Tonight' s Fiddle Summit is the Freight' s 13th annual warm-up for the Valley of the Moon Fiddling Camp that begins the next day. Host, Alasdair Fraser, is widely acclaimed as a performer, recording artist, and teacher of the rich fiddling tradition of his native Scotland. His vast repertoire spans several centuries and also includes his own compositions. He is justly renowned for his ability to communicate through his warmth and wit as well as through music. His richly expressive playing transports listeners across a broad spectrum ranging from haunting laments drawn from the Gaelic tradition to classically-styled airs and raucous dance tunes. He has released eight albums -- including this years duet album with pianist Paul Machlis, Legacy of the Scottish Fiddler (Culburnie). Annbjørg Lien is a master of the Hardanger fiddle, Norway' s national instrument which produces its vibrant, other-worldly sound thanks to the set of sympathetic strings, located under the bridge, that resonate as the familiar four strings are played. Equally gifted as a performer, composer, and arranger, Annbjørg is known for her meditative melodies and for the headlong sensuality of her improvisations. A member of Norway' s innovative folk group, Bukkene Bruse, and a featured soloist with Norway's leading symphony orchestras, Annbjørg' s latest album, Baba Yaga (Northside), weaves rich, resonant fiddle lines through innovative arrangements that unite Russian mythology, ethereal electronica, and Tuvan throat singing. Howie MacDonald, one of Cape Breton's finest, combines unbridled, high-energy playing with an unflinching sense of humor. Formerly with the renowned Rankins, Howie has performed throughout the world, recorded with the world' s leading players, and was featured in his own music and comedy show, Howie's Celtic Brew. In concert, Howie tells tales about the sources of the tunes and the outlandish characters surrounding the music, evoking the atmosphere of a ceilidh, the wild all-night house parties that are Cape Breton musical traditions. His most recent album is entitled CapeBretonFiddleMusicNOTCalm. |
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