The Fiddle Collection

The Fiddle Collection is a studio album with tracks from various fiddlers released in 1999 produced by Phil Beer.^[1] It is subtitled Volume One but there were no more follow-ups.

The album was promoted with the tagline "This really is modern folk music."^[2]

"The Falmouth Packet", featured on this album by Phil Beer, would later be re-recorded by Beer with Steve Knightley for Show of Hands's 2006 album Witness.

The album was re-released in late 2001 at the same time as when "Ridgeriders" In Concert was released.^[3]

In February 2011, it was announced Phil Beer had remastered The Fiddle Collection and hoped to re-release it by the summer, however, as of April 2013, this release has not occurred.^[4]

Track listing

1. Phil Beer - "The Falmouth Packet/Penmere Halt"
2. Chris Leslie - "While You Sleep/Willow Arch"
3. John McCusker - "Wee Micheal's March/Joe's Tuxedo"
4. Phil Beer - "Old Court Waltz"
5. Gris Sanderson - "Uptodden?"
6. Paul Burgess - "Red Legs/Tipputs"
7. Chris Wood - "The Burning Babe"
8. Tom Leary - "Yearning Heart/Monkey Tree"
9. Michael Burnham - "Herr Rolorffs Farewell"
10. Phil Beer - "The Yankee Clipper"
11. Dave Swarbrick - "New South Wales"
12. Ben Van Wede - "Stone On The Gate The/Jiggered"
13. Ric Sanders - "As Yet"
14. Peter Knight - "Gemini Cadenza"
15. Paul Downes and Phil Beer - "Dancing With Nancy"
16. Blue Horses - "The Old Conwy"

Reception

The Ledge said of the album "If you only buy one more CD this year this should be it… the carefully considered running order has the whole thing hanging together like few compilation albums do… sheer quality and an absolute must for every collection",^[2] and Shreds & Patches said of the album "Phil Beer is to be congratulated on this work. It is a unique collection… The tracks follow nicely after each other, the presentation is lavish, the notes copious and the photography good. A ‘wannagetit’ for fiddlers, an education for some unaware of the fiddle’s capability."^[2]

References