Sounding like something out of a Dr. Seuss children's book, famous fiddle player Daniel Lapp, will be playing the flumpet during the PGSO concert Saturday night at 7 at Vanier Hall.
The flumpet, a hybrid between a flugelhorn and a trumpet, is Lapp's latest pride and joy when it comes to instruments and he can't wait to show it off at the concert.
Lapp is best remembered for his rambunctious faux-hawked fiddle performance during the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics at B.C. Place in Vancouver in front of 63,000 people live, with millions watching on television.
He said he's had his eye on this spectacularly innovative instrument for 20 years. The flumpet was originally created by Art Farmer and craftsman Dave Monette of Portland, Oregon made the flumpet Lapp will be playing Saturday night.
"It's pretty beautiful and has this big sound which I'm really looking forward to playing at Vanier Hall with the orchestra," he said. "The trumpet hasn't changed design in probably a hundred years and Monette has brought it to a new level [with the flumpet]."
There's a vibrancy and vitality to this instrument, Lapp added.
"When you look for a fiddle you look for an older instrument because they get better with age," he said. "Brass instruments aren't like that. Brass instruments -- for me -- are about being innovative and having an instrument at the cutting edge of technology and this is it [flumpet]."
Lapp will also be playing the fiddle during the Lapp It Up at Vanier Hall with the Prince George Symphony Orchestra.
"We're going to be doing a couple different things," said Lapp. "I'm going to be playing my fiddle and my trumpet and the fiddle tunes were both arranged by Scott McMillan in Halifax."
One is a Scottish medley of tunes and there will be a few surprise guests.
"There will be six local kids who will jump up on stage to perform," said Lapp. "And also my sister Beverley Eggen will play the piano. One of these pieces I have played a few times before. It's basically like you'd hear a set of Scottish Cape Breton tunes with a fiddle and piano but it's embellished with the entire symphony orchestra. This is straight-up spirited fiddling, one set of Irish tunes for one medley and a set of Scottish tunes for the other."
Lapp grew up in Prince George playing trumpet for all the high school bands in town and spent many years performing at Vanier Hall.
"I have a lot of memories in that room from when I was a kid," Lapp said. "I think I was known more as a trumpet player when I was going to Duchess Park, not as a fiddle player so much."
The focus on fiddle as a career came after he moved away.
"Fiddling was a family thing for me," he added. "It was more something I did in the summer time because there was fiddle contests in the summer."
He said he became part of the fiddle revival for the last 20 years and he did his music degree in trumpet at UVic. He also studied in Humber College in Toronto.
Now he's playing both instruments pretty much equally again.
This concert features not only the delightful music of Lapp, but will be complimented by treats from Ohh...Chocolat! as a fundraiser for the PGSO.
Tickets are available at Studio 2880, by calling 250-563-2880 or at the door. Adults $29, seniors $25 and under 25 $15.
