07 May 2016

World Fiddle Day, 21 May 2016 - the Skip Gorman connection

World Fiddle Day will be held this year in two weeks' time, on Saturday 21 May 2016  - with the notable anticipatory exception mentioned below.

World Fiddle Day was set up four years ago by Donegal fiddler and music scholar CaoimhĂ­n Mac Aoidh to embrace and celebrate all the instruments of the violin and fiddle families, all who play them, and all the music that can come out of them. The project has the close support of Fiddler Magazine. Much more information is on the World Fiddle Day website and Facebook.

Those who are convinced that Co. Kerry is several steps ahead of the rest of the world are proved right: the Sliabh Luachra Music Trail website reports that this year Scartaglin will celebrate World Fiddle Day the previous Monday, 16 May. The organisers announce:

This will be our third festival having started in 2013. Our first event attracted seventeen fiddle players including an American bluegrass musician who was touring Ireland that month. His name was Skip Gorman and to celebrate his birthday we visited Scartaglin where he gave a workshop on American fiddle styles and tunings.

This of course is the Skip Gorman who will be playing at Athy, Co. Kildare* (see the BIB for 5 May), on the day the fun starts at Scartaglin. Skip's credentials in bluegrass are indicated by the photo above from several decades back, in which he is playing mandolin under the eyes of the Father of Bluegrass and the legendary promoter Carlton Haney. He has similar credentials in old-time music as a founder member of the Deseret String Band.

* The BIB awaits news of possible other appearances by Skip in Ireland.

Update I: Thanks to P.J. Teahan, who writes: 'You will find Skip Gorman and singer Connie Dover in Scartaglin, Co. Kerry, on May 21 2016. As part of World Fiddle Day celebrations they will play in concert at 3 p.m. in Scartaglin Heritage Centre. Later that evening at 7.30 Skip Gorman will be one of 35 fiddle players being recorded by RTE radio from our World Fiddle Day concert.' The BIB apologises to P.J. for publishing a shorter text, lacking details of the evening concert, as a comment to this post.

Update II: Thanks to Sharon Loughrin, who writes: 'I was given some leaflets this week for a show [Skip]'s playing along with Connie in The Gables, Carland, Dungannon, Co. Tyrone, on Sun. 29 May at 8.00 p.m. (free admission). I'm also told there is a show in Ardara.'

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1 Comments:

At 1:53 pm, Blogger Unknown said...

You will find Skip Gorman and singer Connie Dover in Scartaglin on May 21 where they will give a concert at 3pm at Scartaglin Heritage Centre as part of our World Fiddle Day Celebration .

 

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