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biography ^top Pierre Schryer is part of the vibrant Franco-Ontarian culture of Canada and from an early age was immersed in the music and traditions of his heritage. As a solo performer he has received numerous titles and awards including Canadian Open Fiddle Champion, Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Champion, Violoneux Championnat, and North American Irish Fiddle Champion. Pierre truly captivates audiences with his energy, genuine warmth, and flawless ability in any style from Irish, Scottish and Québecois, to Canadian, American, or Swing. Over the last decade, Pierrehas released several recordings on the New Canadian Records label including the New Canadian Waltz, 2 Worlds United, Acoustique ! , Heat of the Moment and Blue Drag. Pierre's debut album, the New Canadian Waltz, was recorded live in 1995 and features his uncompromised fiddling dexterity and authentic representation of various traditional fiddle styles. Among the many highlights of Pierre's career is the 1999 CD release of 2 Worlds United (later released for worldwide distribution on the Claddagh Records label in Dublin, Ireland.) This duet recording combines Pierre's skillful fiddling with the talents of button accordionist, Dermot Byrne, of the Irish super-group Altan. The result is a masterful combination of two celebrated musical traditions; Irish and Franco-Ontarian . The 2000 CD release of Acoustique! represents the evolution of the Pierre Schryer Band, displaying a fresh and exciting sound in Canadian fiddling and songs. 2002 marked the launch of another live album, Heat of the Moment with Pierre Schryer and Ian Clark. The result is a wonderfully uninhibited spontaneous and joyful conversation between fiddle and guitar. Blue Drag, the milestone album to date, was honoured with a Nomination at the 2004 JUNO Awards for best Roots & Traditional Album of the Year (Group.) It represents the ongoing vision of Pierre Schryer Band to create sophisticated & innovative arrangements of Celtic and traditional music, while incorporating elements of gypsy swing, improvisation, and world music. Pierre Schryer Band was officially showcased at the International Folk Alliance in Montreal in February 2005. Since its inception in 1995, Pierre Schryer Band has gained an international reputation as one of Canada’s most well respected traditional music ensembles by touring throughout Canada, the USA, Ireland, Europe and the UK, and performed at the International Cigar Festival in Havana, Cuba with Jazz great, Jane Bunnett in 2005. On his own, Pierre has also shared the stage with many of today’s greatest Celtic artists, and performs regularly with Quebec's Club Carrefour promoting the authentic music, dance and songs of French Canada, Ottawa's Celtic guitar wizard Ian Clark, Ireland's genius accordion player Dermot Byrne, as well Symphony Orchestras across North America. Throughout his career Pierre has maintained a commitment to education. Always in demand for workshops, music camps, and competition panels, Pierre enjoys sharing his experience and expertise with young fiddlers. His compositions are featured on MelBay's publishings of both, “Fiddler Magazine’s Favorites,” and the “Canadian Fiddle Music Vol. 2.” and also on the transcription by Duncan Cameron of the 2004 JUNO Nominated Album, Blue Drag. reviews ^top
Pierre Schryer Band Wows 'em in Allendale WOW! That's Canadian for 'what a super super night!' Last Saturday evening in Allendale's Village Hall, the Pierre Schryer Band finished their UK tour in grand style, and with the support of regulars from the Northumbrian Music Nights group, it was an all-around comprehensively wonderful night. Anticipation looked like receiving its just reward as the band immediately sent out a clear pure sound around the hall. You could tell there would be no stopping Pierre tonight. Was the fox caught by the end of 'Fox Chase?' It little matters as the music felt it would live forever... This was an evening for riotous good humour, anyway, eh [Canadian for 'right?'] and even the sorrowful Prince Edward Island song, describing emigration to Canada -- 'I left my native country, in 1880, my fortune to pursue' -- could not dampen the light-hearted optimism that one suspects is a Canadian characteristic. Then it was Pierre's own 'New Canadian Waltz' which was certainly sweet enough, and remarkably evocative of Country old and new, but the final chord made a lump in the throat rise up and squeeze on the tear ducts. We didn't need any reminding that this band really was an incredibly tight ensemble, with a great deal of mutual respect between the musicians. Moments like these, when an accomplished band and a sophisticated audience become a shared and dynamic experience, are some of the best anyone can experience, anywhere. No way was there not going to be encore after encore, and Pierre, seductive charmer, claimed the crowd's emotions first by thanking