Three days of foot-stomping music

It's hard to get an invitation to a Natalie MacMaster-Donnell Leahy kitchen party. For one thing, the internationally renowned fiddle champions and multiple Juno Award winners are too busy touring with their six children and hosting sold-out gigs.

But this weekend, after completing a six-week tour of the United States, the musical couple is leaving the kids at their Ontario farm and flying out solo for Calvin Vollrath's 2015 Spring Fling at the Morinville Community Cultural Centre.

“It's almost like a vacation for them,” laughs Vollrath who can't say enough good things about the down-to-earth superstar couple.

The 22nd annual Spring Fling, held May 22 to 24, is Vollrath's traditional event to release new CDs he's created during the quieter, productive winter months.

This year marks 40 years of fiddling and the three-time fiddle champ is releasing two albums – Approved Canadian Fiddler and Certified Canadian Fiddler.

“They're no different than having a Volume 1 and Volume 2,” explains Vollrath.

Coincidentally, the MacMaster-Leahy duo's One received a worldwide release on April 28.

One is the first album the two musical prodigies recorded together since they met as teenagers, founded individual massive careers, married and raised children.

“We intended recording together when we married but we were booked 18 months to two years in advance. We were committed as a couple and the record never emerged. There was always another emergency and a baby arrived and then another baby and another baby. Finally two years ago, we decided to record an album,” says Leahy of the famed Leahy clan.

After a chance meeting with legendary producer Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd/Alice Cooper/Johnny Reid), the virtuosic couple headed to Cape Breton for a recording session.

Both contributed from their collection creating an unparalleled musicality with energy and freshness.

“We left the kids for eight days. It was the first time in 10 years. We had a riot. It was so invigorating.”

One is a completely instrumental album with the exception of Cagaran Gaolach sung by MacMaster, marking her first vocal appearance on an album.

Other tracks include the driving up-tempo of Fiddler's Despair, Pastiche for Anne using a drum kit made of paint cans and Wedding Day Jig, and a tune the couple wrote on their wedding eve as a gift for guests.

One of the album tracks is St. Nicks, a medley that incorporates a tune Vollrath composed for MacMaster during her appearance at the 2013 Spring Fling.

Tickled to know that the couple had included his tune in their mix, Vollrath wrote a second instrumental dubbed One for Donnell which will be unveiled this weekend.

Spring Fling follows the traditional format of previous years with a Friday night dinner and dance; Saturday night is the CD release party and Sunday is the 14th annual Fiddle Gala, a prairie style kitchen party.

MacMaster and Leahy perform both Friday and Saturday night.