Fiddle Supergroup Childsplay Announces Final Tour

Led by acclaimed fiddler and luthier Bob Childs, Childsplay is heading on tour for one final time. The fiddle supergroup will be making stops in six cities across the Northeast culminating with a performance at New York's CitySpace and two performances at the Sanders Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The farewell concerts will feature music from the groups seven albums and will include surprise guests that have been part of Childsplay during their 32-year run. Tickets for the November concerts go on sale this Friday, June 28 at www.childsplay.org.

With more than 30 years of performances under their belt, Childsplay has introduced thousands to the delights of traditional Irish, French-Canadian, Cape Breton, Bluegrass, Appalachian, and Scandinavian fiddle music, as well as jazz, swing, and classical music.

"It is hard to believe from that first show in 1986 that this day would come, but we have arrived at the final tour of the band," said Childs. "We've performed throughout the United States and Europe showcasing different styles of fiddle music. Through all of this, we have experienced so much pleasure and joy performing in front of some of the greatest audiences. This last tour gives us one more chance to savor and enjoy the magic that happens between our audience and the band."

The name "Childsplay" derives from the fact that the musicians in the group play violins and violas crafted by Childs. Originally trained by violinmaker Ivie Mann from Orrington Maine, Childs has been crafting violins for more than 40 years. On stage the instruments create a familial quality that unites all the violins in a singular voice that is both beautiful and powerful.

Childsplay features more than two dozen of the leading virtuosos in traditional and contemporary fiddle music including all-Ireland fiddle champion Sheila Falls, National Scottish Fiddle champions Hanneke Cassel and Katie McNally and Boston Symphony Violinist Bonnie Bewick. The show will also feature several original dances by Molly Gawler, formerly of Pilobolus. Mix in the exquisite voice of Irish folk singer Karan Casey, featured on Childsplay's most recent album The Bloom of Youth, the step-dancing of Kevin Doyle, as well as the hambone artistry of Virginia fiddler Steve Hickman and you begin to get a window in to what a special event these concerts will be.

The final Childsplay tour includes:

Thursday, November 14: Stockbridge Theatre in Derry, New Hampshire

Saturday, November 16: State Theatre in Portland, Maine
Sunday, November 17: Latchis Theatre in Brattleboro, Vermont.

Thursday, November 21: Monomoy Regional High School in Harwich, Massachusetts

Friday, November 22: Symphony Space in New York, NY

Sunday,November 24: Sanders Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts (two shows)

Tickets for most of the shows for Childsplay's final tour go on sale Friday, June 21. Tickets are available at www.childsplay.org.

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