The Festival of Cape Breton Fiddling is in its 53rd year, bringing fiddlers from the island and beyond together for a weekend of music and connection. Pictured is the band from their 50th anniversary performance in 2023. Contributed/Mary C. HankeyArticle contentIn 1973, the Cape Breton Fiddlers’ Association held its first-ever fiddling festival.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentAt the time, fears of losing touch with one of the region’s traditional instruments were at a fever pitch, in part due to the 1972 CBC-produced documentary The Vanishing Cape Breton Fiddler.Article contentArticle contentYet, over 50 years later, the Festival of Cape Breton Fiddling is still going strong, as is the association that has put it on annually since its inception. This year is no different, as from Aug. 15-16, fiddlers from across Cape Breton and beyond will gather at the Gaelic College in St. Anns for two days of concerts, jam sessions, and workshops.Article contentArticle contentBetty Matheson, the chair of the Cape Breton Fiddlers’ Association, joined as a board member in the mid-1970s. She was there in the beginning when many thought fiddling was on the way out due to a low youth uptake.Article content“Everyone in our neck of the woods, and anyone involved in the culture, was horrified to think that someone actually thought that fiddling was going to die,” said Matheson.Article contentYet, the first festival seemed to prove otherwise.Article content“A group of about nine or 10 people came together and formed the Cape Breton Fiddlers’ Association,” she explained. “They literally went door-to-door for the good part of a year, gathering fiddlers, encouraging (them) to come to the first festival.”Article contentThe first festival had about 130 fiddlers participate. Subsequent years would see the festival grow into a cultural phenomenon, all around the traditional musical practice of fiddling.Article contentDuring their 40th anniversary in 2013, they nearly doubled their original participation with 202 fiddlers onstage.Article contentArticle contentEQUAL BILLINGArticle contentThis year, the annual concert will take place on Saturday, Aug. 15, from 2-6 p.m. in the Hall of the Clans, hosted by Bob MacEachern and Wendy Bergfeldt.Article contentAfterwards there will be a family square dance at MacKenzie Hall, with music provided by youth performers, followed by an open jam session for any musicians who want to stick around and enjoy the evening in song.Article contentParticipants, typically members of the organization, range of all calibres, ages, and talents. By principle, no one fiddler is named, as to retain the community spirit that existed way back when the association first began.Article content“The premise of the association is that every fiddler gets treated the same,” said Matheson. “The only names that go in are the fiddlers who are doing the workshops.”Article contentThe workshops are an important aspect of the association’s efforts to keep the fiddling tradition thriving.Article contentOn Sunday, Aug. 16, workshops will begin at 10 a.m. in several subjects with expert teachers in each: Harvey Beaton is teaching step-dance, Boyd MacNeil in beginner fiddling; Kendra MacGillivray in intermediate fiddling; Dara Smith-MacDonald in advanced fiddling; and Ryan MacNeil in piano accompaniment.
Annual fiddling festival celebrates Cape Bretons musical legacy
