The Past And Present Of Fiddling Meet On Childsplay's 'Waiting For The Dawn'

New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Shore Fire Media) - The 13 tracks on multinational fiddle ensemble Childsplay's newest album, 'Waiting for the Dawn,' integrate the traditional and the modern, with tunes that range from the Scottish folk tune "Rattling Roaring Willie" (with lyrics by Robert Burns) to U2's "Mothers of the Disappeared" to Elvis Presley's "Love Me Tender," itself an update of the American Civil War song "Aura Lee." The addition of vocals by Crooked Still's Aoife O'Donovan and vocal harmonies, a first for a Childsplay album, weave a timeless tapestry of meaning.

The group of nearly two dozen string players is also fusing past and present online with their website Childsplay.org. On the group's blog, fiddler Sam Amidon, also known as an up-and-coming folk singer-songwriter, recently posted a list of his favorite Irish fiddle albums (Tommy Peoples holds the top two spots). Irish fiddler Laurel Martin blogged about her mentor, Seamus Connolly of Country Clare, and advised readers: "Don't settle for the inspiration you derive from your musical hero; look to your hero's heroes too." And Bonnie Bewick, a violinist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, told her fellow classically trained musicians, with a wink, that the key to playing folk music is holding the fiddle lower and "Drinking a beer. Oh, and of course TAPPING YOUR FOOT."

The group's musicianship, as expressed on their beautiful fiddles, handcrafted by group founder Bob Childs, creates tremendous depth of feeling. Said the Boston Irish Reporter: "Whatever the numbers of musicians playing at any given time whether the full ensemble or a duo or trio - and whatever the origin or character of the tune or song in question, emotion is in more than adequate supply."
Watch Bob Childs and Childsplay on Better TV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N5eSmHhfc0
Read Childsplay's blog: https://bobchildsplay.blogspot.com
Watch a video of "Rattling Roaring Willie": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAncoe6bF80