The resurgence of the fiddle in the current music landscape would have put a big wide grin on the face of Rufus Guinchard.
Earlier this year a new generation of fiddle fans were hooked to the manic scratching of Cape Breton’s Ashley MacIsaac who wowed the world during the opening ceremony of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
Juno award winning Natalie MacMaster, also an exponent of Cape Breton fiddle playing, now commands an increasing legion of fans inspiring a young breed of players to rosin up their bows.
But for the Newfoundland style, which is more closely linked to English and French heritage as opposed to the Scottish-based Cape Breton style, one name is still held aloft and regarded as one of the most important figures in traditional music — Rufus Guinchard.
Tomorrow marks the 20th anniversary of the passing of arguably one of the most influential fiddle players in Newfoundland next to the great Émile Benoit.
Guinchard, who was born in Daniel’s Harbour in 1899 before moving to Port Saunders and later to Hawkes Bay, passed away one day after his 91st birthday on September 7, 1990.
Hawkes Bay’s Nova Hoddinott, who inherited a treasure trove of Guinchard’s belongings when she bought her house a dozen years ago, said the fiddle player was a sight.
“Everyone knew Uncle Rufe,” she said.
“He was a very witty guy, he was like a 16-year-old and when you saw him strutting off, he was somebody.
“He was a friend of everybody. He lived right there behind us, so when he was trottin’ off to play at one of his house parties at Daniel’s Harbour or Parson’s Pond or wherever, he would come across there with his fiddle and a little backpack and walk through the yard and meet someone at the service station or he would hitch hike.”
Hoddinott was instrumental in starting the Rufus Guinchard Music Festival that ran for 11 years and established the Fiddler’s Café in Hawkes Bay, which displayed historical artifacts including airline tickets from all over the world, passports, an old broken fiddle, his award for performing at the 1985 International Exposition in Tokyo and notes he made while travelling.
“Look at this one,” she said, holding up a piece of greying paper with notes scribbled in pencil.
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