The Ballagh Bunch will entertain in Shelburne at Fiddle Championship in August

July 24, 2014 · 0 Comments

The 64th Canadian Open Old Time Fiddle Championship will take place Aug. 6 to 10 in Shelburne.
Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Shelburne, the event will feature Canada’s top fiddlers in competition for thousands of dollars in prizes.
Community events in conjunction with the Championship will include camping, a giant fiddle parade, an open air market, non-denominational church service and 24-hour meals at the Legion. Organizers are working on adding more experiences to make the 64th a spectacular, not-to-be-missed, non-stop five days of fun and entertainment.
This year’s event will start with a Barn Dance and Jamboree Aug. 6, at 7 p.m. at Centre Dufferin Recreation Complex. Come out for a fun-filled evening of open mic playing, dancing and singing hosted by a CKNX Wingham personality. Admission is $5, payable at the door.
The Canadian Open Old Time Fiddle Championship starts with the playdowns Aug. 8 at 1 and 7 p.m. at the Recreation Complex. Classes that will compete in the afternoon include the young (nine and under, 12 and under) and the young at heart (56 and over). The evening will feature the remaining classes, including Duet, Novelty, Junior Champion and Champion. Contestants are already registered from as far away as New Brunswick and Alaska.
The contest finals happen Aug. 9 at 6 p.m. and will feature the competition, entertainment by The Ballagh Bunch, and the judges’ showcase with Webb Acheson, Chuck Joyce and Karen Reed.
The Ballagh Bunch will also perform in Saturday afternoon’s fiddle and stepdance show at 3:15 p.m.
The Ballagh Bunch is a group of lively, energetic performers, who put on numerous shows containing Irish, Celtic, Scottish and traditional Canadian music stylings. With a variety of musical instruments, such as fiddles, drums, guitar, vocals, feet and much more, the Ballaghs put on a thrilling and captivating show that is sure to please everyone with its unique variety. The three older siblings, Devan, Michael and Paige, have obtained multiple step dance titles, including Canadian Open Step Dance Champions in both group and solo classes.
This award winning group starred in an eight-week run of Drayton Entertainments’ production of Canadian Loonie, which was then followed by a sequel, Sorry I’m Canadian. The Ballagh Bunch have been performing as a group for 10 years at various theatres, festivals and fairs. Their creative rhythms and arrangements, along with the visible joy of making music together, make their performance quality second to none. The love for composing also comes through in their music, and their show features original material and arrangements.
After an absence from the Shelburne Championship of almost a decade, the Rotary Club is excited to present Linsey and Tyler Beckett in concert Aug. 7 at 7:30 p.m. The Beckett Family is sure to get toes tappin’ with their arrangements of traditional country music and “old tyme fiddling”. Their show captures the corners of traditional music from western swing to bluegrass, and includes exhilarating step dancing, down home humour, “ole tyme fiddling” and special guests. The Beckett Family have three recordings available, Fiddlin’ 4 Generations, which included great grandpa, Elmer Beckett, Changing Times and their latest, The Roots of Our Raising.
Proceeds of the Fiddle Championship support Shelburne Rotary’s many charitable projects, including Headwaters Health Care Centre.
An event package for the Championship is available.
Tickets can be ordered by phone at 519-925-8620 or at www.ShelburneFiddleContest.com/tickets