and complimenting the Lawrenson pipe duet, and then by dedicating the thoughtful Jazz tune 'Lady be good' to young Peter Tickell. One sensed a remarkable kinship between musical families, across the great dividing water, and the sense that we are all an extended family entwined in a never-ending musical tradition was pervasive throughout the entire wonderful night. _____ Pierre Schryer Band / Blue Drag (New Canadian Records NCCD0006-9, 2003) I met Pierre Schryer at a late night fiddle jam during the 1997 Shetland Folk festival. There were some great fiddle players - both old friends and new acquaintances - at the festival club that night. The mighty J.P. Cormier from Cape Breton, Paul O'Shaughnessy from Dublin, the girls from the Scottish band Def Shepherd, and some of the local Lerwick luminaries. But there was one unidentified fellow there and I wondered who is this little dark haired guy with the mustache? I didn't recognize him from the festival program. Of course, everybody knew a bit of each other's repertoire. The Scots, Irish, Cape Breton, Shetland, and even Bluegrass genres do bleed together a bit. But this one guy seemed to be not only conversant in all the styles, he was absolutely ripping through each tune like it was his own. It was Pierre Schryer and I found out he was from Ontario and had come to Shetland for the fun. I've been a fan ever since that night. That Shetland trip was indicative of his drive to absorb the wide fiddle tradition that moves from Scandinavia, through the British Isles, to North America. His new recording with his fine band illustrates his continuing quest. Opening with the Hot Club of France style "Blue Drag", he pours his heart and soul into a great program of traditional and not so traditional dance music. The band is easily up to this challenging material, supporting and occasionally stepping forward on piano, foot percussion, guitar, bouzouki, mandolin, and whistles. Just when you're ready for a song, Duncan Cameron brings his fine voice to a piece sung in English or French. Pierre's tone is full and rich, and his groove is deep, leading the band expertly on each selection. Lastly, I want to say that Pierre is a sweet and gentle man. Look inside his fiddle case, and you'll see nestled among the bows and rosin, pictures of his wife and child. As he told my wife a few months ago, his family is his life and it inspires his music. I've not met Pierre's family, but listening to the joyous set on "Blue Drag", I'd say they're doing their job. Tim O'Brien, Bluegrass Great, Nashville, USA _____ Pierre Schryer & Ian Clark / Heat of the Moment (New Canadian Records NCCD 0005-2, 2002) "Excitement, adventure, and really wild things", as Ford Prefect said. Well, maybe not adventure, but certainly plenty of the other two. Pierre Schryer is an Ontario fiddler who hasn't toured much in Europe but he's definitely hot property in North America. For his fifth album he's teamed up with exiled Scot, Ian Clark on equally hot guitar. Demonic fiddling is the name of the game here, bags of classic tunes torn apart and reassembled in interesting ways by Pierre's bow and Ian's false nails. Irish, Scottish, Québecois, Cape Breton, and American music from Mexico to Manitoba, these guys do it all, with energy and panache. Recorded live in Rasputin's Folk Cafe, Ottawa, there's a slightly home-made feel to this recording which adds charm and warmth to what is definitely a red-hot performance by both musicians. If you've ever seen Pierre Schryer live, solo or with his band, then you know he wrings every drop of music from a tune. Even without his trademark foot-percussion, the man is nothing short of possessed when he bows the strings. Master of many styles, Pierre handles reels, airs, and everything in between. The Rose in the Heather is a gallop over the moors, The Teetotaller and Lady Ann Montgomery are roller-coaster rides, Mitton's Breakdown is given the sort of virtuoso work-out normally reserved for The Mason's Apron, and that's only track 1. At well over 6 minutes per track, Heat of the Moment is long on quantity too. Pierre and Ian squeeze in three dozen tunes, from the blisteringly fast to the achingly slow. Cape Clear shines in a solo guitar setting, Pierre's fiddle brings a tear to the eye on Willie Hunter's soulful air Leaving Lerwick Harbour, and the total contrast with foot-tapping Canadian reels is breathtaking. There's a set of polkas in fine old Denis Murphy style, a pair of Liz Carroll tunes at a lovely languid tempo which suits That's Right Too beautifully, and then the boys mix in a bluegrass showpiece and a little Latin swing with Tico Tico before the big five-reel finish. This is a first-rate album, and a unique encapsulation of the chemistry between two great performers. There are some rough edges, as you'd expect from a one-take live recording, but if anything these add to the whole experience. If you fancy an hour of intense music which takes your mind off everything