Hat trick for Kyle Charron in Shelburne at 61st Canadian Open Old Time Fiddle Championship

(News Release)

The 61st Canadian Open Old Time Fiddle Championship just finished in Shelburne, Ontario was a great success. This year’s Canadian Open Old Time Fiddle Champion, Kyle Charron of Barrie, Ontario, was crowned at the finals on Saturday, August 6. This was Kyle’s third Championship. Kyle’s previous championships were in 2007 (when, at 17, he was the youngest champion in the history of the contest) and in 2009. Award results for all of the competition classes are attached and will also be available at www.shelburnefiddlecontest.on.ca.

Canadian Open Champion for 2011 Kyle Charron of Barrie, Ontario with the Mayor of Shelburne, Ed Crewson.

Kyle also won the Canadian Tune of Choice trophy and award with Maytime Swing by Graham Townsend. This was Kyle’s first time winning the Canadian Tune of Choice.

With close to 100 contestants registered from as far away as Boston, Massachusetts, and almost 2,000 audience members joining us over the course of the event, another successful edition of Canada’s premier fiddle championship has passed into the history books. Canadian Old Time Fiddle Music is alive and well in Shelburne!

Bill Waite, Co-Chair of the Shelburne Rotary Club’s contest organizing committee, said, “Once again this year we were able to put on a fantastic show for the fiddle championship, thanks in no small part to today’s high calibre of fiddle playing.” The Shelburne Rotary Club would like to thank all of its supporters, volunteers, and sponsors for their dedication in making the 61st Canadian Open Old Time Fiddle Championship such a success.

A number of the contestants were also featured as part of the fiddling and stepdancing Saturday night entertainment, which included performances by the Ballagh Bunch, Everything Fitz, the Jenish Sisters, Rittmai, and The Third Degree. The Saturday night entertainment also included a clear audience favourite - the Judges’ Showcase, giving Doug McNaughton, Karen Reed, and Louis Schryer a chance to demonstrate their fiddling skills.

The youngest competitor this year was eight year old Abbie Steckley-Leis; the oldest was 83 year old Alf Leno.

The tradition of the last several years continued with the most hotly contested Class being the Junior Championship (13 - 18 year olds), which had 20 competitors (almost double that of the Championship Class) and was won by Ellen Day of Ottawa, Ontario. The level of play in the 10-12 year old class, which was won by Diana Dawydchak of Etobicoke, Ontario, bodes well for the future of the Junior Championship.

A surprise came during the evening when MC Gary Ballagh was presented with the Invincible Vince Mountford Memorial Trophy for “Most Entertaining Fiddler”. It was a crowd-pleasing choice and, perhaps for the first time in recorded history, Gary was momentarily struck speechless.

The Saturday afternoon show introduced in 2010 was doubled to two performances this year - Rittmai played, sang, and stepdanced their way into the hearts of two nearly sold out crowds at Grace Tipling Hall.

Louis Schryer Wins Over Shelburne!

On Thursday night, Louis Schryer thrilled the crowd of over 400 with his exceptional fiddling and his daugthers’ stepdancing.

Tickets for the 2012 Fiddle Championship will be available soon by calling 519-925-8620.

For more information visit www.shelburnefiddlecontest.on.ca.