Music at West Branch Commentary

Music at West Branch is very pleased to host a CD release party for the B flat Sisters

Kimberley Holmes and Sherryl Fitzpatrick have emerged onto the Traditional Folk music scene as a new duo with fresh Canadian fiddle tunes. With driving Quebecois jigs and reels, traditional Cape Breton and Irish tunes, soulful slow airs enveloped in beautiful harmonies, this duo will certainly take you on a rich journey through the diverse repertoire of the Ottawa Valley, Maritimes, Quebec as well as exploring their original music. This unique duo will highlight their ability to switch from fiddle to piano as well as incorporating their beautiful blends of harmonies. Accompanying them will be Skip Holmes on guitar.
Their brand new CD “Versatility” will be available for the first time in this area. Here is a link to their web page where you will be able to hear snatches from that recording. http://www.bbsisters.ca/wordpress/?page_id=6

Here are brief Bios of Kim, Sherryl and Skip.

Kimberley began her career at age five playing the piano and followed in her families footsteps playing the fiddle since 1984. She is Canada’s premier piano accompanist in the traditional style of fiddling and has won many awards for her fiddle playing. She is the house accompanist and artistic director of the Maritime Fiddle Festival.
She has toured with such artists as Graham and Eleanor Townsend, Richard Wood, Calvin Vollrath and April Verch among others, and has appeared on a long list of recordings by such artists as Richard Wood, Jocelyne Bourque, Ray Legere, J.P. Cormier, Tara Lynne Touesnard, Calvin Vollrath, Gordon Stobbe, Peter Dawson, Sherryl Fitzpatrick and Kelli Trottier.
With over 25 years of teaching experience both privately and in groups, Kimberley is in demand as an instructor on both piano and fiddle. She is a guest instructor at camps across Canada, most notably the Tobique Fiddle Camp in New Brunswick, Woods Fiddle Camp, Canadian Grand Masters Camp, Jocelyne Bourque Fiddle Camp in Moncton, Calvin Vollrath Camp as well as at the Gaelic College in Cape Breton.

Sherryl, a native of Ottawa, Ontario, began her career at the age of 15 playing the fiddle and studying classical violin. Over the past 12 years she has been playing both the piano and bodhran.
Having been exposed to many different styles of fiddling growing up, she has a deep appreciation for all styles which can be heard in her playing and in her original compositions. She has won numerous awards at fiddle competitions over the years.
With 25 years teaching experience, she is in demand as a teacher, workshop instructor, fiddle camp instructor and classical violinist at weddings. She has accompanied Peter Dawson as a special guest at numerous fiddle festivals. She has been a guest instructor at numerous fiddle camps, most notably the Canadian Grand Masters camp, Ship’s Company Theatre Fiddle Camp, Tamworth Fiddle Camp, Tobique Fiddle Camp, Maritime Fiddle Festival as well as instructing groups of Native children in Norway House, Manitoba.
Sherryl has been a special guest fiddler with the Cameron Highlanders Pipe & Drum Band of Ottawa. She is in demand as a fiddler for Sue Fay Healy’s School of Irish Dance Christmas Feis, National Capital Feis and the NAV Canada annual Feis in Cornwall, Ontario.
She is also the Director of the Ottawa Valley Fiddle Camp now in its eighth year.
She has recorded two CD’s to date, “Autumn Waltz” (2000) and “Journeys” (2004). She will be recording her third release of original compositions in April 2011

Skip has been playing professionally for over 35 years, and plays guitar, banjo, fiddle and mandolin. He is currently a member of the quintet “When Here Meets There” with fiddlers Shane Cook, Troy MacGillivray and Ray Legère as well as being a member of the “Gordon Stobbe Trio”, and has collaborated with Gordon on a number of musical projects such as the “Ladies Choice Bluegrass Band”, the ATV musical variety show “Up Home Tonight”, and many recordings.
He has also toured Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. with fiddler Richard Wood, and is featured on all his recordings. He has also worked with numerous well-known fiddlers, including Graham and Eleanor Townsend, Calvin Vollrath, Kendra MacGillivray, Jocelyne Bourque, Ivan Hicks and JP Cormier. He has transcribed the music of fiddlers Joe Cormier, Byron Berline and Stuart Duncan for Mel Bay Productions, as well as a book of original fiddle tunes by Richard Wood. Skip has also just released an instructional book for guitar players on accompanying the fiddle.
He has taught guitar, banjo, fiddle and mandolin at the Canadian Conservatory of Music in Halifax, Nova Scotia for the past 25 years, as well as being a frequent instructor at fiddle camps and guitar workshops across the country.

Here is a video of Sherryl`s Fiddle Camp in Ottawa.

…and a video from a monthly fiddle get together also in Ottawa.

It is our great pleasure to be able to present this performance. Come early (doors open at 6PM), bring your fiddles and meet the artists. Here is their website, from which most of this information is derived. www.bbsisters.ca