kimberley, BC will be sad.
http://www.kiotac.ca/
This summer they aimed to make that record out on the Platzl…and maybe did? But with 644 players.
Now St. John’s has up and beat ’em.
Perhaps you’d also be interested in the BC fellow who set the world record for solo hanbell in July?
http://www.cbc.ca/story/arts/national/2005/07/06/Arts/ringbell050706.html