Folk music and fiddle tunes

Fiddle Fest workshop, concert at UTC on Saturday

Area string musicians are invited to participate in the third annual Fiddle Fest at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on Saturday, Sept. 22.

Fiddle Fest is an enjoyable day of playing American and Celtic folk music arranged for string orchestra and acoustic guitar in an informal setting.

Award-winning fiddler and multi-instrumentalist Jim Wood, guitarist and vocalist Inge Wood and Irish fiddler Tom Morley will lead the festival. Musical arrangements have been written by Wood to fit a variety of skill levels.

The Fiddle Fest orchestra is open to musicians in grade 9 through adults who play violin, viola, cello, string bass or guitars at intermediate to advanced levels. Reading music fluently is required.

Wood will teach the orchestra about playing fiddle music and will share solo spots with his wife, Inge, and Morley. Sandy Morris will conduct the orchestra.

Participants will gather at 9:30 a.m. Saturday in Roland Hayes Concert Hall of the Fine Arts Center, corner of Vine and Palmetto streets. Rehearsal on the fiddle music begins at 10 a.m.

Following a lunch break, Wood will lead a clinic on an interesting aspect of folk music followed by more rehearsal. The festival will conclude with a free public concert at 5 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center.

Wood has won more than 160 f irst prizes in folk music competitions, including seven f iddle championships. He composes and adjudicates for fiddle competitions, and records at his home studio.

Morley has played with top country artists in Nashville, has performed with classical orchestras and leads Celtic and world-music bands as well as the local band, Stringer’s Ridge.

Orchestra director Morris conducts the Chattanooga Symphony Youth Orchestra and UTC Symphony Orchestra, teaches at Center for Creative Arts magnet school, is a clinician and adjudicator.

Fiddle Fest is sponsored by Dr. Jonathan McNair, the Ruth S. Holmberg Professor of American Music; and the UTC Department of Performing Arts, Division of Music.

To register: go online to www.utcmusic.org, then click the link for UTC Fiddle Festival.

UTC CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Jim and Inge Wood