Presented by the Chicago Chapter of
the Fiddle Club of the World

Part of the Old Town School of Folk Music’s 4th Square Roots Festival.

Once again, prizes will be given for the top 3 contestants in each of 3 categories: Open Division Solo, Open Division Team, and Youth Division. There are a limited number of openings for this years contest. Contestants must register by July 6, 2012.

Open Division First Round & Youth Finals
Thursday, July , 6:30pm, Maurer Hall in Old Town School West (4544 Lincoln)
Separate Fiddle Team and Fiddle Solo categories

Open Division Finals
Saturday, July 11, 1:30pm, Maurer Hall
Plus winner of the Youth Division

Prizes, Rules and online Registration form can be found at http://www.squareroots.org/fiddle/

And later on Saturday night, we’ll do the 4th annual

Battle of the Bands
July 11, 7-9pm, in Szold Hall featuring
several Iron Heart Artists, including Liz Carroll, Juan Rivera & Jim Stoynoff

Paul Tyler, convener

July 12, 2014. Old Town School of Folk Music
Square Roots Festival. The judges made their decision.

Solo Fiddle
1st – Tim Macdonald
2nd – Jess McIntosh
3rd – Vince deBattista

Medley of Scottish Tunes (Johnny Cope-strathspey-2 reels) by Tim Macdonald

Team Fiddle
1st – Iron County Brass Ensemble (Evan McBrayer Collins & Heather Malyuk)
2nd – Vampire Bats (Jim Becker & Steve Rosen)
3rd – Three-Legged Chair (Clair Halpin & Aron Packer)

The Bonnie Lass’s Pladie-Old Aunt Jenny With Her Night Cap On
by Iron County Brass Ensemble

Youth Division
1st – Willa Arnold
2nd – Kalman Strauss
3rd – Peach & 43 Strings
4th – Diego

There were eight contestants in each of the three categories. Everyone played their hearts out. The music was glorious. Thanks to all particpated.

Paul Tyler – convenver

The 12th Midwest Fiddle Championship is underway

The Final Round is Saturday, July 12th at 1:30pm at the Old Town School of Folk Music (4544 N. Lincoln) as part of the Square Roots Festival. The Open Division Finalists are . . .

Solo Fiddle

Vince deBattista

Tim Macdonald

Jess McIntosh

Team Fiddle
Iron County Brass Ensemble
(Evan McBrayer Collins & Heather Malyuk)

Three-Legged Chair
(Clair Halpin & Aron Packer)

Vampire Bats
(Jim Becker & Steve Rosen)

Honorable Mention
Blue Eagle String Band (Tyler Wilson & Fred Campeau)
The Lantern Kickers (Steve Hinds & Sara Legisky)

The Youth Division winner, Willa Arnold, will perform at the Open Division Finals on Saturday, July 12.

The Youth Division round was held on Sunday, July 6, the finals on Thursday, July 10.

Youth Division winners for 2014
1st – Willa Arnold
2nd – Kalman Strauss
3rd – Peach & 43 Strings
4th – Diego

Presented by the Chicago Chapter of
the Fiddle Club of the World

Part of the Old Town School of Folk Music’s 3rd Square Roots Festival.

Once again, prizes will be given for the top 3 contestants in each of 3 categories: Open Division Solo, Open Division Team, and Youth Division. There are a limited number of openings for this years contest. Contestants must register by July 5, 2012.

Youth Division First Round
Sunday, July 6, 11am, Szold Hall in Old Town School East (4545 Lincoln)
Youth under 16 compete as teams or solo

Open Division First Round & Youth Finals
Thursday, July 10, 6:30pm, Maurer Hall in Old Town School West (4544 Lincoln)
Separate Fiddle Team and Fiddle Solo categories

Open Division Finals
Saturday, July 12, 1:30pm, Maurer Hall
Plus winner of the Youth Division

Prizes, Rules and online Registration form can be found at http://www.squareroots.org/fiddle/

Come back on Sunday for the 3rd annual

Battle of the Bands
Sunday, July 13, 7-9pm, Szold Hall featuring

The band that gets the most folks dancing wins!
Dancers wanted and encouraged for three different styles of music.
Quick dance lessons will be given intermittently throughout the event.
Three bands (by invitation only).

Renato Anesi Trio
Brazilian Choro.

Byzantine Time Machine
Scientronic Greek and Balkan dance music.

Fantastic Toe Trippers
Polkas, Waltzes and Barn Dances from 3 continents.

Paul Tyler, convener

Presented by the Chicago Chapter of
the Fiddle Club of the World

Four (4) events as part of the Old Town School of Folk Music’s
second (2nd) Square Roots Festival.

