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

9th Midwest Fiddle Champions

Open Division
Los Pichardo – 1st place *

Can I Get an Amen – 2nd
3rd Sunday String Band – 3rd
Kit Paulson – 4th
The Lopsiders – 5th

Youth/Family Division
The Fiddle Billies – 1st place
The Tuning Pegs – 2nd
Destiny Diaz & Friends – 3rd
Shumm Family – 4th

Over $1500 in prizes awarded at the end of a lovely week-long contest.

* Yahvi Pichardo identifies the winning numbers as “Son Guerrerence & Pajarillo (huapango arribeño)”

Finals, 12:30 July 7, Folk & Roots main stage
Top prize is $400. Over $1500 in prize money!

Don’t miss these bands!
Fabulous photos by Paul Doughty

Can I Get an Amen

John Lane & Danny Gillespie

Kit Paulson

accompanied by James Kreigsmann and David Stockman

Los Pichardo
Yahvi, Victor, Gabriella & Zacbe Pichardo

also
The Third Sunday String Band
Angela Moss & Janet Lettrich Hamling, Rich Kurowski & Sandy Bykowski
The Lopsiders
Debi Lewis, Jim Meegan, Deborah Fausch & Shane Jones

Plus the top two from the Youth/Family Division will battle for the top prize – $150
The Fiddle Billies
from Music House
The Tuning Pegs
from the Old Town School’s kids fiddle program

– Paul Tyler, convener

9th Midwest Fiddle Championship
Open Division 1st Round & Youth/Family Division Finals
Thursday, July 7 at 7pm in the concert hall
Old Town School of Folk Music (4544 Lincoln)
Admission is free

Square & Ceilidh Dance
Sunday, July 17 at 6:30-9:30pm
Atlantic Bar & Grill (5062 Lincoln)
Music by the Fiddle Club of the World
Calling by Paul Tyler
No partner or experience needed.
All dances will be taught.
Admission $5 for dancers


(click to enlarge, then print and disseminate please)

Thank you.
Paul Tyler, convener