Heirloom Expo “Fiddle-Off”

Disclaimer:

If there are fewer than 2 contestants in a given division, the age limitations may be changed at the last minute to ensure competition within each division.

Rules for Heirloom Expo “Fiddle-Off” Contest
Sept. 12, 2019,

be there by 2:00pm!

Divisions:
There will be two divisions of competition: Youth, for ages up to 17; Adult, for ages 18 and up. There will be no entry fee in either division of the contest.
Prizes:
Youth Division: First place, $125; Second place, $50; Third place, $25
Adult Division: First place, $400, Second place, $250; Third place, $100, Fourth place, $50
There will also be extra merchandise prizes. Every contestant will receive something.
Judging:
There will be two (2) judges for the contest. They will decide if the proper tune is being played. They will also be prepared to conduct a “tie-breaker” (see below) if necessary.
Rules:
  • The youth division will play before the adult division. All contestants for the division will stand together on stage, and will take turns in the order in which they registered for the contest.
  • A list of tunes (see below) is available on this website. The list for the youth division will be shorter than for the adult division. Copies of the list, for which ever division you are in, will be offered to contestants upon registration.
  • The first contestant will draw the name of a tune out of a container, and will be required to play that tune once through. If the judges agree that the tune was played completely, with reasonable intonation and consistant rhythm, that contestant will stay on stage while the others have their turns doing the same. If the contestant cannot play the tune to the judges satisfaction, he is eliminated from the competition. Contestants will be allowed to tune on stage if required. If necessary, more tune names will be added to the container after at least 2 rounds, all of which will be standard tunes from the general American repertoire.
  • The last remaining contestant in the Youth division will be awarded first place. The last two remaining contestants in the adult division will play in a “sudden death” playoff, and will be awarded first and second place. Should the contest run short of time without a clear winner, a “Tie-Breaker” will be used. The judges will present a list of tunes (still from the common repertoire) that were not published in the official list. If a contestant is not able to play the tune drawn from the tie-breaker list, the other contestant must try the same tune. If neither can play it, the contest continues with another draw. The contest ends when a final contestant has played more tunes than all other competitors.
  • All tunes must be played by memory! Contestants may not use written or recorded hints of any kind! Contestants must stay on stage if not eliminated from the competition, unless excused for good cause by the judges or emcee.

    This contest type is new to the West Coast, and inspired by competitions in the Midwest. The purpose of it is to promote the expansion of a common repertoire among all fiddlers, especially the younger players. It should be fun, and any comments and suggestions for the future will be sincerely appreciated by District 10.

    The Repertoire



    • Tune list for Youth Division

    Angelina Baker (Angeline The Baker)
    Arkansas Traveler
    Cluck Old Hen
    Cripple Creek
    Ebenezer
    8th Of January
    Girl I Left Behind
    Golden Slippers
    Liberty
    Little Dutch Girl
    Liza Jane
    Old Joe Clark
    Over the Waterfall
    Red Haired Boy
    Saint Anne's Reel
    Soldier's Joy
    Turkey in the Straw
    Pop Goes The Weasel
    Redwing
    Swallowtail Jig

    Tune List #1 - Most Common Tunes

    Angelina Baker (Angeline The Baker)
    Arkansas Traveler
    Blackberry Blossom
    Boys of Blue Hill (Beaux of Oak Hill)
    Campbell's Farewell to Red Gap (Steph's Reel)
    Chicken Reel
    Cold Frosty Morning
    Cluck Old Hen
    Cripple Creek
    College Hornpipe (Sailor's Hornpipe)
    Devil's Dream (De'il Amang the Tailors)
    Dinah
    Durangs
    Ebenezer
    Eighth of January
    Fisher's Hornpipe
    Flop Eared Mule
    Flowers of Edinburgh
    Forked Deer
    Girl I Left Behind
    Golden Slippers
    Harvest Home (Wilson's Clog)
    Irish Washerwoman
    June Apple
    Little Dutch Girl
    Leather Breeches (Lord MacDonald's Reel)
    Liberty
    Mississippi Sawyer
    Miss MacLeod's Reel (Hop High Ladies) (Uncle Joe)
    Old Joe Clark
    Over the Waterfall
    Over the Waves
    Old Molly Hare (Fairy Dance)
    Pop Goes The Weasel
    Ragtime Annie (Raggedy Ann)
    Red Wing
    Red Haired Boy
    Rye Whiskey (Jack o' Diamonds)(Drunken Hiccups)
    Saint Anne's Reel
    Sally Goodin' (simple version is acceptable)
    Shove that Pig's Foot
    Soldier's Joy
    Staten Island Hornpipe
    Swallowtail Jig
    Turkey in the Straw
    West Fork Gals
    Westphalia Waltz
    Whiskey Before Breakfast

    List #2 – Well-known tunes

    Banish Misfortune
    Barlow Knife
    Bill Cheatham
    Billy in the Lowground
    Black-Eyed Susie
    Buffalo Gals
    Cherokee Shuffle
    Cindy
    Colored Aristocracy
    Cotton Eyed Joe
    Cuffy
    Dinah
    Drowsy Maggie
    Fire on the Mountain
    Grasshopper Stittin' On A Sweet Potato Vine
    Great Big Taters In Sandy Land
    Hell Amongst the Yearlings
    Jenny Lind Polka (Heel and Toe Polka)
    Joys of Quebec
    Kesh Jig
    Kitchen Girl
    Listen to the Mockingbird
    Magpie
    Mason's Apron
    Miller's Reel
    Off to California
    Old French
    Old Mother Flanagan
    Old Rosin The Bow
    Peek-A-Boo Waltz
    Rickett's Hornpipe
    Rock The Cradle Joe
    S'Beag, S'Mor
    Seneca Square Dance
    Scotland the Brave
    Smash the Windows
    Staten Island Hornpipe
    Swallowtail Jig
    Texas
    Varsouvienne (Put Your Little Foot)
    Wagoner (Tennessee Wagoner) (Texas Wagoner)
    Wind That Shakes The Barley
    Woochoppers Reel

    List #3 - Challenger

    Angus Campbell
    Annie Laurie
    Athole Highlanders
    Blarney Pilgram
    Bull At The Wagon
    Bully Of The Town
    Chinese Breakdown
    Cricket On The Hearth
    Crooked Stovepipe
    Dry And Dusty
    Falls Of Richmond
    Green Willis (The Raw Recruit)
    Haste to the Wedding
    Hull's Victory
    Jimmy In The Swamp
    King of the Fairies
    La Bastringue
    Lamplighters Hornpipe
    Life In The Finland Woods
    Merrily Kiss The Quaker
    Monymusk
    Morpeth's Rant
    Mouth Of The Tobique
    My Own Home (Me Ain Hame)
    Off She Goes
    Paddy on the Railroad (Merry Blacksmith)
    Paddy on the Turnpike
    Petronella
    Rights of Man
    Road to Lisdoonvarna
    Romeo's Last Chance
    Sally Johnson
    Shortnin' Bread
    Snow Deer
    Speed the Plough
    Star of County Down
    Temperance (Teetotaler's Reel)
    Tobin's Jig
    Tombigbee River Waltz
    Whistlin' Rufus


    Let's have some fun and good luck to all of you!!!