Ethnographic Film Series: The Fiddlers of James Bay plus Scots in the Sub-Arctic

Ethnographic Film Series: The Fiddlers of James Bay plus Scots in the Sub-Arctic
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This is a past event

This short documentary traces the history of the fiddle's arrival in Canada 300 years ago via Scottish traders from the Orkney Islands. Free entry. No booking required.

The Fiddlers of James Bay (1980) short documentary by Bob Rodgers.

The Cree population of what is now Northern Québec adopted the instrument, and many contemporary Cree residents are master fiddlers. In this film, two Cree fiddlers travel to the Orkney Islands, the birthplace of the music they learned from their fathers and grandfathers, to take part in concerts alongside Orcadian musicians. The film captures the warmth and goodwill of this reunion. 

In Scots in the Sub-Arctic, Frances Wilkins show more recent ethnographic field videography from her research among Cree fiddlers in the James Bay region between 2011 and 2014. The film illustrates the fiddle tradition as it is now through portraits of musicians. 

Hosted by: Elphinstone Institute

Venue: MacRobert Building