Fiddler Violinist David Greenberg at Celtic Colours

[violaannie9]

During a long drive once I asked David about his relaxed left wrist and the fact he doesn't use a shoulder rest - his reasons went on for quite some time but basically boiled down to 'tension and release of tension'. He's not locked into one or the other but is free to move as he needs to, and the results are simply superb. @dbadagna he grew up in Maryland and was classically trained, but also listened to Cape Breton a lot and was largely self-taught. He has lived in Canada since the late 80s.

[ainefidileir]

@violaannie9

I've looked at moving to Nova Scotia to take lessons from him  :)

[nozecone]

Sleepy Maggie is the reel he goes into after the Are You Sleeping Maggie? melody. Then he goes crazy. Maybe some of Musical Priest is mixed in there.

[minoune86]

When I look at the hard time we have to make our studients play with a straight wrist, and I see a great violonist like David Greenberg playing with a bent wrist......... shame on him.

[ainefidileir]

oh calm down :)

he sounds amazing - is that not what matters at the end of the day?

[procarpenter1788]

@minoune86 I also am confused as to why a classically trained violinist would play with a bent wrist. Is it in homage to some of the great Cape Breton fiddlers?

I always thought they played that well in spite of the bent wrist, not because of it!

[ripperfriends4life]

I love David's music, he is terrific. My son Calen Kinney is taking lessons from David while he attends Mount Saint Vinicent Univ.. Calen can not say enough about him.

[ainefidileir]

very jealous! i would love to take lessons from him.

[mhomcute]

hello..i like this song..

[DancingMonkey12]

I'm probably going to see him in the summer

[keybutterfly]

this song is so pretty

[boguspurr]

The tune is "Are You Sleeping, Maggie", a song by Robert Tannahill. (Tannahill was a poet, not a composer, but I can't find the reference book that would tell me what the tune was called before he got hold of it).

The stepdancing fiddler sikeman43 saw was probably Natalie McMaster.

[boguspurr]

That's the first tune - I couldn't get the whole thing to load. The second one's a familiar Scottish reel but I can't put a name to it.

[keybutterfly]

sleepy maggie?

but its not drowsy maggie

ashley macisac plays this too

[boguspurr]

No, "Sleepy Maggie" is something different again.

[dbadagna]

Excellent swing and feeling for the music, even if he doesn't break as much bow hair as Ashley MacIsaac :) What kind of crazy key is this tune in, C minor?

[ainefidileir]

b minor

[dbadagna]

Chris Norman plays Cape Breton tunes very nicely on the wooden flute.

[ainefidileir]

he does indeed! he also cut a great album with Alasdair Fraser on fiddle.

truly beautiful album.

[dbadagna]

I'm curious about his history with Cape Breton? I assume he is not a native Caper but that he is from somewhere in the U.S. like New York, and came to this music later in life, spent time there each summer on the Ceili Trail, etc., immersing himself and eventually becoming an honorary Cape Breton musician. I don't know of any other people like that.

[sgtcrab1]

@dbadagna David was with the Baroque group Tafelmusik. His wife Kate Dunlay is from the mid west USA I think and did her MA Thesis on CB music. I believe they met at Uni in the US. Kate did a book of and on CB fiddle playing I have it somewhere.

[ainefidileir]

that is, Chris Norman did an album with Alasdair Fraser.

It's called "Beauty of The North"

I highly recommend it.

[dyzfunkymunky]

What's the title of this song?

[dyzfunkymunky]

What's the title of this song?

[sikeman43]

i saw a similar performance and it was scottish tunes and a lady tap dance and played violin like crazy

[bamboogreen0]

I was out for the 2006 Celtic Colours, but unfortunately missed this performance. I'm getting... chills! David is one of my favourite fiddlers.

[ladyPB298]

Fantastic. It's been a while since I've had a chance to hear/see David perform in person. This is a nice temporary substitute.

[ilsuonarparlante]

You sound great, David!!!!!!!!! love from Claudia C.

[thsisit]

David Greenberg is probably the only fiddler to cross over from classical music to cape breton and do it SUPERBLY!!!!

[Gealach74]

very nice!

[BardofCornwall]

Gorgeous!

[DDbRowN67]

absolutely lovely!! bravo!!

[lakefielder]

Absolutely gorgeous arrangement of "Sleep Maggie"! The version I am familiar with, is done by the Tannahill Weavers. I am a HUGE David Greenberg fan, and I was wondering whatever became of him. Thank you for posting this!!