Sunday: noon Two Rivers
Don Roy of Gorham is the dean of Franco-American fiddling in Maine. He learned to play the fiddle from his uncle Lucien Mathieu when he was 15 years old, and later was inspired by the playing of Ben Guillemette, Joe and Gerry Robichaud and Graham Townsend. Roy’s “Down East” playing comes from a tradition influenced by musicians from Quebec, Ireland, Ontario and the Maritime Provinces.
Roy organized and then managed the Maine French Fiddlers, a large fiddle orchestra, for 11 years, during which he played such venues as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Barns at Wolf Trap, on the radio program “A Prairie Home Companion” and the National Folk Festival in Lowell, Mass. He also plays guitar, mandolin and banjo. His recording, “Thanks for the Lift,” is a collection of rare tunes learned from his mentors, including Guillemette, Mathieu and the Robichauds.
Joining Roy for this year’s festival will be his wife, Cindy, who provides piano accompaniment and also step dances. Longtime musical associate Jay Young, the trio’s third member, plays bass.
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