World Fiddle Day
“Fire on the mountain, run boy run, cause the devil went down to Georgia!”
“You ain’t gonna bring that devil’s box in this here church!”
“Now you people stop moving your feet to that fiddle music, it just ain’t right!”
“Fiddle and a bow, and the firelight glows, you can hear that lonesome sound. I’ll leave behind my troublin’ mind, and go the whole world ‘round.”
“And the winner of the Grand National Fiddle Contest is….”
Just think, if the fiddle hadn’t been invented you’d never hear or read statements like that. In any case, the government of Canada has declared Saturday, May 18, 2019, “World Fiddle Day.” So what the heck does that mean?
According to sources, “World Fiddle Day is the one day in the year when all of those who play the fiddle can celebrate its wondrous beauty. It is celebrated annually on the Saturday closest to May 19th. It always falls on a Saturday in order to allow the maximum amount of people to have the time to enjoy the day and its activities to the fullest. It occurs in May to maximize the opportunities in both the northern (spring) hemisphere and southern (autumn) hemisphere to hold outdoor events involving groups of people. The significance of the 19th day of the month is that it was the day of the month of Antonio Stradivari’s passing.” I always had a hunch that Antonio was a fiddler at heart.
There are all kinds of fiddling, which include the following styles: Blues; Cajun and Zydeco; Appalachian; Athabaskan (from Alaska); Midwestern; Ozarks; Texas; New England; Northwest; Tohono O’odham (Native American); Bluegrass; Country; Western Swing; Canadian; Cape Breton; French Canadian; Newfoundland & Labrador; Maritimes; English Canadian; African; Indian; and permutations of all
the above. You get the idea, there is one basic wood and wire, four or five string instrument that gets its voice(s) from all over the planet.
The first person I ever heard play the fiddle live was a guy named Leonard Smith. Leonard lived in the Missouri Ozarks, where there are many fiddlers. The unique thing about Leonard is that he only had one arm. He lost his arm in a hunting accident, but continued to play the fiddle. “Determination,” “tenacity,” and “grit” can’t begin to describe Leonard’s fiddle journey, a journey that spit in the eye of one of destiny’s practical jokes. Leonard has since passed. I’m not saying that Leonard was a man firmly set in his ways, but I do think St. Peter had a tough time convincing Leonard to trade in his fiddle for a harp.
Other fiddlers I’ve had the opportunity to hear live are Ray Park (Vern Williams Band), Byron Berline, Richard Greene, Kenny Baker, Darrell Anger, Michael Cleveland, Hunter Berry (Rhonda Vincent band), Annie Staninec (Kathy Kallick Band, Rod Stewart Band), Nicky Sanders (Steep Canyon Rangers), Jason Carter (Del McCoury Band), Ed Neff (Blue and Lonesome Band), Paul Shelasky (many bands), and lots of others who have graced the stage at the CBA’s Fathers’ Day Festivals over the past forty years. Oh, almost forgot, Rick “Lefty” Cornish (CBA luminary), who you can spot at many a jam session here-and there-and everywhere in between at various bluegrass festivals and CBA Campouts.
Okay, World Fiddle Day, but what would that be without some fiddle jokes? Here are some (not meant to offend – some of my best friends are fiddlers).
Q – Why did the fiddler cross the road?
A – It was the chicken’s day off.
Q – How do you tell the difference between a fiddle player and a dog?
A – The dog knows when to stop scratching.
“Haven’t I seen your face before?” a judge demanded.
“Yes your Honor,” the man answered hopefully. “I gave your son fiddle lessons.”
“Ah yes,” recalled the judge. “Twenty years!”
Okay, that’s it for this Welcome Column. As I write this I’ve just returned from a week’s stay at the Vile Inn, which is located just out of Wedlock, Georgia. It was a special fiddle week, because there was a “Fiddle-Hoedown,” with 1,000 fiddlers
showing up for what was called, “The World’s Greatest Fiddle Contest.” The grand prize was a shiny, golden fiddle, donated by an older guy named Johnny, who said, “I just don’t take the time to play it anymore, but I used to be good, really good, until arthritis took my hands.” Most of the contestants who competed are well known, since they are winners of previous major fiddle contests all over the world. One entry, however, had the contest entry committee puzzled, a Luci Furr, who was unknown to everyone, and for some reason made the fiddle contest committee members nervous upon receiving this contestant’s entry application. In the comments section of the application Luci offered to bring deviled eggs. Believe it or not, Mr. Ripley, believe it or not.
Who won this contest? The judges are still trying to decide.
BTW, Cloverdale Fiddle Festival RIP….