1. Youth Division First Round
Sunday, July 7, 11am, Szold Hall in Old Town School East (4545 Lincoln)
Youth under 16 compete as teams or solo

2. Open Division First Round & Youth Finals
Thursday, July 11, 6:30pm, Maurer Hall in Old Town School West (4544 Lincoln)
Separate Fiddle Team and Fiddle Solo categories

3. Open Division Finals
Saturday, July 13, 1:45pm, Maurer Hall
Plus winner of the Youth Division

For more information, contest rules and online registration visit . . .
http://www.squareroots.org/fiddle/

4. Battle of the Bands
Saturday, July 13, 6:30-8pm, Szold Hall featuring

Money Creek
One of the best old-time square dance bands in the Midwest.

Fruteland Jackson
Chicago bluesman fronts an old-time jook band.

Chicago Spelmanslag
Chicagoland’s own Scandinavian musicians club.

Dance and cheer as bands compete to be named Best Fiddle Band in Chicago!
The band that get’s the most dancers on the floor wins the top prize.

Get your fiddle on! And you’re dancin’ shoes!
Paul Tyler, convener

Saturday, July 21, 1:45-2:45pm
Maurer Hall (Old Town School West)

And later on,
Battle of the Bands (click for more info)
Saturday, July 21, 7-8pm
Szold Hall (Old Town School East)

Youth Division
The 1st place winner, crowned on Thursday, will perform.

1st Place – Kalman Strauss Chicago

2nd Place – Henry Beuving Chicago

Open Division – Solo Fiddle Finalists
Sean Colledge, Chicago (not pictured)

Steve Rosen Evanston

Kevin Van Staeyen Belgium

Open Division – Fiddle Team Finalists
Third Sunday Fiddlers (not pictured)
Janet Lettrich Hammling & Angie Moss, fiddles
Grayslake & Chicago

Young Ladies Fiddle Social Caroline Fernald & Nancy Bardiwill, fiddles Norman, Oklahoma & Chicago

Just Bob Debi Lewis & Elizabeth Lamberti, fiddles Evanston & Chicago

All photos taken by Lynn Garren, Fiddle Club of the World

Youth Division winners
1st – Kalman Strauss (Chicago)
2nd – Henry Beuving (Chicago)
3rd – Liam Perlstein (Morton Grove)

Open Division Finalists (in alphabetical order)
Solo Fiddle
Sean Colledge
Steve Rosen (Evanston)
Kevin Von Staeyen (Belgium–not the one in Wisconsin)

Fiddle Team
Just Bob, led by Debi Lewis (Evanston)
Third Sunday Fiddlers, led by Janet Lettrich Hammling (Grayslake) and Angie Moss
The Young Ladies Fiddle Social, led by Caroline Fernald (Norman, Oklahoma) and Nancy Bardawill

Finals are Saturday, 1:45, in the concert hall at the Old Town School of Folk Music, the West building.

In case of rain, the 10th Midwest Fiddle Championship will be held in Szold Hall. That’s on the second florr of the new Old Town School East building at 4545 Lincoln.

A decision will be made a little before 6 o’clock.

Whatever happens. The contest will go on.

Presented by the Fiddle Club of the World (Chicago Chapter)

Rules and online registration available at squareroots.org/fiddle

Sunday, July 15, 11am
Youth Division – 1st Round
Szold Hall (Old Town School East)

Thursday, July 19, 6:30-9pm
Youth Division – Finals
Open Division – 1st Round
Solo & Fiddle Team Categories
Giddings Plaza (with the Lincoln Square Chamber of Commerce)

Saturday, July 21, 1:45-2:45pm
Youth Division – winners
Open Division – Finals
Maurer Hall (Old Town School West)

Saturday, July 21, 7-8pm
Battle of the Bands
Tarima Son, Brown’s Dream & a 3rd band tba
Szold Hall (Old Town School East)

The Saturday events are part of our brand new Square Roots Festival, pairing music and dance with a craft-brewing fest. This is a partnership with the Lincoln Square Chamber of Commerce. (Square Roots. Get it?)

Here’s how the contest looked in 2011, with the finals on the main stage at Chicago Folk & Roots Festival. Photos by Paul Doughty.

John Lane & Danny Gillespie of Can I Get an Amen

Debi Lewis of The Lopsiders

And here’s a medley of tunes from the 2011 Winner, Los Pichardo featuring Gabriela Pichardo on fiddle. Recorded at the Open Division 1st Round on Thursday, July 7, 2011.*

Suite of Mexican tunes


* The Fiddle Club does not have a complete set of recordings from Thursday, July7 2011. If anybody in the audience recorded any of the music from that night, would you be willing to share it with Fiddle Club? Thanks.

Paul Tyler, convener