Southeast Saskatchewan is a hub of fantastic fiddlers. This includes a group of fiddle students who have learned from both Michele Amy and Donna Turk, who both call Forget home.
“We’re planning a trip to Cape Breton for the Celtic Colours Music Festival,” Amy explained.
The festival, which she takes students to every two years, is a unique, beloved experience. For nine days in October, the island of Cape Breton becomes a celebration of the Celtic culture, specifically celebrating music – although singers, dancers, and storytellers are also commonplace during the festival.
“The idea behind the festival is that you get to enjoy Celtic music, but you aren’t limited to one city or town, musicians play at small halls across the island,” Amy explained. “So, it’s kind of like being in Southeast Saskatchewan and traveling to different communities to see different musicians, enjoy community meals – similar to a fowl supper, and the youth attending will also partake in playing at different communities as part of the festival.”
Amy added that those attending will also enjoy fiddle instruction from some of the best fiddle players in the world who are performing during Celtic Colours.
“We will take in five concerts by some of the best Celtic fiddlers and will have four or five days of instruction by those same fiddlers,” Amy continued. “And they’ll be showcased in different communities as well, which is always really great. I love being able to share what we’ve been working on in Saskatchewan.”
“We have eight super full days and the concerts will determine where we go to tour, we’ll base ourselves from that community, tour during the day, and attend concerts in the evenings.”
Fiddlers participating are from Estevan, Carnduff, Forget, Carlyle, and Arcola.
“This concert tonight [June 6] is a way for them to raise funds,” Amy explained. “They’re musicians and they need to learn how to pay their own way, so putting on a concert is a very fitting way to fundraise for the trip.”
The concert was held at the Forget Church, with a large crowd filling the centre pews and overflowing into the side pews.
Starting off the show was a group from Churchill who had made their way down to Forget. This group will continue on to Alberta with Amy and a group of White Bear students to take part in The Hills are Alive Music and Dance Cultural Fest, which is run by the Metis Association. The camp focuses on traditional music, dances, teachings, and historical tours.
The Churchill group played beautifully before Tom and Trey took to the stage. The comical duo had people laughing in between their chosen songs, but everyone was captivated during the tunes as the talented artists showcased their skills.
The Cape Breton fundraising group then took to the stage mesmerizing their audience with a variety of tunes including Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing,” which a video can be found by visiting this article online: www.carlyleobserver.com.
The impressive showcase had youth fiddling, playing the cajon, and singing.
Following a break in the program the Cape Breton traveling musicians continued to perform and they also welcomed the young group: UnForgetable. This group is made up of Micah Walbaum (Forget), Gavin Fleck (Lampman), Declan Cameron (Stoughton) and Tom Gammons (Butte, Montana).
