Celebrate The Season With The Chatham Fiddle Orchestra

Rose Clancy's Chatham Fiddle Orchestra is back for their popular annual Christmas concert. Featuring the traditional fiddle music of Ireland, Scotland, Canada and Appalachia, the concert is set for Friday, Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. at the South Harwich Meetinghouse.

 Clancy, of the Chatham Fiddle Company, is the founder and director of the orchestra, which includes musicians ages 12 to 88, most of whom are her students. 23 members of the group will perform on Friday. 

 Many are adults who have recently taken up their instruments, Clancy said. 

"It's a big leap for adult learners to get in front of a group and perform,” she said. “I am very proud of them. When they are done I see it in their faces, a sense of accomplishment. It's extraordinary!"

 A performer and teacher, Clancy plays fiddle, mandolin and banjo at concerts and festivals throughout the Northeast. She moved to Cape Cod in 2010 and formed the orchestra in 2016. "When we started I never thought we'd be doing a concert," she said, and now they do two, the other being the Wellfleet Porchfest in August. 

 As a teacher, she knew that playing with others was "a joyful experience" and helped musicians improve their performance. She wanted to get her students out of the practice room and into playing with others. 

"When I was 17 and 18, I played with an Irish dance band," she recalled recently. "That was one of my greatest experiences in becoming a better musician."

She knew her own students would thrive through playing together. "As a group you lose yourself to the music," she said. "You are not playing solo and you have the support of the group so you can take chances while you are playing."

 The non-professional orchestra is multi-generational. Barbara Seagal is its oldest player. She took up the fiddle 10 years ago at age 78 after retrieving her father's violin from her brother's basement. 

"I am a very strong believer that in order to remain sharp you must keep learning new skills," she said recently.

 The group, which practiced every Wednesday for four months to prepare for the concert, is inspiring to her. 

"The audience can be inspired as they see our musicians perform. Something really magical happens," she said. "It always amazes me!"

 In addition to the fiddles, the orchestra has two banjos plus a piano, a guitar and a bass. The music will be mostly Christmas music, as well as some winter favorites like “The Skaters Waltz.” At the end of the concert, which runs about 75 minutes, they always do a medley of Christmas favorites, Clancy said. "We even try to get everyone to sing and people leave reinvigorated for the holidays," she said. "It's a feel good night. Everybody loves it."

 The South Harwich Meetinghouse is located at 270 Chatham Rd. in Harwich. Tickets are $20 and available on Eventbrite or at the door as available. For further information go to www.southharwichmeetinghouse.com or call 508-364-5223.