Two fiddlers
Accomplished fiddler performing in Friday’s ceilidh
Richard Wood, Courtney Hogan on stage for Friday evening ceilidh.
Richard Wood is one of P.E.I.’s most accomplished musicians. He has played all across Canada as well as the U.S., Europe, Japan and Australia, along with appearances on “David Letterman” and “Good Morning America.”
But despite his success, he has always called Prince Edward Island home and enjoys playing at small venues across the Island.
He’ll be making a special stop at the Emerald Boxcar to share the stage with his friend and fellow fiddler, Courtney Hogan, in the Friday evening ceilidh. “Richard has always been a mentor to me,” shares Hogan. “It may seem strange for a fiddler to invite another fiddler to their show, but Richard just inspires me to be better and it means the world to me that he takes some summer Friday evenings to come and play with me.”
Their friendship on and off the stage becomes quickly apparent throughout the show, as Hogan admits Wood is one of the few guests she actually rehearses with. “We got together a lot over last winter to jam out some new material.” Wood has even been giving Hogan keyboard lessons to play along with his Don Messer set of tunes, and she has even picked up a new fiddle set of her own consisting of Wood’s original materials.
“It was flattering when Courtney surprised me by playing a set of my own tunes on stage during our last show together.
“There’s some tricky stuff in there that I can’t even play anymore,” laughs Wood.
The fiery fiddlers will be joined on stage by Wood’s touring singer and guitarist Gordon Belsher. This week Hogan also welcomes Olivia Mullins from Emerald to join the fiddlers on stage as the step dancer.
“Olivia’s grandmother hasn’t missed a show in years, and when she first introduced me to Olivia we were all very impressed by her dancing. It’s going to be a great show having her back with us again,” says Hogan. The ceilidh takes place Aug. 26 at 7:30 p.m. at the Emerald Boxcar Pub. Admission to the event is $10 at the door and the venue is licensed and airconditioned. All ages are welcome. CDs and 50/50 tickets will also be available.