Hi, everyone!
Ties to home are always important no matter where I am in the world. Any moment I can share them with my family is important as Canadian culture is a part of our family’s culture. As I write for my Facebook pages and www.trentbruner.com from my Norwegian home on a rainy Sunday evening, while listening live to Dennis Harrington’s Cross Canada Fiddling in the background on www.valleyheritageradio.ca, I have a moment to reflect on a summer with many hours of shows, contests and jam sessions, time with our family that gave Hannah Moira, Ingrid Sofie and Yours truly a chance to perform for family and public in Saskatchewan, as well as see the girls compete at the 40th Grand North American Fiddle Championship in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. July 2024 was a great part one of Summer 2024.
Part two in August 2024 was where I was back home by myself for fellowship with fiddlers, step dancers and fiddle fans alike between the Saskatchewan shows and dances for the Canadian Grand Masters (CGM) representatives, practicing with two Alberta fiddlers for the CGM, visits, dance playing and house accompaniment duties for the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Competition in Whitehorse, Yukon and returning to the Ottawa Valley for the Labour Day fiddle and dance traditions in Pembroke, Ontario, before returning to Norway to rejoin my family and return to church and choir work.
Speaking of Pembroke, the 46th edition of the Pembroke Fiddle and Step Dance Contest in Ontario is in the books. It happened August 30-31, 2024, at Festival Hall for the Performing Arts. Fiddle contest judges were championship fiddlers Brian Hebert, Louis Schryer and Shane Cook. Kyle Waymouth, Tiffany Fewster Salt and Sarah Robinson were the step dance judges for the weekend. Guylaine Gagner and Yours Truly were house accompanists for the weekend, while Art Jamieson and Paul Lemelin were masters of ceremony.
Contestant entries increased by over 30 this year throughout these classes. Campers in Riverside Park were not as many as last year, but the atmosphere has held its own very well. Jam sessions again happened in Riverside Park. Good times were had by all during the jam sessions, Dexter Sneroskie became the youngest winner of the “Pure Laine” tune competition on Sunday afternoon at the Schryer’s Jam Tent at age 16 (and only had to play one tune in the final round in the best of three to win it), potluck suppers happened on Sunday evening in various locations throughout the park again, old acquaintances were renewed, and there was fiddle music, dance and fellowship throughout the week.
The 2023 committee members, who returned to take on the task of organizing the 2024 event, still has many tasks ahead of it to increase contestants and audience. The main task of supporting and increasing both fiddle and step dance locally and provincially in Ontario requires many hours of work. They still faced some surprises along the way, but every class had contestants, prizes were awarded in all classes. The 47th annual edition of this annual Canadian fiddle tradition will go ahead again on Labour Day Weekend in 2025, with more plans to be announced in the coming weeks and months on on their Facebook page and at pembrokefiddlestepdance.com.
There were varying reactions again, which was no surprise for me. Some people of all ages who had attended earlier were missed for various reasons. Some were still saddened because of the lack of fiddlers and dancers in attendance from outside Ontario. Some again were surprised because it was different to be in a 500 seat theatre instead of a 3,000 seat hockey arena. Some again were just thankful that the contest came back, so a local folk culture tradition could start anew. Some again were glad the contest came back as it was missed during a corona pandemic that did not make life easy for anyone. Many were glad to share in fiddle, dance and musical fellowship again. Riverside Park had campers back in the fiddle park. By the end of the weekend, some were sad to see another year come to an end. These folks needed a kind word of assurance that all will be well and that God willing, we will meet again.
As I heard one person say about negative situations in another setting, we must acknowledge the facts as they are. An honest starting point is needed to recognize what we must deal with when something that was familiar and successful for years is not as it used to be or should be. However, it is also true that the facts as they stand are not final. One person or more can make a difference. Situations can change for the better if people pull together, be open and honest about what needs to be done to finish a task and begin with the end in mind. Many have posted their observations and contest updates under the Facebook link to the Pembroke Fiddle and Step Dancing Contest (Facebook) I encourage everyone to check postings here and give your feedback to the organizing committee so a bigger and better event can happen August 29-30, 2025.
I wrote the following points in 2023 that bear repeating: It will still take a musical and step dance community to bring its own members back, no matter how far or near we are, a committed city council to make this a tourist attraction again inside and outside Pembroke, and an organized host committee to listen to its support base when rebuilding the contest, with all involved needing more patience than some will believe necessary to work through the process and doing more than others think needs to be done in order to make the rebirth of the Pembroke contest the success that others remember it being in earlier years. There was a time that the Pembroke Observer reported that this annual event brought in $3,000,000.00 CDN into the Pembroke economy. Again, it is a large task, but it is not impossible.
I use Pembroke as one example of similar type events that bring fiddlers and fans of traditional instrumental folk music that need the same solutions. I repeat again the following:
The Canadian fiddle scene needs to network more effectively than ever before, including locally, provincially, regionally and nationally. This effort needs to come from the grassroots participants that make this music and dance community what it is; a group of people with a common interest who live a lifestyle that shares and gives freely of each other, to each other for each other. These links must be made and utilized now for the growth and development of the fiddle community and those in their related dance disciplines. Examples include:
In communities where a local fiddle organization is in place, those involved can’t afford to keep working as if their events are independent events and think this is the way it will always continue. When dedicated volunteers work together for a common goal, more hands means less work and more opportunities for all. Fiddleheads Yukon made a national fiddle championship come to Canada’s north for the first time.
In provinces where there are provincial and regional fiddle associations, they need to come forward to provide venues and programs to help our musical community along is necessary. Kamloops, B.C. has done (and is doing) this to host the 2025 Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Competition, as one example.
Networking with both the local grassroots and the national organizations are needed more than ever. The recent Pan Northern Youth Fiddle Summit, held in conjunction with the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Competition in Whitehorse bought close to 100 junior aged fiddlers across the north to learn and perform as guests for the 34th annual edition shows that distance can be overcome, and that plane tickets worth $4,200.00 each for some children were able to be paid to attend a once in a lifetime event with over two years of planning, fundraising, community and government support.
75 fiddlers came to Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta to compete in July at the Grand North American Fiddle Championship’s 40th edition, with additional fiddle instruction and being in a venue that allowed for organizing of various events throughout its weekend. Orangeville, Ontario had 119 entries for fiddle and step dance for a first time fiddle and step dance event, thanks for effective advertising and filling a local need for the Ontario fiddle and step dance circuit, and Bobcaygeon, Ontario had 175 entries between fiddle and step dance for their annual contest. Some fiddle camps throughout Canada drew high numbers of enrollment, with Kenosee Lake, Saskatchewan drawing over 140 participants for their annual Kitchen Party. These examples show clearly that if you promote, visibly bring others onboard, make promoting this music from person to person important and share with the public so you can attract visitors and participants, they will come!
In closing, for those of you who have recently liked and followed my artist page, I thank you publicly again for your interest and kind support. Until next time, see you somewhere down the musical trail!
Musically yours, Trent
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