Submitted by Jacquie Prybylski
The Saskatchewan Fiddle Championships were held at the 16th Annual John Arcand Fiddle Fest from August 8-11 at Pike Lake, Saskatchewan.
There were 51 competitors of all ages from across Canada competing. There were 14 competitors in the Novice category (ages 12 and under).
Shelby Gibson of Springside won the 2013 Saskatchewan Novice Championship, defending her 2011 and 2012 titles. Shelby also won the Novice one category, the John Arcand competition and received the Sandy Cameron Memorial Trophy. (Sandy Cameron started the Emma Lake Fiddle Camp and was a staunch supporter of all old time fiddling. The Sandy Cameron Memorial Trophy is awarded to the winner of the Novice one category in the hopes they continue to fiddle, keeping the dream alive.)
Shelby was accompanied by her sister Taylor on guitar and Trent Bruner of Canwood, Saskatchewan on piano. For the Saskatchewan championship and the Novice one event they played the Don Messer Memorial Waltz, Swallowtail Jig and Pelican's Reel. For the John Arcand class they played the Metis tunes - Donna Megan Waltz and Traveller's Jig.
Shelby and Taylor have studied for the past seven years at Prairieland Music Studios - Craig Patzer of Yorkton as their most accomplished fiddle and guitar teacher.
Others contributing to the girls' success include the Rioch Grande - Grandpa Jack Rioch of Invermay; The Tufnell Circle Jammers - Hank Ukrainetz and Lorraine Kells of Tuffnell; The Lone Tree Road Band - J.J. Guy (fiddle), Ken Goodman (guitar) and Hank Ukrainetz (bass) who invited Shelby to be a guest on their Access 7 Television show "Fiddling Around" for four shows, as well as invited her to play at local events.
Shelby and Taylor also learned a lot of the old time tunes by attending the Tuffnell Fiddle Competition each year and by attending the Monday night jam sessions in the winter time in Tuffnell.
Shelby will be playing her fiddle during the showcase at the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Competition being held in Saskatoon August 24. One hundred other fiddle players in Saskatchewan are to play two shows at the event.
