Frontenac Old Time Music Championships Move To Verona

Jeff Green | Sep 25, 2013

The 6th Annual Frontenac Old Time Music Championships took place in a new venue last weekend, Sept. 21 & 22, the Verona Lions Hall.

In their first year, the championships were held at the Piccadilly Hall, which proved to be too small. They then found a home at the Bedford Hall.

Clifford Rines, the chairperson of the championship committee, said that the committee decided this year that Verona is a bit more central; the hall is well appointed and the Lions Club were already major supporters of the event. So the venue was moved. The Lions proved to be very willing and helpful hosts, and Clifford Rines dubbed the move a successful one.

“We had a slow start on Saturday morning for the instrumental competition but there were over 150 people at the hall in the afternoon for what turned out to be a wonderful singing contest,” he said.

The competition was split into different age groups, and there was an overall instrumental and overall singing winner. The instrumental winner was Ottawa Valley Fiddler Mel McDougall, who also won the over 66 division for fiddle. Among the vocalists the grand prize winner was Brianna Cotton from Lindsay, who also won the 15 to 19-year-old division.

Other winners were: Glen Russell 1st guitar 46-65; Paul Rappelle 1st guitar 66 plus; Anastasia Burnside 1st fiddle 8 and under; Arianna Burnside 1st fiddle 9-14; Annika Burnside, 2nd fiddle 9-14; and Jessica Wedden, 3rd fiddle 9-14.

Among the singers: Hope Clarken, 1st 9-14; Lauren Carson, 2nd 9-14; and Michele Vanbergen and Hope Dixon tied for 3rd 9-14; Megan Harris 2nd 15-19; Mandy Kelly, 1st 20-45; Bernadette Kelly, 1st 46-65; Tom Macintosh 2nd 46-65; Glenn Russell, 3rd 46-65; Tony Davy, 1st 66 plus; and Larry Greer, 2nd 66 plus.