MUSIC
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Island fiddler and composer Roy Johnstone will be attending the North Atlantic Fiddle Conference in St. John’s Newfoundland, from August 3 to 9. The conference is regularly held in Europe and the British Isles, but for this first time it will be held in North America. The theme of the conference is “Crossing Over,” to underline the fact of locating it across the Atlantic from it’s usual setting.
Roy Johnstone will interpert the crossing over theme when he givies a presentation at the confernce on the subject of blending two genres of music in his compositions for the fiddle. The idea is one that he has already been exploring for a while—for example with a tune that combined a 12-bar blues form with a jig (Blue Jig), or a Scottish tune that sounds something like the last slow song played at the high school dances in Roy’s teen years, or by crossing Scottish music with Acadian foot-clogging styles. He also likes to blend world music with blues and jazz and traditional music.
When he heard about the North Atlantic Fiddle Conference coming to Newfoundland, Roy submitted a proposal to talk about crossing musical cultures as a composing tool, and landed a spot as a presenter. Conference delegates from across Canada, Europe and Africa will be attending, including some well-known names in the fiddling world such as French Breton fiddler Christian Lemaitre and Irish fiddler Liz Carroll.
Of course, as well as the conference talks there will be a lot of fiddle playing taking place. PEI’s Richard Wood will be there along with Métis fiddlers from Western Canada and Cape Breton fiddlers. Following the conference Roy Johnstone will be playing at the St. John’s Folk Festival.
In addition to going to Newfoundland, Roy will be travelling to New Hampshire to perform at their Highland Games as part of a two-week New England tour.
You can hear Roy play on the Island in August at an Orwell Corner ceilidh, and in concert with Steve Sharratt at the Trailside Café in Mount Stewart.