| A hand shot up out of the audience and waved | | | | all captivated by her versatility. |
| emphatically, attempting to catch the celebrity's | | | | Concertmaster of the Okanagan Symphony, Denis |
| attention. The spotlit fiddler peered out into the | | | | Letourneau, was as mesmerized as the audience was! |
| darkness and candidly asked, "Do I know you? Am I | | | | The classical virtuoso beamed from ear to ear and |
| related to you?" | | | | repeatedly shook his head in awe and admiration of |
| The whole room burst into laughter and I felt like I was | | | | Natalie's fiddling fireworks. Then he contributed to the |
| right there with Natalie MacMaster in her kitchen | | | | pyrotechnics when he joined Natalie for a musical |
| enjoying a homespun "ceilidh," (pronounced "kay-lee") | | | | goulash where "fiddling met violining." Their duet |
| Celtic dance. | | | | blended the popular fiddle tune "Devil's Dream" with the |
| This "kitchen" had a world-famous celebrity, a | | | | intricate Bach Violin Partida in E! |
| top-notch symphony orchestra and over 450 paying | | | | "Denis, we have an expression back in Cape Breton," |
| guests at $40 each, but that's beside the point. It was | | | | said Natalie afterwards, "When we really dig in, we |
| still Natalie's kitchen. | | | | say we were 'driving 'er.' Now you can go home and |
| She went on to tune her violin patiently, though | | | | say last night you were really 'driving 'er!" Denis blushed. |
| hundreds of eyes watched anxiously. Perhaps she | | | | Natalie smiled. We all felt two worlds converge and it |
| sensed the urgency when she joked that her tuning | | | | felt wonderful. |
| was, "Close enough for Celtic," and the room chuckled | | | | As our cultures blend, I think we'll be seeing a lot more |
| again. Then this sweet, down-to-earth gal from Cape | | | | "Traditional fusion" in music. Diverse forms of music, |
| Breton Island picked up her fiddle and the "kitchen" | | | | polar as they may seem now, will soon merge and |
| went up in flames! There wasn't a foot within earshot | | | | create new genres that people of all ages and walks |
| that could resist tapping to her phenomenal playing and | | | | of life can appreciate. Put a symphony orchestra, a |
| dancing. | | | | fiddler, a funk band and a bagpiper playing on stage at |
| Earshot, but not eyeshot. Unfortunately, most of the | | | | the same time and everyone from Grandma to the |
| audience could only see the virtuoso from the waist-up | | | | teenager with the spiked hair will approve. |
| due to the level seating arrangement of the hall. | | | | There will be growing pains, naturally. As in Natalie's |
| Natalie's legendary clicks and clacks of tap shoes on | | | | concert, there will be an obvious polarity in the |
| the hollow stage stirred me to leave my seat and | | | | audience in deciding proper concert protocol. Some |
| watch the entire concert from the side aisle. Soon | | | | people at the concert didn't know whether get up and |
| after standing, I ran back to my aisle to fetch my | | | | dance in the aisles, or to be content in sitting in quiet |
| young violin students, who were too short to catch the | | | | appreciation. Like any pioneers, we'll find a middle |
| fancy footwork from their seats. | | | | ground that works for everyone. Heck, a friend of |
| In true Celtic tradition, our quiet observation from the | | | | mine once created "seated dancing" in such an |
| sidelines grew into louder foot stomping, which rapidly | | | | awkward situation. |
| escalated into energetic circle dancing and jigs. Natalie's | | | | Natalie's charm and talent, coupled with her obvious |
| own dancing featured high kicks, quick spins and | | | | love of music, were enough to inspire me and several |
| rhythmic tap dancing. As the show progressed, her | | | | other violinists present to explore new avenues of |
| traditional Scottish step dancing morphed into groovy | | | | expression and technique. I couldn't wait to get home |
| modern hip-hop and disco moves, including the | | | | to try some of the things she showed us so flawlessly |
| notorious and difficult "Moonwalk!" | | | | that night. |
| Much to my surprise and delight, the music also went | | | | Natalie provided further inspiration when she agreed to |
| through a breathtaking metamorphosis. The concert | | | | sign fiddles my students had brought with them. Then |
| started with traditional Celtic melodies played by the | | | | she stood, weary and tired, but smiling enthusiastically |
| silky string sections of the symphony. Next was a | | | | for group photographs with me and my fiddle students. |
| Cape Breton fiddle tune in A major, what Natalie called | | | | My students, young and old, talked about Natalie's |
| the "Canadian key." | | | | concert for weeks and have found a role model who |
| After such traditional pieces, we learned that she was | | | | will guide them into wonderful new directions. |
| more multifaceted than imaginable. From a Latin mix to | | | | Thank you, Natalie. You are one amazing Canadian |
| the gorgeous jazz ballad, "Autumn Leaves," we were | | | | pioneer and we love you for it! |
