All the way from Smithers, B.C., the Valley Youth Fiddlers will be touring parts of the province, with a stop in Williams Lake on Saturday, May 13.
The multi-generational fiddle group will be performing at the Gibraltar Room on a multi-city tour of a musical show with singing, dancing and animation.
Local fiddle group Cariboo Chilcotin Youth Fiddle Society will also be hosting the group and opening up the show.
Valley Youth Fiddlers (VYF) is a multi-generational group made up of 65 musicians and the group has been around for 26 years. This will be their first tour in six years.
“The secret sauce to the VYF’s amazing music is that we bring in mentors, some of the best and most creative fiddle people from across Canada, to teach and inspire the group,” said Dean Allen, VYF musician, board member and Tanglewood tour project manager.
“They arrange the tunes for us and sometimes even write songs specific for the VYF, beautiful tunes.”
Allen said these same Canadian musicians wrote the song the touring production is named for: Tanglewood.
The music featured includes tunes written and arranged by Lea Kirstein, Gordon Stobbe, Jason Freeman-Fox, Oliver Scroer, James Stephens and Ivonne Hernandez.
“The Valley Youth Fiddlers are thrilled to take Tanglewood on tour and share our passion for music and storytelling with audiences across the province,” said Leslie-Jean MacMillan, VYF artistic director. “We’re excited to bring our community-based music and culture to a wider audience and showcase the talents of our incredible musicians.”
The tour will include performances in Smithers, Courtenay, Vancouver, Prince George and Parksville.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m., show starts at 7 p.m., tickets are $20 for adults, $12.50 for seniors, youth and students and are available online (plus fees) through the group’s website: https://valleyyouthfiddlers.com/tanglewood/ or in person at the Open Book and at the door.
READ MORE: Cariboo Chilcotin Youth Fiddle Society musicians take to the stage
READ MORE: Cariboo Chilcotin Youth Fiddle Society’s hard work pays dividends with successful showcase
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