Woodstock Fiddle-Doo, 27, April, 2013

Hi everyone
Just a reminder for Monty & Helens Fiddle-Doo tomorrow at 2 PM, Masonic Hall in Woodstock. Lots of music and a potluck supper, bring your pot of beans and come for the day. This is a new location, 211 Neilson St.

Take the Connell Rd exit and travel toward to centre of town. At the third traffic light (Tim Hortons) go left on Deakin Dr and follow it to the light at Main St. Turn left at the light and Neilson St is the second street on your left.
I keep thinking that Tim Hortons may be the fourth traffic light, at any rate, turn left at Tim Hortons and you will be good 🙂
Garold

Try this map link: https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=211923888980891268402.0004b381d8a1129bff43f&msa=0&iwloc=0004be98c126d763c43d2
–Bill

East Coast Music Week

Here is a note from our Bethany

Hey Garold!
I spent the weekend in Halifax for the East Coast Music Week and I made a video about it, that I thought I’d share. I got to see a lot of fiddlers (including Ashley MacIsaac, Chrissy Crowley & Colin Grant with his band Sprag Session.. along with others) and added some clips to the video. Also, my roommate (Anita MacDonald) is going on tour next week in Maine and New Hampshire (with Jason MacDonald and Adam Young), so if you know anybody who’d be interested in going or live nearby, their tour dates are in the description of the video! I just thought if you or any of the fiddlers are looking for some new amazing fiddlers to get interested in, I suggest these ones! It was a great weekend full of amazing fiddling. I was sad we didn’t get to actually stay for the gala, but Natalie was there and she did the moonwalk during a step dance! I watched in online when we got back to Sydney. Very cool.
Anyway, I hope everything’s good with you & the fiddlers.
Tell everybody I miss them! Xoxo
Here’s the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uboOAorj3NA 🙂

Stompin Tom

Hi everyone

I am sure you have all heard that Stompin Tom Connors passed away yesterday at age 77. I attended a show of his at the Aitkin Centre in F’ton back around the time he received his Honorary Doctorate. The place was full of university kids and he came out on stage carrying a piece of plywood, threw it down on the stage and then as if it were going to suddenly move he stomped on it. Well the place went wild and for the rest of the evening, as my mother would say, you could hardly hear your ears.

Graham Townsend was on the show with him and honestly, I went to see Graham but it was a great lesson in showmanship. Connors had his plywood and he made the most of it. He wore cowboy boots with a high heel and would stomp his foot in a kicking motion so it actually scuffed across the plywood tearing off slivers of wood and every time a piece of wood would go flying the kids would scream at the top of their lungs. It appeared the plywood had been scuffed up a bit prior to the performance because in the first song, Bud the Spud, I am sure he removed the first couple of layers of wood.

It was a great evening, they did the Good Old Hockey Game for our then Premier Frank McKenna who was in the audience.

The interesting thing about Stompin Tom, was his stomp was actually on the back beat instead of the down beat which certainly added to the effect. You will notice that Natalie McMaster often trots her foot to the back beat as well, maybe they are on to something.

Garold

Playing at Amos’s funeral reception

Amos’s funeral will be Monday at 2 PM at St James, the church where we meet on Wednesdays. They would like some of the fiddlers to play at the reception following the service, which will be in the church hall, if you can attend please do.
They want more of the tunes Amos would have liked and played. I know he liked the Little Burnt Potato, Florence Killens Waltz & Carol Kennedys Waltz, The Black Velvet Band & Wearing of the Green. We could also do his Perth-Andover Clog, and just some of the old fiddle tunes that everyone knows. Here is some music, not all have tab but do what you can.
Another of his favorites was Whistlin Rufus but I don’t have it written down and we wouldn’t have time to learn it. If you know of any other tunes he liked, let me know and we will try to dig up the music and do them.
We are still planning to attend the wake tomorrow afternoon at 2:30, and some of you have said you are coming so hope to see you then. Not sure if the weather is going to cooperate or not.

