Canadian fiddler, Calvin Vollrath pictured here performing his craft. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Fiddle Fun

Canadian Fiddle star coming to Meadow Lake

Sep 3, 2019 | 3:06 PM

Meadow Lake music fans can get set for a special night of musical entertainment coming soon to the community.

A composer of nearly 700 tunes, renowned fiddler, Calvin Vollrath is coming to Meadow Lake Oct. 9.

A two-time North American fiddle champion, and member of the North American Fiddlers’ Hall of Fame, Vollrath has established himself over the last few decades among the most prolific fiddlers in Canada.

Among his crowning achievements was being commissioned by the committee of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver to compose five songs for the opening ceremonies, where he also performed.

Residing in St. Paul, Alta., Vollrath was born and raised in Edmonton, where he first fell in love with his instrument of choice.

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Vollrath received his first fiddle when he was eight, and at 13, he entered his first fiddle contest. By 17, he was winning the championship class.

Inspired by his father, a self-taught fiddle player who would perform at weddings and other community functions, Vollrath said it was his father’s passion that helped him develop his own.

“My dad was my hero; I play fiddle because of him,” he said. “I am self-taught like he was, inspired by my dad and inspired by the people that we had records of.”

Those musical influences show up in Vollrath’s set list, where the veteran musician said people who attend his concert are sure to hear at least a few familiar classics from yesteryear.

“They are going to hear old tunes [as] we take them back to the old days of Don Messer, but we play many styles,” he said. “You may here a song by Elvis Presley instrumentally, and you may hear a song by Louis Armstrong. You can hear a song by Tom Jones, and a song by Hank Williams; there is a little bit of everything.”

Accompanying Vollrath will be step dancer Rhea Labrie, and multi-instrumentalist, Jeremy Rusu.

A visually-impaired, multitalented musician, Rusu will be playing piano, guitar and accordion.

“Rusu is a totally blind musician, [and] he is phenomenal,” Vollrath said. “He is absolutely amazing and people will be blown away by his talent.”

Meadow Lake will be the lone Saskatchewan stop on Vollrath’s cross-country tour ranging from Quebec to Ontario, to BC, and Alberta. It will be his first time performing in the community, something he said he was very much looking forward to.

“It is good family entertainment, so people can come out and have a few laughs,” he said. “We will have a set list, but we never follow the plan. We take requests and you don’t need to be a fiddle fan to enjoy the show, if you like music you will enjoy the show.”

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1