Lyr Req: Fiddle Contest

Subject: Lyr req: Fiddle Contest
From: Marc B
Date: 05 Apr 98 - 12:46 PM

Do any of you have the words to a recitative piece called the Fiddle Contest, about a boy from the back country who wins a fiddle contest against the older favorites.

I've heard both Irish and Appalachian versions of it. Used to perfor it but it's been years and those particular gray cells seem to have check out.

Thanks. Marc B

Subject: RE: Lyr req: Fiddle Contest
From: Barry Finn
Date: 05 Apr 98 - 06:45 PM

I heard an Irish song done in sean nos style, almost 20 yrs ago, in San Francisco, by Jerry Shannon, about a fiddler winning a contest, and becoming the 'Fiddler Of Douney (sp?)'.Could that be what you're after. I was told that, the great fiddler, Seamus Connelly, (I didn't hear it from Seamus himself) cherished the Fiddler Of Douney, over his winning the All Ireland 10 times. Barry

Subject: RE: Lyr req: Fiddle Contest
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 05 Apr 98 - 10:11 PM

I have heard a poem that clearly fits the description of the request recited by Col Wright, who runs the "Merry Muse" Folk Club in Canberra. It is quite a long virtuoso piece with the atmosphere really larded on. The lad who was raised out in the fields and woods equates his violin playing to the wild sounds about him and speaks much of the ability of the violin to call up scenes and feelings from his upbringing.

I can't locate any sort of Internet address for Col (I suspect he is too old a luddite for this sort of nonsense) but his home telephone number is: 61 02 38 2424. The best internet contact I can suggest is via the homepage for "Monaro Musings", the magazine of the Monaro Folk Music Society - the Canberra area group.

Their URL is: http://www.spirit.net.au/~gramac/MFMS/mfmsindex.html.

I hope this is of some help,

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Lyr req: Fiddle Contest
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 05 Apr 98 - 10:14 PM

At the risk of departing from the "folk" idiom, you might try the poerm "Mountain Whippoorwill"by Stephen Vincent Benet.