INVERMAY - For anyone who likes their traditional music mixed with a healthy dose of family-friendly humour, St. Anthony’s Parish Hall in Rama was the place to be on May 13.
Renowned Canadian Fiddle Champion Scott Woods and his All-Star band provided the entertainment with their Old Fashioned Hoedown.
Woods said he and his bandmates thoroughly appreciated the hospitality.
“They just rolled out the red carpet for us,” he said. “Our show speaks to the rural community. It’s the music the pioneers played, and it speaks to residents even now. Everyone seemed to have a great time, us included.”
Mary Kowalyshyn, one of the organizers of the event, said it was “an up-lifting two-hour Branson-style show that featured numerous fiddle tunes in the style of Don Messer, Graham Townsend and Al Chomey along with traditional country and Gospel songs that kept the audience entertained and their toes tapping.
“The show featured music for all ages: family humour, sensational step dancing and inspirational stories. But what kept the audience in awe was Scott's keen wit and prowess on his fiddle while using a coat hanger, a broomstick or even a toilet plunger as his bow and of course, his famous trick fiddling when he did a somersault and balanced on a rolling barrel all while playing his fiddle.”
Woods was joined on-stage by a talented band of musicians.
Kendra Norris, Woods’ sister, is a multiple winner of the Canadian Open Fiddle Competition in the 19-45 class, a three-time Canadian Duet Fiddle Champion with her brother, and a multi-instrumentalist (piano, accordion, and singer). She has a gift for writing harmony and arranging.
Leo Stock, known as "spaghetti legs" is the current Canadian Open Step Dance Champion. He was the drummer, but also performed several fiddle tunes, sang the famous auctioneer song “and amazed the audience with his step dancing.”
Germain Leduc, also a champion fiddler, bass player, piano accompanist and recording artist was part of the band. He impressed the audience while playing the piano with his back turned.
Kathy Musty accompanied the band on piano.
Guest singer, Gloria Dove Bastien of Foam Lake, sang the song Family Bible.
Scott Woods is a two-time winner of the Canadian Open Fiddle Contest, two-time winner of the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Championship as well as Fiddle Entertainer of the Year. In 2018, he was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Association.
Woods said he thoroughly enjoys performing, including connecting with the members of the band, as well as experiencing positive feedback from the audience.
“It’s great to see someone smile when they hear a tune. That usually means the song means something from their history. And it’s special when we meet people with health problems who tell us our show distracts them from their worries.”
Family-oriented humour is an important part of the show, and to hear Woods tell it, the cornier the jokes, the better.
“In Rama, I told the one about Leo Stock, our drummer and step dancing champion, but one day Leo told me he was seeing spots. When I asked if he was seeing a doctor, he said, ‘No, just spots.’”
Woods has performed all over the world for large crowds in the thousands, but also enjoys more intimate settings like the one in Rama
He first met up with the organizers from Rama several years ago while performing in Yorkton. They invited Woods to give a concert in Rama in 2020, but due to COVID-19, it took until this year for the visit to come together.
Now that pandemic restrictions have been lifted, the group has a busy schedule.
“We have 39 shows in five provinces on our current tour. We are playing every day for 17 days straight, heading west through Saskatchewan on our way shows in Alberta.”
Possibly the best-known nickname given to Woods is “The Flippin’ Fiddler.”
“Many years ago we were headed to Cape Breton Island for a concert. The Cape Breton Post newspaper called and asked for an interview,” recalled Woods. “I told them that during the concert I do a front running somersault with my fiddle as one of my tricks. From that interview, the newspaper headline was ‘Flippin’ Fiddler coming to Cape Breton’ and the nickname stuck.”
Woods said he grew up in a musical home in Ontario as the youngest of four siblings, and by the age of four, he couldn’t wait to learn the fickle. His father Merv played the fiddle and his mother Carolyn played piano, which was how they first met
“Dad would teach us fiddle tunes, I started playing with the family band, and I gradually took over.”
Following the Rama Hoedown, St. Anthony's Ladies Club served strawberry shortcake as a special treat in celebration of Mother's Day.
“It was a wonderful way to celebrate Mother's Day weekend and what a pleasure it was to host these talented entertainers in the village of Rama!” concluded Mary Kowalyshyn.
