Green’s Dictionary of Slang

constant screamer n.

a concertina.

1860		Salisbury & Winchester Jrnl 25 Aug. 3/4: When Ike began to learn music [...] the constant screamer was his favourite instrument.
1876		Eve. Jrnl (Adelaide) 5 Dec. 3/7: One of the most awful engines of destruction has been the concertina, or as it is more properly named the ‘constant screamer’.
1885		Manchester Courier 30 May 13/5: I can [...] play the constant screamer [...] my wife plays on the peanner.
1886		Indep. (Footscray, Vic.) 3 Apr. 2/6: Mr Patrick [...] received a well-deserved encore for his excellent manipulation of the ‘Constant Screamer’.
1895		Daily Tel. 20 Dec. in Ware (1909) 90/1: Tommy of the Artillery and Army Service is brimful of music hall talent, and nightly upon the foredeck to the melody of a ‘Constant-Screamer’ he warbles, solo or chorus, ‘Off to Ashantee’.
1899		Clarence River Advocate (NSW) 12 May 6/4: There was dancing every night and all night to the music of a constant screamer.
1906		S. Bucks Herald 3 Nov. 7/3: He is well known as the prince of concertina players, and under his dextrous manipulation the instrument sounds more like a small organ than the proverbial ‘constant screamer’.
1909		J. Ware Passing Eng. of the Victorian Era.
1936		Sthn Mail (Bowral, NSW) 26 May 4/3: an old concertina [...] Bingle ranks rather high as a bush antiquarian. In addition to the old ‘constant screamer’ and himself, he has quite a fine collection of Victorian relics.
2002		Pete’s Aussie Sl. Home Page 🌐 constant screamer: a concertina.