Friday, September 24, 2010

Fiddle fest a bridge to past

"The 40th anniversary of the Payson fiddle festival is not just a celebration of 40 years of fiddle music under the Rim. The event is a way to honor our history.

The pioneers who came West with a fiddle were prized in their communities. Their music afforded a bright spot in the backbreaking work of eking out an existence in a wild country. When one or two came together, folks would travel from miles around — sometimes for a full day — to dance the night away in a schoolhouse, see family, visit with neighbors, and maybe embark on a courtship.

Much of the music itself is also a connection to our history. Some selections reach all the way back to the Irish, Scots, Welsh and other immigrants who made their way across the Atlantic to settle in America. Other pieces represent the evolution of songs from the 19th and 18th centuries."

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