For the love of the music
Fiddlers’ Sons celebrates 20th anniversary with special reunion show
When musicians Eddy Quinn, Garth Matthews, Sheila MacKenzie and John B. Webster played the Hume Family Reunion in Brudenell on a summer’s day in 1997, they had no idea they were making P.E.I. music history.
It was their first gig as Fiddlers’ Sons.
But instead of celebrating their status as a newly formed band, the four musicians were “happy for just a chance to play music that we really loved.”
In fact, the goals were modest in the beginning.
“We thought we might play at the legion or a pub once a month. We had met in Garth’s basement to pull together enough material for this gig. And it worked perfectly,” says Quinn, front man for the band that features guitar, fiddle, bass and vocals.
Fiddlers’ Sons played several small shows that summer.
Then in the fall the band got its first big break – a regular Friday night gig at Myron’s Cabaret in Charlottetown.
“People would come in for beers and wings after work and we would play our music. Things got livelier as the night wore on. These shows over the years got us in front of a lot of people.”
Live performances also increased the band’s profile and popularity, witnessed by the hundreds of enthusiastic fans who attended happy hour each week. In turn, this resulted in more gigs and work offers.
Eventually their ever-growing audiences inspired the band to produce a show of its own, the Close to the Ground concert series that is in its 14th season.
This year, after seven albums and several personnel changes and hundreds of live performances, the award-winning roots/folk band is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
“It’s hard to believe that time has gone by so quickly. But I guess when a band starts at an honest place sometimes it takes on a life of its own,” says Quinn, during a telephone interview.
Memories of the past two decades came flooding back to him when current band members invited band alumnae to join them during the Aug. 17 Close to the Ground show.
MacKenzie was the first to take the stage. A founding member, she played with the band from 1997 to 2002.
“May I always be the oldest Fiddlers Sons’ fiddler and may I always be the tallest,” the musician, known as “the pride of Little Pond”, said with a laugh as she adjusted her microphone stand.
After a lively set, it was Cynthia MacLeod’s turn to play a set of traditional tunes.
“I became a member of Fiddlers’ Sons when I was in high school. The band was a big part of my early years on stage, learning how to perform and interact with audiences, both big and small. It also led me to meet many fellow performers and fostered my ability to perform as part of a band versus a solo performer,” says MacLeod, a band member in 2002-2003 and 2006-2007.
Minutes later, she hopped back on stage to perform a strathspey with current fiddler Courtney Hogan-Chandler, a band member since 2008, as the audience stamped their feet and clapped their hands to the music.
Then it was Maria McDougall Bartlett’s turn to sing and play tin whistle for “Fair is the Rose” and provide instrumentation for “Girl from Gaspereaux” and “Eagles Fly”, songs from her years with the band, 2003-2005.
There were also performances by current band members Webster, Hogan-Chandler and Keelin Wedge, who plays fiddle and bass and adds her vocals into the group’s mix.
“Folks, I’ve got the feeling that you haven’t got your money’s worth tonight,” Quinn called out to the crowd as the concert neared it end. “So why don’t we bring all the ladies
together?”
Instantly, all five fiddlers jumped onto the stage and played a lively fiddle set.
Later, as he reflected on the show, Quinn says the best part was seeing everyone performing together.
“It gave me a lump in my throat. It was really special,” he said, adding the secret to the band’s longevity is the positive energy each of the fiddle players has “injected into the group” over the past 20 years.
“Each girl has a very different style. Sheila is a very emotional player. Cynthia is a very energetic and adventurous player. Maria is very creative and collaborative and with Courtney, there’s always something regal and classy. And Keelin is just so versatile. Her musicianship is beyond exceptional.”
An especially poignant part of the musical reunion was the
Maria MacDougall Bartlett plays tin whistle on “Red is the Rose”. Bartlett says playing with the group provided the foundation for her interest in tourism. Currently living in Queensland, Australia, Bartlett promotes tourism experiences such as the Great Barrier Reef.
absence of Garth Matthews. The founding member, who played bass guitar and vocals with the band until 2015, died in 2016. Throughout the show, Quinn told stories about the beloved musician, pointing out his Fender bass on stage.
“He would have been so excited for this night of music . . . . It’s almost like he’s still with us.”
As he looks to the future, Quinn is excited.
“As long as we’re healthy and we are enjoying it, and the gals can fit it into their schedule, we will play. So Fiddlers’ Sons isn’t going too far.”