Geoff the Fiddler

A while back, we went to listen to Geoff the Fiddler play his fiddle and guitar at a presentation put on by the Botetourt County Historical Society and sponsored by The Reeds and the local chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. 

Geoff the Fiddler was very good, and his knowledge of his music was impressive. He had been asked by the Historical Society to focus on mid-1800s music, which is basically Civil War era. He came dressed in a Confederate soldier's outfit.

He played a variety of reels and jigs, many of which I am sure most folks would have recognized. He sang a little, too, and he has a very fine voice. He said he plays a mix of Celtic, Appalachian, and a touch of Cajun fiddling. The result is a unique and authentic American-Celtic style, he said.

He said he takes part in Civil War reenactments sometimes and enjoys playing with other musicians who love the music of that time period, too.

My favorite part of the hour was when he played The Battle Hymn of the Republic. He said he wasn't going to sing it, so the audience sang it for him. Well, we sang the first verse and the chorus. Nobody seemed to know the other verses, including me, though I struggled a bit to try to remember the second verse and then gave up.

There were a few other songs that the audience sang along with as well. We didn't know the second verses of those songs, either.

It was a nice way to spend some time with the community, and I certainly enjoyed the music. Visit Geoff's website linked in the first sentence to learn more about him and see videos of his work if you are so inclined.