Morinville Community Cultural Centre to host national fiddling championships

Strike the bow!

For the first time in the 27-year history of the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Championships, it will be held in Alberta – more specifically the Morinville Community Cultural Centre.

This three-day affair takes place Aug. 26 to 28 with a Friday fiddle legends show and dance, followed by Saturday competition preliminaries and finals. It caps with a Sunday pancake and jam.

“We are thrilled this prestigious event will be held in Morinville,” said Mayor Lisa Holmes via email. “This weekend is a fantastic opportunity for the community to experience some of the finest fiddlers in Canada.”

About 35 national fiddlers will compete in the by-invitation-only contest.

“For us, that’s a significant number,” said former Morinville resident Calvin Vollrath.

The two-time North American Grand Fiddle Champion is a 15-year board member for the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Association and was largely instrumental in bringing the competition to his hometown.

As Vollrath explains it, Len Grace and a group of like-minded cronies founded the fiddling association to preserve traditional Canadian fiddling while giving top fiddlers national recognition.

For 23 years the competitions were held exclusively in Ottawa, the association’s birthplace. By 2013, Saskatoon managed to break the stranglehold and hosted the first competition outside Ottawa.

“It was a huge success. Fiddle players from the rest of the country attended and it inspired people to do more,” Vollrath said.

The buzz reignited interest across the country and three associations forged an alliance – Alberta Society of Fiddlers, The Wild Rose Old Tyme Fiddlers Association and The Prairie Mountain Fiddlers.

Together they lobbied and raised upwards of $35,000 to attract the competition.

Four past champions are returning to perform including retired 2011 Edmonton champ Daniel Gervais.

The other past champions making their way to Alberta are Ontario fiddlers Greg Henry and Paul Lemelin, and James Steele of Saskatchewan.

“We need the young guys inspiring youth and they are pumped,” Vollrath said.

The Friday night kick-off is dubbed Alberta Fiddle Legends and Dance, an evening to remember and honour Alberta masters.

“Usually Friday night is just a jam session and social. Here in Alberta we wanted to honour Albertans’ contributions to Canada’s fiddling music and now other cities are doing the same.”

Roy Warhurst of Pincher Creek’s Sons of the Pioneers will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award.

In addition, those who have passed away will also be acclaimed. There is Medicine Hat’s Al Cherny who spent 25 years on The Tommy Hunter Show. Edmonton’s Frankie Rodgers, King Gannon of Gaby Haas television fame and Métis fiddler Gilbert Anderson will receive a special salute.

“Gilbert brought Métis tunes and culture to us. Now everybody in Canada that’s a fiddler owes a debt of thanks to Gilbert.”

Saturday is the by-invitation-only competition and margin for error will be tight.

“They are all the best players in Canada.”

The Sunday Pancakes and Jam is designed for fiddle players and fans to join in and strut their skills.

“Everybody is excited. Most fiddle players only see each other once a year. I hope we inspire the young ones that are coming next. Now that the competition is moving across the country, some wonderful things are coming out of it.”