'Now you play a pretty good fiddle boy'

H. Clark Burkett

Published Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Historic Jefferson College in Washington is having its first Big Yam Potatoes Gathering Fiddle Contest on Saturday.

This event features a fiddling contest as well as an all-day concert of old time music performed by some of Mississippi’s most noted performers. The event begins at 8:45 a.m. with the raising of the flag led by local veteran Jack Kerwin. The contest begins at 9 a.m. in the old historic west wing and continues throughout the day until 4 p.m. with contestants ranging in age from children to adults. During the contest there is a break at 11:30 a.m. and at that time Buddy McClure and Buzz Sibley will perform a lunch break concert of Mississippi and West Virginia fiddle music in the west wing.

Outside on the grounds under the old oak trees, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., other musicians are scheduled to perform old time music, and that evening at 7:30 there is an old time dance.

Mississippi has a long tradition of fiddle contests that reached its height of popularity in the 19th century and lasted to the 1930s. During that time period these contests were greatly anticipated and well attended by the general public. This event is a revival of this spirit and is a chance for the public to relive that historic time.

The fiddle contest begins at 9 a.m. and is divided into three age categories. The first to compete are the pewees for contestants age 1 to 11, and this group plays one tune of choice in the old-time style.

The juniors for ages 12 to 17 are the second to compete at 10 a.m. and this group plays two old-time style tunes. There is a break at 11:30 a.m. but the entertainment continues in the west wing with Buddy McClure and Buzz Sibley.

The senior competition for ages 18 and over begins at 1:30 p.m. and is the final competition and they may play one tune in just one category or a tune in all categories which consists of a dance tune and waltz, cross tuning, or tune of choice categories. Fiddlers pay a $5 fee for each category entered and only old-time style playing is permitted for judging which excludes Texas, bluegrass and classical styles. Fiddlers who wish to play but not be judged can pay a $10 fee.

The outside performances begin at 9:15 a.m. with Handsome Johnny Rawls playing the claw hammer banjo accompanied by his wife Beth singing gospel and mountain ballads.

Following at 10 a.m. Hal and Connie Genes perform Carter Family Gospel with mandolins, fiddles and other string instruments.

Following a break for lunch, performances begin again at 2 p.m. with Professor Edwin MacAllister and the Jackson Jug Band with Kate Morgan performing a variety of old time music from gospel to up-tempo fiddling.

They are followed at 3 p.m. by Pat and Cindy O’Mire performing old time cross tuning, sawmill tuning, traditional fiddling and waltz. At 4 p.m. Wild Fiddling Jack Magee and Friends play Mississippi fiddle tunes in their raw and natural state.

At 5 p.m., last but not least, Mississippi’s premier fiddler Tim Avalon and Friends performs waltzes, breakdowns, country and Mississippi fiddle tunes.

At 7:30 p.m. there is an old time dance in the west wing featuring Rhonda Turner as caller with music provided by Wild Fiddling Jack Magee.

This event is sponsored by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Mississippi Old Time Music Society, The Mississippi Fiddlers Association and the Natchez Moose Lodge.

The organizers of the event also want to extend special thanks to radio stations 107.1 The River and 104.7 The Gator for their help in advertising this event.

Anyone interested in old time music should not miss this event.

For more information contact Historic Jefferson College at hjc@mdah.state.ms.us or call 601-442-2901.

H. Clark BURKETT works at Historic Jefferson College.