TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

Don't know if Swarb or anyone else would agree but there seem to be more fiddlers about especially in the younger generation. The name Seth Lakeman springs to mind but I noticed at the Brampton Festival that a lot of the performers I saw featured a fiddle or two...

The Levellers, Gren Bartley & Tom Kitching, Kathryn Tickell (a fine fiddler as well as piper) and brother Peter, fiddle duo Nick Wyke & Becki Driscoll.

Or maybe I was just subconsciously drawn to the fiddlers!

Must just add that my favourite instrumental piece from last year was the track Yeavering by Kathryn & Peter Tickell from her album Instrumental. A beautiful piece which I first heard them play at Lancaster cathedral and the acoustics gave their playing added magic. Real tingles-up-and-down-the-spine stuff! Fab.

I'd like to expand this into a question if I may:

Who, amongst the current young generation of folk fiddlers has caught your eye?

How do you rate the various youngsters? Eliza? Jon Boden? Seth Lakeman? Nancy Kerr? Athene Roberts? Paul Sartin?

Cheers

Nick

for me , the girls are the winners, eliza and nancy  and Katheryn and lots of others. i wouldnt class seth as a fiddler more as a song accompianist,havent heard John bowden much but about the same i would think,havent heard iether one play any of the big pieces. when i started there was maybe three english ffiddles( 1957? how times have changed aye?

Eliza is fab - just bewitching!

Jules

seconded

Re Seth - have a look at this - http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=SjaCUueDOp0 I agree that he is more of an accompanyist, but when he plays 'properly', he's not bad. Wish he would do more tunes, and less 'thrashing around'.

Seths kitty jay is imo amazing... but Eliza takes the crown :D

Very curious about that clip: Seth's violin is obviously miked - why is he concerning himself so much with the mike stand placement when he simply proceeds to keep walking away from it?

beat me  

As  completely off topic footnote to the above Youtube clip...  the ever smiling Cormac Byrne (from Uiscedwr) is percussioning away there for all he's worth behind Seth...

Have you come across Cormac Swarb?

yes he is great.

Glad you like him.. he just always looks SO Happy!!

yes

My favourite album of his is The Punch Bowl though Kitty Jay has some good tracks on it. I've not seen Seth since he backed Cara Dillon with his brother Sam. You could tell he was itching to break away and do his own thing but I miss his backing vocals on Black Is The Colour, as well as his fiddle and tenor guitar playing.

Interestingly on Cara's tour a couple of years ago she and her band did an instrumental track with herself on fiddle. Goes to show all the best people play the fiddle.  :)

ok

Swarb, did you have any influence on Eliza learning the fiddle?  Did she benefit from your tutoring at all?

Jules

I saw Aidan O’Rourke the other night, playing with LAU. I don't know how young he is but, my goodness, he can fiddle. Have you seen him, Swarb?

I'm thankful for the likes of Seth for keeping the fiddle in the conciousness of the young 'uns.  With any luck we'll have a whole new generation of great fiddlers keeping the instrument alive and current.

Jules

had nothing to do with eliza.s style .All her own work? Aidens great.