There are people packing ruck-sacks and fiddle cases in various parts of the world right now with an imaginary ‘Destination Scart’ tag dangling away somewhere in their focused minds.
There are tunes arranged for Peter Browne’s and Tom McCarthy’s bars on Friday night as a warming up exercise and crowds are expected at these venues as the weekend gets underway.
Hugely Special Day
Saturday, in Scartaglin, is going to be another of those hugely special days under the gaze of The Master himself in his lofty perch overlooking the village.
It’s here that fiddlers and devotees of its music will have reached the point of their pilgrimage for World Fiddle Day 2015 – the Scart version of it at least.
American Skip Gorman is on his way, fiddle on his shoulder and the hat at a South Westerly tilt. Martin Van Hensbergen is traveling from Holland again to be here on the day. And God only knows whom from wherever else may be driving, flying, setting sail or cycling to be here.
God be good to Jimmy Duffy, but he’d be leaving Blennerville on the bike on Thursday evening to sort out a few likely places to stay – and the breakfast never bothered him too much.
A Matter of Heritage
Meanwhile, back in Scart and down to the local national school: There, the pupils have gone all out in a model manifestation of their area’s love and obsession with the fiddle. It’s a matter of heritage you see.
Little more than a generation ago, anyone thinking of learning a musical instrument was considered a ballroom case if they didn’t settle or, at least, seriously consider the fiddle.
The deliberations of the model-making pupils will all be on display at Scartaglin Heritage Centre on Saturday. That’s a Saturday which could well merge musically with its holier than thou neighbour on its left hand side.
Meeting Point
There is so much music to play and talk about that it’s hard to see how it can all be contained in just one day.
The heritage centre is being prepared as a meeting point and restaurant. Its kitchen and people will provide a menu of hot and cold foods as well as tea and coffee and snacks of every hue.
World Fiddle Day was dreamed up during the summer of 2012 by Caoimhin Mac Aoidh from Donegal and President Michael D. Higgins became its patron for the inaugural year of 2013. It is for anyone throughout the world who plays, or simply enjoys, the music of the extended family of bowed instruments in any genre of music.
The list of events on World Fiddle Day can be checked out with a click on the link here: http://www.mainevalleypost.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/poster.jpg
