Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park will host two acclaimed fiddlers at the park bandshell Friday, July 25.
Fiddle Concert in the Park will feature performances by JJ Guy and Gordon Stobbe, two lifelong fiddle players and celebrated musicians in their own right.
“It’s just a different style of music,” said Shawnee Newton, president of the Prince George branch of the BC Old Time Fiddlers. “There’s no backup band; they play tunes they’ve written together. And they’re just excellent fiddle tune writers … it’s just great. It appeals to people who like classical music and all kinds of different music. So fiddle music isn’t just one style — there are many, many different styles that they play.”
They’ll be joined by Annette Fischer-Piel, a talented accordionist from 100 Mile House.
Guy and Stobbe have been performing in Prince George since 2019 and have consistently received a warm reception from local audiences.
Both artists spoke to The Citizen about their past visits to the city.
“We’ve been to Prince George a few times,” said Guy. “The fiddle community there is so supportive and so great to us. There are so many great fiddlers in Prince George, and it’s always fun to work with them and support their mentorship. The first year we did it was the first year after COVID, and it was such a great turnout. It’s such a nice, big park with a cool acoustic setting … It’s always been fun to have so many fiddle fans — and music fans in general — come out to the park and be a part of that.”
Guy and Stobbe have been playing the fiddle since childhood. They’ve performed and recorded together for more than 10 years and are currently working on their sixth album.
Both musicians have been inducted into the North American Fiddlers Hall of Fame in New York. Stobbe is also a recipient of the Order of Canada for his contributions to teaching fiddling.
In addition, Stobbe spent time on the small screen, hosting his own show on the Atlantic affiliate of the CTV network for eight years in the 1980s.
Guy told The Citizen he hopes concertgoers leave with a newfound appreciation for a style of music many may not be familiar with.
“Just opening their eyes to a few different musical ideas in the fiddle style,” said Guy. “There’s sometimes a stigma associated with fiddling that I hear once in a while — that all the tunes sound the same. So we introduce the tunes and the style a bit, and the inspiration for each tune as well. Hopefully, people will come away with an experience that refreshes and renews their idea of it.”
Guy said he believes concerts like this offer a unique opportunity to introduce original fiddle music to new listeners.
“The special thing about putting the concert on in the park is the chance to reach out to new fans and introduce our music — which Gordon and I both write,” said Guy. “We’ll be playing original music that we’ve written ourselves, and showcasing how fiddle music is evolving and growing.”
Stobbe echoed that sentiment, saying fiddle music continues to change and draw on new influences.
“Do you think there are too many fiddle tunes in the world? Well, you’re wrong,” he said. “There are going to be more people constantly writing, expanding the repertoire, and bringing in other influences too. We’re listening to Latin music and other genres and trying to integrate them into the fiddle music we love.”
One of the highlights for the duo was seeing how the Prince George community responded to their performances during the pandemic.
“People were so excited to be outdoors and listening to live music again — and just being among people, even though we were all distanced,” said Guy. “There was an excitement, and you could see humanity’s reverence for being connected with other humans.”
Stobbe added that the outdoor setting at Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park proved to be an asset during COVID-19 restrictions.
“We were actually really helped by COVID then, because people had to be distanced,” said Stobbe. “People had to wear masks. But when you’re outdoors, you didn’t have those same restraints. It was almost a couple of hours of complete normalcy — just sitting in the grass, enjoying music, and not thinking about all the hard stuff going on.”
