Friends of Fiddler's Green
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The Friends of Fiddler's Green are a traditional English, Scottish and Irish folk music band that formed out of the Fiddler's Green Folk Club (now the Flying Cloud) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in the late 1960s, early 1970s. Since then they have achieved institutional status among the North American folk music scene, having influenced a generation of folk musicians and were awarded the Estelle Klein award for their contribution to folk music in 2003.
Past and present members include: Tam Kearney (guitar, banjo), Ian Robb (concertina), David Parry (concertina), Alistair Brown (accordion, harmonica, Jew's harp), Laurence Stevenson (fiddle), Grit Laskin (mandolin, bagpipes), Jim Strickland (pipes, drum), Stewart Cameron (guitar), Jeff McClintock (keyboards, piano), Cherie Whalen (keyboards, piano), Ian Clark (guitar). Others who have graced the stage with them in less of a permanent fashion have been Margot Kearney, Rosie Donovan, Caroline Parry, Rick Avery and Margaret Christl.
It is a little known fact that Stan Rogers' iconic Canadian folk song 'Barratt's Privateers' was inspired by the Friends after a sing along between the FFG and Stan at the Sudbury folk festival in the early 70s, as is illustrated in an article written by Alistair Brown for the Living Tradition magazine (46, 19f). "Our choice of repertoire and approach to performance have influenced a number of performers, including Stan Rogers. The story of "Barratt's Privateers" is a case in point. Fairly early in his career, Stan's repertoire reflected that of the coffeehouse circuit where he did most of his playing, and to that point, little of the music of his maritime roots. At one festival in Sudbury Ontario, at an after hours party, the Friends [of Fiddler's Green] were holding forth with the usual selection of noisy chorussy stuff that tends to dominate such events. Stan had little to contribute, and it obviously bothered him, for he left fairly early (for him) in a bit of a huff. He arrived at breakfast the next morning and threw a sheet of paper with the words of "Barratt's Privateers" on the table in front of us, uttering the memorable words, "Suck that back you limey bastards!" We like to think we helped him find his muse. Stan was a great pal, and we miss him".
In early 2006, the Flying Cloud Folk Club in Toronto put on an evening memorial concert in honour of David Parry, at which many friends of the Friends performed, including Rick and Judy Avery, the Bilge Rats, Ian Bell as well as the Friends of Fiddler's Green themselves. For the occasion, an assemblage of offspring from the band put together an ad-hoc band of their own, exclusively to perform at the David Parry Memorial concert. This band, called The Kin of Fiddler's Green was composed of Richard Reed Parry [1], Evalyn Parry [2], Duncan Cameron [3], Stefan Read and Adam Brown [4].
Recordings:
The Friends of Fiddlers' Green: This Side of the Ocean. The Road to Mandalay.
Alistair Brown No Idle Jest. The Swan Necked Valve.
Grit Laskin: Unmasked. Lila's Jig. Just a Few Simple Words.
David Parry: The Wind that Tramps the World. The Man from Eldorado. 'E Liked it all!
Ian Robb: The Barley Grain for Me (with Margaret Christl). Ian Robb and Hang the Piper. Rose & Crown. From Different Angels. Finest Kind: Lost in a Song. Heart's Delight The Old Sod Band: Grass Roots.
External links:
Alistair Brown [5] Ian Robb [6] Grit Laskin [7] Arcade Fire [8] Bell Orchestre [9] Evalyn Parry [10] Duncan Cameron [11] Adam Brown [12]
