Grandpa and Me

SCOTT DUNCAN and the TWO HILLS THREE

OLD TYME FIDDLE ALBUM

“These tunes are for you, from Grandpa and Me.”

As I rolled into Maple Creek, Saskatchewan with my band on a dark January night, there was no doubt we were in the heart of the prairies. It was -36 and blowing snow from the north. The only warmth came from the golden glow of house lamps and main street storefronts. The last time I was here was to visit my grandpa Herb.

My grandpa was one of the last remaining members of the Maple Creek Old Tyme Fiddlers. He lived 106 wonderful years and played tunes well after his 100th birthday. I wouldn't be playing the fiddle if it weren't for Grandpa. From family gatherings to dances to fiddle contests, every time we got together, there were tunes to play.

I wanted to come back here, to Maple Creek, to feel Grandpa’s spirit and presence while recording the music we both love. That’s why this record means a lot to me. This is the music of Maple Creek, heard in dance halls across the prairies; music we always played together as I was growing up. These tunes are for you, from Grandpa and Me.

January, 2024

Now Available!

If you are interested in getting a copy of this Old Tyme Fiddle Album CD we are now shipping! A great holiday gift.

SIDE A

  • When I opened my fiddle case and sat down in the Maple Creek Armoury, I could feel the music that has been played here for over a hundred years. I tightened my bow and started stomping my feet, and this jig was the first tune that came out of my fiddle. The Maple Creek Old Tyme Fiddlers recorded this on their 1974 self-titled album. Grandpa knew it well.

    (Tune by: Collin J. Boyd)

  • Grandpa and I always played this medley together, and he always wanted me to play harmony on it. He didn’t know the harmony part, but I was able to figure it out. We would do Snow Deer, especially in the fiddle contests in the twin fiddle category. We would occasionally win, but we always placed!

    (Traditional Tune)

  • We played this all the time in the fiddle contests in the twin fiddle category. I knew a good harmony to it and Grandpa knew the waltz well. That was a good one.

    (Tune by: Eleanor Townsend)

  • A quintessential Canadian fiddle tune written by Ward Allen and recorded on the Maple Creek Old Tyme Fiddlers’ 1978 Fiddlers Special album. Grandpa loved this one!

    (Tune by: Ward Allen)

  • This was one of the earliest tunes I ever wrote. I was just a teenager, and it was fairly simple, but I’m quite glad that—even today—it captures the way I felt about my grandparents. I was asked to play this every time we got together as a family and came out to Maple Creek.

    (Tune by Scottduncan)

  • This was a tune I loved playing with the Calgary Fiddlers Association, another huge influence on me growing up. I love playing it fast, but if I ever played it like that for Grandpa, he would wince and complain: “Oh, too fast, too fast!” He loved a tune that you could dance to, so the tempo was really important for him.

    (Traditional Tune)

SIDE B

  • Grandpa and I definitely played a lot of waltzes together. They were easy to harmonize and he loved when I could just do that while he played the melody.

    (Tune by: Rossie Mann)

  • This was the second tune recorded on the Maple Creek Old Tyme Fiddlers debut album on Big Chief Records in 1974. Grandpa loved this tune and always asked me to start it. He didn’t realize I couldn’t remember how it went until he started it. We added some live calling on this one because it’s just so fun to imagine people dancing along.

    (Tune by: Albert Von Tilzer / Lewis Dillon)

  • That’s my mom! I wanted to write a tune for her, which I did when I was in my early 30s. It was one of those days, an afternoon playing with different ideas on the fiddle. This tune floated out and I named it after my mom. My folks used to live in Waterton to run the boat tours, my dad was the mechanic. One of the boats they had in their fleet was named after my mom - the Jacqueline Marlene.

    (Tune by: Scott Duncan)

  • This is just a fun and energetic jig that lends itself well to the fiddle.

    (Traditional Tune)

  • I had a couple good harmonies for this one, and Grandpa and I played it a lot in the fiddle contests.