else and leaves you glowing, try this album. As they say in North America, enjoy: it's all good today. ____ Pierre Schryer and Ian Clark / Heat of the Moment - Sound Recording Review In a crowded instrumental market, it would be easy to overlook this small marvel, but one would be wise to move heaven and earth to find it. Fiddler Pierre Schryer and guitarist Ian Clark heat up the hall on this live album, and these talented Canadians do so in various genres. The "Bonnie Kate" set takes a few Irish tunes, rendered with dexterity and fluidity, and adds a Canadian tune filled with backbeat swing. Once they've got everyone in a dancing mood, they proceed to snap off some Cape Breton strathspeys and reels, complete with heavy foot tapping action. The feet also get a workout in the clogging time "Reel à 2 et 9," a Québecois set. But the duo never dwell too long in any one location. "Cape Clear" pairs two quiet tunes in which Schryer's fiddle gently wafts amidst Clark's harmonic chords and subdued bass runs; "Leaving Lerwick" spotlights the percussive, yet sweeping nature of Shetlands music; "Gold Rush" dusts off a Bill Monroe tune to color the album with some bluegrass; and "Tico, Tico" is a Latin American tango standard. An especially stellar set is "That's Right 2," in which Schryer and Clark give a jazzy interpretation to two Liz Carroll tunes. Schryer's fiddling is at once showy, but controlled, and he's so sharp that he can steal the show, but listen carefully to Clark on "The Fairy Jig" and you'll hear both his skill, and the manner in which he enhances the fiddle runs. Heat of the Moment is far more than its title implies; it's a release to savor for years to come. ____ Pierre Schryer & Dermot Byrne / 2 Worlds United (New Canadian Records NCCD9612-8, 1999) Reaching Across An Ocean by Earle Hitchner In 1997, it was Australian-born guitarist Steve Cooney, a resident of Ireland since 1981, who first hatched the idea that champion Ontario Not surprisingly, the album offers a healthy selection of Irish and French-Canadian tunes, but it also includes Scottish, Cape Breton, and original melodies, all performed with astonishing vibrancy and virtuosity. The duo exhibit a refreshing, risk-taking attitude and spirited approach, proving that serious music does not always have to be played oh-so-seriously. "It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing," Duke Ellington said, and this recording surely swings. "Kimmel's Fancy," a reference to Brooklyn-born diatonic accordion legend John J. Kimmel (1866 - 1942), reveals some mirthful quoting from "Swanee River" much in the way Kimmel and, later, Joe Derrane tucked it into their playing. On another track, changing from a Scots strathspey to a polka might unnerve musicians of lesser talent, but here, in these expert hands, it is executed with snap and sizzle. The entire album is a triumph of taste and touch, from the baroque-like beauty of "Sourgrass and Granite" leading into the animated bowing of "Pierre's Right Arm," to Dermot's haunting accordion solo on a slow air and his incisive melodeon playing with Pierre's fiddling on a pair of Quebec reels. Few musical bridges have ever been forged so strongly and skillfully as this album, connecting two great traditions, Irish and Franco-Ontarian, and two of their greatest living exponents. What a total joy this recording is, to be savored over and over again. [Earle Hitchner is an internationally respected music writer for The Wall Street Journal and Irish Echo newspapers] ____
Folk Music has always been about mixing and matching styles and influences. If the cap fits wear it; if you like this tune and that set of words, fit them in - style and intention almost always winning over content. Traditional Music follows much closer tolerances as regards technique, playing style and repertoire. Changes do take place but at a slower pace. Many view this as a restraint but this inherent stability acts more like a safety line reaching back to the core values of that particular tradition. '2 Worlds United', is a joining of two particular and strong traditions represented by Dermot Byrne (button accordion, Donegal, Ireland) and Pierre Schryer (fiddle, Ontario, Canada). These two exponents are splendidly united in the playing and performance of these sets of tunes while the tunes themselves are arranged with some regard to the traditions in which they were formed. There are no French Canadian versions of, 'The Road to the Glen' or 'The Silver Slipper' nor any slip jig variations on, 'Pointe au Pic' or 'Galope et Chaîne de Cotillon'. So, the 2 worlds don't completely unite, though I'm sure that was never the intention in the first place, this is more a gentle collision with a deal of swapping of views and perspectives. What's in it for us is a taste of the best of both worlds, with it includes material which hails from Québec, Ireland, Scotland and Cape Breton and a fine medley of three tunes written by Pierre Schryer. Pierre