Childsplay at Symphony Space
Friday, December 3

The fiddle extravaganza known as Childsplay will be celebrating their 25th year of touring , appearing in New York City at the Peter Norton Symphony Space on Friday December 3rd at 8 PM. Childsplay features some of the best fiddlers in the nation, from Boston Symphony violinists to all-Ireland and Scottishl fiddling champions. Formed in 1986, the special sound of Childsplay lies not only in the skill of the musicians but in the warm familial timbre of the instruments they play – a quality similar to the vocal blending of singers from the same family.

Known to its audience as a celebration of spirited, innovative, and exuberant music, this special evening will allow the audience a rare glimpse into the intricate weavings of the beautiful singing of Mollie O’Brien (a frequent guest on Prairie Home Companion) with the voices of the violins made by the same violinmaker.

Bob Childs, the artistic director of Childsplay, has spearheaded this endeavor by drawing in fiddlers who have purchased his instruments over the years, as well as musicians and dancers he has met along the way. Year after year he crafts these shows and creates inspiring events that are both a celebration of the beautiful and diverse voices of the violin and are a tribute to the masterful musicians who perform in the concerts. The group’s passion, authenticity and artistry declare that traditional music and dance are alive and well in North America. Captivating, inspiring, entertaining, life-affirming, call it what you will, the stick-to-your-ribs fiddling of Childsplay has become a jewel in the crown of American music.

Childsplay 2010 Performers:

The line up for Childsplay currently includes vocalist Mollie O’Brien, violinist Bonnie Bewick from the Boston Symphony Orchestra, US national Scottish fiddling champion Hanneke Cassel, All-Ireland fiddle champion Sheila Falls-Keohane, renowned fiddlers Lissa Schneckenburger, Ellen Gawler, Naomi Morse, Laurel Martin, Katie McNally, Graham DeZarn, Steve Hickman and Bob Childs as well as All-Ireland harpist Kathleen Guilday and acclaimed Irish flute player Shannon Heaton are also performing, along with the rhythm section of Keith Murphy on guitar and piano, Mark Roberts on banjo, Ariel Friedman and Elsie Gawler on cello and Ralph Gordon on bass, along with step-dancer Shannon Dunne.

For ticket information, please go to www.symphonyspace.org

For more information about Childsplay, please go to www.childsplay.org