Some Melodious Sonnet

Some Melodious Sonnet

Track Listings

1. Pauline Conneely's/Arthur Muise/Dog Bites Chapman/The Boston Urban Ceilidh (Chris's Favorite)

2. Pieces of Us/ Laura et Marc

3. A Shadow and a Thought/ The Lightnin' Bug

4. Strathspey O' Death #1/ Strathspey O' Death #2/ Colonel Thornton/ Running Around the Tree

5. The Green Lady/ Olivia's Jig

6. Blue

7. Mothers of the Disappeared/ The Evenstar

8. Fonix

9. Bruremarsj Fra Lom

10. The Artist and the Dancer

11. Pigeon on the Gate/ Mrs. Joyscream

12. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Editorial Reviews
About the Artist
"Exuberant and rhythmic, somehow both wild and innocent, delivered with captivating melodic clarity and an irresistible playfulness," says The Boston Globe about Hanneke Cassel's playing. Such charismatic fiddling has brought 25-year old Hanneke Cassel many honors and awards. She is the 1997 U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion, she holds a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from Berklee College of Music, and she has performed and taught across the U.S., Scotland, Sweden, and Austria.

In addition to her solo act, Hanneke plays fiddle for the Cathie Ryan Band, and is a member of Boston-based fiddle bands Childsplay and Halali. She has made guest appearances with Cherish the Ladies, Alasdair Fraser, Matt Glaser and the Wayfaring Strangers, Ensemble Galilei, Aine Minogue, and Joey McIntyre (from New Kids on the Block). Her fiddling has graced the stages of Boston's Symphony Hall (opening for Judy Collins), Mountain Stage, The Plaza Hotel, Lincoln Center, the Boston Hatch Shell, and the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. Native of Port Orford, Oregon, Hanneke started playing classical violin when she was 8-years old. She met Portland-based fiddler Carol Ann Wheeler when she was 10 at an Texas-style fiddle contest. She soon quit classical, started taking fiddle lessons with Carol Ann, and began competing in contests throughout the Northwest. A few years later, Carol Ann encouraged Hanneke to learn some Scottish tunes. In 1991, Hanneke entered the Columbia-Pacific Scottish Fiddle Contest in Portland. She won the Jr. contest and went on a year later to capture the U.S. National Scottish Jr. Championship in New Hampshire. With this honor came a scholarship to study on the Isle of Skye, Scotland with the renowned Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser and Cape Breton master Buddy MacMaster. These two quickly became her fiddle heroes and continue to inspire her music to this day. Hanneke's interest in and exuberance for fiddling is definitely a product of the ever-increasing presence of fiddle camps across the globe. The summers of her teen years were spent between Scotland, Mark O'Connor's Fiddle Camp in Nashville, and Alasdair Fraser's Valley of the Moon Fiddle School in California. She was inspired by the amazing musicians at these camps. Among them was Matt Glaser, Chair of Berklee College of Music's String Department. With encouragement from Glaser and Evan Price (fiddle camp friend, former Berklee student, and current member of the Turtle Island String Quartet), Hanneke set off for Boston in 1996 to attend Berklee College of Music on a string scholarship. She graduated in 2000 and continues to be an active member of the Boston music scene.

Awards

1998 Berklee College of Music String Department Award

1997 U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion

1996 Oregon State Texas-style Grand Fiddle Champion

1996 Berklee College of Music U.S. Scholarship Tour Award

1992 and 1994 U.S. National Junior Scottish Fiddle Champion

Product Description
Contemporary Scottish fiddle music. The album features original and traditional fiddle tunes.

Hanneke Cassel: fiddle, vocals
Rushad Eggleston: cello
Christopher Lewis: guitar
Jake Armerding: mandolin
Corey DiMario: bass
Casey Driessen: 5-string fiddle
Dave Wiesler: piano
Aoife O'Donovan: vocals

Tracks:

Pauline Conneely's/Arthur Muise/Dog Bites Chapman/The Boston Urban Ceilidh (Chris's Favorite)
Pieces of Us/ Laura et Marc
A Shadow and a Thought/ The Lightnin' Bug
Strathspey O' Death #1/ Strathspey O' Death #2/ Colonel Thornton/ Running Around the Tree
The Green Lady/ Olivia's Jig
Blue
Mothers of the Disappeared/ The Evenstar
Fonix
Bruremarsj Fra Lom
The Artist and the Dancer
Pigeon on the Gate/ Mrs. Joyscream
Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Album Description

Contemporary Scottish fiddle music. The album features original and traditional fiddle tunes.

Customer Reviews:

Sweetness of tone with much emotional electricity.......2005-04-08

Playing Time - 54:57 -- A superior instrumentalist, fiddler Hanneke Cassel shows expert attention to violin technique as she plays with a sweetness of tone that is also charged with much emotional electricity. That has become her unique flair. Her seven accompanists very ably embellish her enchanting repertoire and arrangements. They include Rushad Eggleston (cello), Christopher Lewis (guitar), Jake Armerding (mandolin, two cuts), Corey DiMario (bass), Casey Driessen (5-string fiddle, one cut), Dave Wiesler (piano, two cuts), and Aoife O-Donovan (vocals, one cut).

Cassel is a lyrical player who chooses a haunting tone for her fiddle in this album's mix. Rather than overbearing "in-your-face" audio quality, Hanneke's overall sound has the leanings of new world chamber music with a Scottish twist. Her enchanting repertoire draws from some of her favorite lady fiddlers, some Swedish friends, and the traditional canon ("Pigeon on the Gate"). Especially noteworthy, a majority of her jigs, strathspeys, airs and reels are original compositions. She's equally adept at a quick-paced romp through the opening set as she is with a more leisurely and reflective "Pieces of Us." A tune like "Fønix" has some powerful rhythmic intensity. Exceeding six minutes, one might wonder if the set of "Mothers of the Disappeared" and "The Evenstar" could become tedious. Hanneke demonstrates how dynamics and lyrical variation can be used to allow such a piece to musically breathe for smooth, flowing presentation.

Hailing from Port Orford, Oregon, Hanneke began studying violin at age 8 and really only has two years of classical training. She then moved to Texas-style and Scottish fiddling with plenty of awards, championships and albums along the way. She's the 1997 U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion. Some of her teachers have included Carol Ann Wheeler, Alasdair Fraser, Buddy MacMaster, Mark O'Connor and Matt Glaser. Graduating in 2000, she also now holds a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from Berklee College of Music in Boston where she currently resides.

All of the pieces on "Some Melodious Sonnet" display virtuoso musicianship. A smooth, silky touch of Hanneke's bow on the strings, along with such masterful techniques as the Scottish snap and plenty of triplets, intimately convey her music. A superior instrumentalist, she has a repertoire that both respects tradition and allows her to build a personalized signature sound. Closing the project on a contemplative and inspirational note, Hanneke sings "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing." Only in her twenties, Hanneke Cassel is a truly gifted and charismatic artist whose youthful exuberance and optimism shine through and will take her far. I'd like to see her continue to write and really push the envelope into some truly uncharted territory. She's well on her way. (Joe Ross, Roseburg, Oregon)

Music Review:

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