    (Traditional Tune)

  • If I was in town on a Sunday morning visiting Grandma and Grandpa, we would go to church. Grandpa always wanted to play the hymns with me during the service. I was able to read the music out of the hymn book and we would play with the lovely piano player. The Old Rugged Cross was one that Grandpa wanted to play every time. The last time I played it in the church was for Grandma’s funeral.

    🎶 Recorded at the Maple Creek United Church.

    (Tune by George Bennard)

This is a special project by The Wardens.

CDs - featuring a special booklet insert - will be available during The Wardens' upcoming fall tour (featuring Scott Duncan) in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Montana, Washington and Oregon. Check Tour Details for a complete listing of Scott Duncan's performances. We'll be happy to send you a CD, please contact us using the Pre-Order Form.

A LOOK BACK ON MY TIME WITH GRANDPA

Grandpa was very proud to have another fiddler in the family, and in some ways he loved to bring me along and show me off. It was a reflection of him. I know he appreciated the time he spent with me and I feel very thankful for that. Recording this in the United Church was both satisfying and difficult.

  • I went to Maple Creek every summer to visit grandma and grandpa and music was always at the centre of these extended visits. Grandpa was a fiddler and I wanted to be just like him when I grew up.

    I ended up following in his footsteps, becoming a fiddler and touring around the world from the age of twelve. I’ve also recorded music in many different studios, and while I could’ve chosen to record this album in a fancy - and warm - location, my musical soul is right here in Maple Creek, Saskatchewan, with grandpa.

    Grandpa and The Maple Creek Old Tyme Fiddlers were very much at home playing for dances at the rural Cypress Hills Hall, surrounded by the spruce and pine woods and in town at the Maple Creek Armoury - the dancehall of choice in the Fiddlers’ heyday. That’s where I wanted to record this album. I invited a trio of friends and some of the finest acoustic musicians in the west - The Two Hills Three - to help bring this music to life.

    So here I was, with my fiddle case under my arm, dashing between the warm van and the Armoury in a mid-January cold snap. As I heaved open the door to the distinctive red brick building, a gathering place in Maple Creek for over a century, heat billowed out in a fog against the sharp arctic darkness. I stepped inside, shook myself off and the memories began pouring in.

MUSICIANS

  • Born and raised in Calgary, Scott Duncan is a classically trained violinist who transitioned to fiddle play—no surprise considering his Grandpa's influence. Scott has toured worldwide as a fiddle player since he was a teenager. You can find him on many recordings and touring with the John Wort Hannam Trio and the Wardens as a professional musician. His incredible expertise in performing, musical talent and professionalism have given him a reputation in the music industry, and he is often asked to play with other singer-songwriters.

    • Nico Humby on mandolin, guitar, square dance caller

    • Miles Zurawell on guitar, banjo, dobro

    • Ray Schmidt on upright bass

Recorded live-off-the-floor in Maple Creek, Saskatchewan - January, 2024

PRODUCTION CREDITS

  • Produced by: Ray Schmidt

  • Engineering, mixing and mastering: Scott Franchuk - Riverdale Recorders

  • Art direction, design and layout: Nico Humby

  • Album photos: Duncan family collection

  • Band photo: little jack films

  • Catering: The Shop Catering

  • Publicity: Acorn Studio Marketing

  • Live Recording Locations: Maple Creek Armoury + Maple Creek United Church (Old Rugged Cross)

Special Thanks

Thank you to my grandpa — Herb Duncan — for being a special grandfather and providing spiritual guidance during our recording and mentorship throughout your living years. To my family, thank you for the overwhelming encouragement and support to bring this project to life. Special thanks to Connie Bjorquist (Maidstone, SK) and Michal Wasuita for believing in our vision and helping connect dreams with financial realities. Of course, thank you to the Maple Creek community for the support and enthusiasm during our chilly sessions in the Armoury and the United Church. Most notable thanks goes to the Maple Creek Old Tyme Fiddlers — a band of friends and family who kept traditional music going for many years — for providing much laughter and great dancing across western Canada.