Remembering Amos Kelly

1969321Hi Folks

Just got a call that Amos Kelly has passed away, he was 92. For those of you who may not have met Amos, he was one of the original Wednesday Evening Fiddlers, he played Fiddle and the Button Accordian. He liked the traditional Irish music and was a great story teller with an ever present twinkle in his eyes. He often told of his adventures while playing for dances with a local group called the Corn Huskers. One of the band members owned a truck and they travelled to their dances on the back of the truck, this was in the early 30’s when bad roads and flat tires were a common occurance.

He was a fan of the late Lee Cremo, and had all but one of his recordings. He composed the Perth-Andover clog a tune we have on file. Late years he made two recordings with Kathleen McCarthy.

He was a Welder and Blacksmith by trade working on many interesting projects over the years. The last few years he has had problems getting around and has been using a wheel chair.

Obituary
http://www.whitesfh.com/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=1969321&fh_id=11102

Garold

Fort Kent Jamboree, 10 Feb, 2013

Gospel CD recording session, 9 Feb, 2013

Nashville/Pigeon Forge trip, 7-18 August, 2013

Hi folks
Here is what we came up with for a Nashville/Pigeon Forge bus trip. Look this over and let me know if you are interested. We have to start preparing a list to see if we have enough people to do the trip. We also have to purchase Opry tickets right away to be safe. Members of the fiddle group will be listed first, then we will finish filling the bus with others.

Prices
Price per person double $1020     Total for two people   $2040
Price per person triple      $ 875     Total for three people $2625
Price per person quad      $ 800     Total for four people   $3200

Included
Deluxe Bus transportation, accommodations, admission to the Dixie Stampede Dinner Show, Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Show, Country jamboree Breakfast Show, Smokey Jamboree Opry, Comedy Barn and the Grand Ole Opry.

Not Included
Note: The following are not included in the trip price but are things we may want to do.

Nashville
We can visit the Country Music Hall of Fame, with 15 or more we can get a group price which as I recall was very reasonable in the $10 to $12 range.
Also a guided tour of the Ryman, again with a group in the $10 to $12
Our Motel is very short walk from the Midnite Jamboree Theatre again very reasonable admission.
For the shoppers our motel is walking distance from an outlet mall and only 5 minutes from the Opry Mill, another very large shopping centre.

Pigeon Forge
We attend a large Flea market on Sunday afternoon.
Dollywood is not included in trip price and is in the $40 to $45 range for the day. This price includes all the rides, shows, everything but food. In buying group tickets we get three complimentary tickets and last time we divided the total cost by the number of people and it worked out to around $41 each.

Garold

WEDNESDAY EVENING FIDDLERS NASHVILLE TOUR AUGUST 7 to 18, 2013
Aug 7 Leave Perth Andover at 6:30 for Bethel Ct.– Microtel 203-748-8318
Aug 8 Leave for Stanton Va — Microtel 540-887-0200
Aug 9 Leave for Nashville, Tn for the next 2 nights
Guesthouse 615-885-4030 – Shopping at the Opry Mills to-night
Aug 10 Downtown Nashville in the morning
Grand Ol Opry tonight
Aug 11 Leave for Pigeon Forge for the next 5 nights
Valley Forge Inn – Dixie Stampede 6pm
Aug 12 Gatlinburg this morning
Hatfield & McCoy dinner show at 5pm
Aug 13 Country Jamboree – Breakfast Show 9am
Smokey Jamboree Opry 8pm
Aug 14 Shopping in the morning
Comedy Barn 8:15pm
Aug 15 Leisure day: transportation to Dollywood will be provided – ticket not included
Aug 16 Leave for Carlisle, PA Quality Inn 717-243-7702
Aug 17 Leave for Portland, ME Super 8 207-887-7196
Christmas Tree Shop this evening
Aug 18 Leave or Home