Crossroads Music presents:
APRIL VERCH BAND
Ottawa Valley fiddle and stepdance
Concert Saturday, December 6 at 7:30 pm
Calvary Church, 48th St. and Baltimore Ave. in West Philadelphia
Fiddle workshop Sunday, December 7, 11 am - 1 pm
In the meeting room of Philadelphia Community Acupuncture, on the 3rd
floor of the Firehouse building at 50th and Baltimore.
(Please email us to register - space is limited).
http://www.crossroadsconcerts.org or 215-729-1028
When you see April Verch perform, the first thing that strikes you is
the pure energy that infuses her fiddle playing and stepdancing. Then
more subtle things draw you in – her confident, winsome singing, the
finely detailed elegance of her fiddle phrasing, and the depth of a
repertoire that ranges through material from Americana mainstays Buddy
and Julie Miller, to simple country songs and rollicking tunes from
her native Ottawa Valley, to sparkling original instrumentals. An
April Verch concert is equal parts invigorating, surprising,
heartbreaking, heartwarming, haunting, charming, thrilling, foot-
stomping, faith restoring, and smile inducing — all in all, utterly
unforgettable.
Pembroke, Ontario, where April has lived most of her life and where
her family has lived for generations, lies at the heart of the Ottawa
River Valley. Like the more familiar music of the southern
Appalachians, this region's distinctive musical and stepdancing
traditions combine a strong base in Scottish and Irish traditions with
influences from other cultures - in this case, the diverse people who
came from Quebec, Scotland, Ireland, Poland and Germany to work in the
region’s lumber camps.
April began taking stepdancing lessons when she was three and received
her first fiddle for her sixth birthday. Her talents in both arenas
quickly became evident, as she began winning fiddle and dance contests
and performing with her sister and the Pilatzke brothers as a member
of the Dueling Dancers, a troupe that earned regional and national
attention for its blend of innovative and traditional Ottawa Valley
stepdancing. By the time she finished high school, April had recorded
two albums and was appearing across Canada at concerts, as an invited
guest at fiddle contests, and as a teacher at fiddle camps, always
integrating dance and fiddling into a seamless, dynamic whole.
After a year at Boston’s Berklee School of Music, April launched her
professional career by winning both the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle
Champion and the Canadian Open Fiddle Champion titles.
As well as being one of the best fiddlers around, she is also a world-
class dancer and a singer whose voice has been hailed as “absolutely
captivating” by the Toronto Star. She tours tirelessly, winning over
audiences not only with sheer technical ability, but also with her
charm, humor, and boundless energy on stage.
Her seven albums, include the 2001 Rounder Records release,
Verchuosity, which earned a JUNO (Canadian Grammy) nomination for best
roots/traditional album.
In addition to her work as a performing artist, April has taught
workshops in the Ottawa Valley fiddle style at festivals around the
world. The workshop on Sunday will be of particular interest to those
with experience in Scottish, Irish, and American fiddle who are
interested in exploring a different but related tradition.
SOUND SAMPLES AND MORE INFORMATION
http://www.crossroadsconcerts.org
TICKET PRICING
Standard price: $15
Special Supporters: $20
Discount price: $10 (for students, seniors, or if you can’t afford to
come otherwise)
Children under 12: $5
Crossroads events are priced on a sliding scale. We are a not-for-
profit organization and want as many people as possible to be able to
come. If you’re unable to come otherwise, please pay the discount
price, and, if you can afford it, please consider paying the supporter
price so we can continue this policy.
WORKSHOP
Tuition is $25----
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