Fiddler Bonnie Rideout brings Scottish highlight music to life at Goshen College Feb. 14
Fiddler Bonnie Rideout brings Scottish highlight music to life at Goshen College Feb. 14
GOSHEN, Ind. — If you’d like to expand your knowledge of Scottish music beyond the soundtrack to “Brave Heart,” Bonnie Rideout’s concert at Goshen College may be just what you’re looking for.
Rideout, three-time U.S. Scottish fiddle champ, and the Scottish Trio, with piper Jerry O’Sullivan, will be performing in Sauder Concert Hall at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 14 as part of the 2003-04 Goshen College Performing Art Series.
In addition to the concert, Rideout will be presenting a 3 p.m. lecture and demonstration on Scottish fiddling on Feb. 14 in Rieth Recital Hall. It is free and open to the public.
Rideout has been at the forefront of a traditional Scottish Highland music revival. Her performances include ancient Celtic ballads and lively renditions of hundred-year-old tunes. Her repertoire is accented with the colorful gift of story-telling, mouth-music and song. “Traditional reels, jigs and marches ignite Rideout’s passion, often sending her bow racing across the strings in a manner that’s bound to lift your spirit,” said “The Washington Post.”
With eight albums under her belt, Rideout has been featured on the BBC, CBS and NPR. Behind her expressive style and energetic delivery is extensive classical training, which is reflected in her technique. “Her exceptional control when bowing, her ornamentation and her marvelously rich double-stopped drones produce an authentically moving, almost keening, sound,” stated “The Scotsman” (Edinburgh, Scotland).
Rideout recently received three Grammy nominations for her release “A Scottish Christmas” and an Indy Music Award nomination for her most recent recording, “Scottish Inheritance.”
Bryan Aspey on guitar and Steve Holloway on percussion join Rideout to make up the Scottish Trio. The three musicians bring the music of Scotland to life with a rousing variety of songs, both traditional and modern. Rideout has done significant research in the musical tradition of Scotland, unearthing many old tunes that she resurrected for her trio. “Rideout’s instrumental flair and emotional sensitivity on both fiddle and viola are consistently enhanced by her impressive scholarship,” said “The Washington Post.”
Performing with Rideout and the Scottish Trio is O’Sullivan. He has been widely hailed as America’s premiere uilleann piper. His reputation for technical and melodic mastery of the instrument — an Irish bagpipes known for their subtlety and expression — is unsurpassed in the United States, and is demanding considerable attention overseas. Jerry is also widely recorded on the Irish flute, the tin whistle, the low whistle, the Highland bagpipes and the Scottish smallpipes.
For information about ticket availability, prices, reservations or more information, contact the Welcome Center at (574) 535-7566 or e-mail joannp@goshen.edu.
Greg Brown will be performing March 12 at 7:30 p.m. an add-on concert in the Performing Arts Series. For ticket availability, contact the Welcome Center.
— by Tim Nafziger
Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.
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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.