Group will play benefit fiddle concert April 14 at Cobblestone Museum
Provided photo: Elderberry Jam will bring their fiddle music for a free concert next Sunday at the Cobblestone Museum.
GAINES – The Cobblestone Museum will welcome a popular group of musicians for a special concert on April 14.
The 3 p.m. concert next Sunday will be at the Cobblestone Universalist Church, which will spring to life with the performance of Elderberry Jam, a group of very talented musicians from the Genesee Valley who will perform an old-time fiddle music concert.
They will play waltzes, rags, polkas, jigs, reels, bluegrass and some “good old fiddle tunes,” said Doug Farley, director of the Cobblestone Museum .
Elderberry Jam is a highly sought-after group which is very selective about where they perform, preferring to entertain only for non-profits.
They had previously played for a short time at the Cobblestone Museum during a Historic Trades Fair in August 2017.
“They were a big hit then and we decided it would be great if they would present a ‘stand along’ concert in our National Historic Landmark Cobblestone Church ,” Farley said. “It took them two years to come up with a free date, but we finally made it all work out for this year on April 14. Our goal is to fill the church, a feat I’ve not seen since I’ve been here.”
“We are part of the Fiddlers of the Genesee, and play the same music reminiscent of our forefathers who gathered together on a Friday or Saturday night to play music with their neighbors, forgetting about the trials and struggles of the week,” said Tom Bailey, a member of the group.
Fiddlers of the Genesee is a music club that has been around for 28 years.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Fred Vieira plays bass for the musical group. They played outside next to the Farmers Hall during a Historic Trades Fair at the museum on Aug. 26, 2017.
Falling under the genre of “old time fiddle music,” they play acoustic instruments and also include some Irish, Appalachian and Canadian music. The club gets together to play every Friday evening. Its members come from Greece and Brockport to Fairport, Webster and Perinton.
Fiddlers of the Genesee and Elderberry Jam really enjoy playing at senior centers, giving the residents a chance to relax and bring back memories, as many of them grew up with this music, Bailey said. The music group is often seen playing at fairs and festivals through summer months and also serves as one of the sponsors of the Fiddlers Fair every August at Genesee Country Village Museum.
A highlight of their annual events is when Fiddlers of the Genesee play at Bristol Valley Theater in October.
“The Elderberrys are especially looking forward to playing for the Cobblestone Museum , as they have worked up very special arrangements of some of the members’ favorite tunes,” Bailey said.
Admission to the concert is free, but a freewill offering will be taken to benefit the Cobblestone Museum.
Farley suggests everyone come early to get a seat. The Cobblestone Church is located at 14389 Ridge Rd. at Childs, one mile north of Albion.
