By Elli Kohnert
The Kamloops Old Time Fiddlers have ,held their final event of the season for the second year in a row in Barriere. The toe tapping event began on Friday, June 21 and closed on the Sunday. The musicians came from all over for their annual Jamboree, Camp-out and Dance which was held in the Fall Fair Hall at the fairgrounds.
The Kamloops Branch of the Old Time Fiddlers were the hosts of the event, and they invited members of the organization from other areas of the province to join them in the festivities and to also play at the dance. There was a lively, enthusiastic gathering of people of all ages on the fairgrounds, a busy campground where children played and groups of friends old and new visited together, and you could also find musicians practicing in different areas as they prepared for the evening’s dance and get together.
The weekend also featured a cribbage tournament held in the hall for those who enjoyed a quieter way to spend their afternoon before the very large potluck supper took place at 5:30 p.m. The food choices were amazing, and even the fussiest eaters found something for their taste. There were many very busy volunteers who did a great job looking after everything from making sure that everyone had enough to eat, to cleaning up afterwards and setting the hall up for the dance.
Members of the Kamloops Branch of Old Time Fiddlers were the first to play for the evening dance, and it was obvious that those attending had not forgotten the old time tunes and the steps to dance to them. It is safe to say that most of those present were of middle age, however, one of our local families attending had a young girl with them and all three danced beautifully and it was a pleasure watching them. The seniors out on the dance floor obviously enjoyed themselves judging by the big smiles on their faces, and when not dancing they had a good time listening to the music that revived old memories they could share with their friends.
Florence Tellier, secretary/treasurer for the Kamloops Old Time Fiddlers, commented on the purpose of the association and their continued effort to keep it functioning. “The British Columbia Old Time Fiddlers’ Association was organized for the purpose of encouraging and promoting the art of old-time fiddling and violin playing,” said Tellier, “The association was formed by a group of musicians in Prince George in the late 196o’s and they became Branch #1, eventually followed by 18 other Branches in various parts of B.C. Some of those Branches have since folded, leaving us with 13 currently. The Kamloops Branch joined the Association in 1993, and although we have lost many of our original members, we continue working to attract new musicians and other volunteers to put on events. It is our hope and goal to keep old-time fiddling alive and well in Kamloops and area.”
Find out more at: http://bcfiddlers.com
