A new festival that celebrates roots music and brings together the folk, fiddling and bluegrass communities here and around the Pacific Northwest is in the works for this spring in Sidney and North Saanich.
As part of a gradual schedule and awareness roll-out for the two-day event, organizers of the Victoria Folk B次元官网网址楴 Fiddle Festival have announced that U.S. bluegrass legends, violinist Darol Anger and mandolinist Mike Marshall, will headline the Friday, May 31 gala concert at the Mary Winspear Centre, along with popular Victoria acoustic music trio West My Friend.
Bob de Wolff, part of the group behind the hugely successful Calgary Folk Festival and a resident here for the past 10 years, is one of the driving forces behind Folk B次元官网网址楴 Fiddle. HeB次元官网网址檚 a director with the Deep Cove Folk Society, which recently celebrated its 30th anniversary and is a co-sponsor of the festival along with the Victoria Folk Society, Victoria Bluegrass Society and Victoria Fiddle Society.
The weekend of May 31 and June 1 will echo with the sounds of various roots music events, from concerts in the Charlie White Theatre and Sidney Bandshell to a barn dance in the Bodine Hall, Indigenous music showcases, coffee shop jams; fiddle and folk instrumental and voice workshops for all ages, and more.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e planning a really crammed schedule and we think that people will come for the whole weekend,B次元官网网址� de Wolff says. B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e not going to come up just for one concert, theyB次元官网网址檙e going to get seduced by whatB次元官网网址檚 going on and find theyB次元官网网址檙e having the time of their lives.B次元官网网址�
De Wolff has a very able partner helping him launch the festival: artistic director Nellie Quinn, president of the Victoria Fiddle Society and organizer of that groupB次元官网网址檚 2018 Fiddle Fest. She explains her motivation for undertaking the new venture stems largely from her musical background, which has seen her tour extensively with Celtic rock band The Town Pants, live and tour in the UK and more recently, teaching fiddle music in remote communities in the Northwest Territories.
B次元官网网址淢y goal is bringing all that back home,B次元官网网址� says Quinn, who was raised on the Saanich Peninsula. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 about taking all these wonderful experiences IB次元官网网址檝e had and bringing them back to the community through music, art, dances and storytelling.B次元官网网址�
A series of roll-out events are being planned for the weeks and months leading up to the opening day.
While much effort has already happened behind the scenes to get the underpinnings of the festival in place, plenty of work lies ahead. A volunteer recruitment campaign has begun and additional sponsorship help is being sought from the business community and the public.
B次元官网网址淲e need key volunteers B次元官网网址� people who are committed to making this festival a success B次元官网网址� and we need funding,B次元官网网址� notes de Wolff, adding the first year for any festival is always the toughest. B次元官网网址淏ut weB次元官网网址檙e committed to doing this at the Winspear for three years.B次元官网网址�
If youB次元官网网址檇 like to get involved with the festival, musically, as a volunteer or as a sponsor, contact Quinn at director@folknfiddle.ca or de Wolff at volunteers@folknfiddle.ca. You can watch for updates through the weeks at and follow them .
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