Schryer / The New Canadian Waltz (New Canadian Records NCCD9610, 1996) Here's another brilliant young Canadian fiddler, this time from a French-speaking community in Ontario. On this live 1996 recording (13 tracks, 56 minutes) he is joined by a couple of guitarists, a pianist and a drummer. Together they turn their hands to music from all over Canada and beyond. Québecois tunes, Ontario tunes, Cape Breton tunes and several of Pierre's own compositions are joined by Irish, Scottish and US melodies new and old. All these traditions are handled with skill and panache. In the blurb, Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin talks of "precision and proud humour", and there is indeed a strong element of professional showmanship in Pierre's playing. At times things are a little over-precise, and at others the excitement of a live recording is somehow missing, but on the whole Pierre doesn't put a finger wrong and the result is extremely entertaining. He doesn't put a foot wrong either, because this is another fiddler who can dance and play at the same time. His version of "Reel du Pendu" with step-dancing is very impressive: like many of the tracks on this CD, it's a little slower than I'm used to, but there's nothing wrong with that. Other gems include a masterful rendition of Scott Skinner's "Madam Neruda" complete with dancing bow effects, and the "En Plein Hiver" set of classic French Canadian tunes. history ^topThe Schryer Triplets The Schryer Triplets became legends in their own time by dominating the Canadian fiddling competitions throughout the eighties and early nineties. At fourteen years of age, the Schryer Triplets recorded their self-titled debut album on the Boots Record label. A decade later they recorded a second album entitled "Triple Fiddle." Pierre, Daniel and Louis Schryer were born in 1968 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Their family is of French Canadian descent, and making music together was an important part of their growing up. Julien and Juliette, their parents, have been longtime fans of traditional fiddling, and the Schryer home was the scene of countless musical “sessions”. These were often centered around the triplets’ older brother Raymond, one of Ontario’s finest fiddlers. At the age of eight, Pierre, Daniel and Louis took up the bow and followed in his steps. With Raymond coaching and exposing them to a wide variety of styles, and their sister Julie’s solid piano accompaniment, they soon made the move from competing at fiddle contests to performing as invited guests, and to appearances on national television and radio. On the first "Schryer Triplets" album they offer a wide range of tunes, some familiar, some unusual, all superbly performed; a fiddle album bursting with the kind of playing that has kept the tradition alive - full of fire and full of fun. [for more information on Canadian Fiddling, please visit the Canadian Encyclopedia Website] _____ Fiddler Magazine, Summer 1997 Pierre Schryer: Legendary Canadian Fiddler Canadian old-time fiddling has always fascinated me. The tradition shares many similarities to the music of my native Missouri: The playing style emphasizes clean, well-articulated bowing; Canadian hoe-downs and reels are "notey," melodically complex and played with drive suitable for square dancing; Canadians embrace other tune types in their repertoire, such as jigs, hornpipes, polkas, and waltzes. Over the past decade the name Schryer has become unalterably associated with the best of Canadian fiddling. Certainly Julien Schryer and Juliette Audet of Saulte Ste. Marie ("the Soo" for short), Ontario, could never have imagined the success their progeny would attain. Their first son, Patrick was a guitarist, followed by Raymond who became a fiddler and initially patterned his playing after his uncle Bud Schryer. In case of the fiddling Schryers, good things come in sets of three, namely the fiddling Schryer triplets -- Louis, Pierre and Dan -- who were born in 1968. All three along with older brother Raymond and sister Julie on piano have enjoyed undisputed domination of competitive fiddling in Canada for ten years. Their accomplishment in winning major Canadian fiddling competitions amounted to nothing short of dynasty in the late 1980s through the mid-1990s. They imitated and mastered the styles of the greatest Canadian fiddlers ever known, such as Graham Townsend, Ward Allen, Don Messer, and Jean Carignan. They also followed closely the music of Sean McGuire of Ireland, Jerry Holland of Cape Breton, and Americans Bobby Hicks, Mark O’Connor and Johnny Gimble. The compact disc release by the Schryer triplets (Triple Fiddle, The Schryer Triplets, Canada, 1993) is a remarkable display of combined and individual mastery of fiddling and showcases these many influences. In recent years the triplets have set about to make their individual marks on the world of traditional music. Pierre Schryer in particular has distinguished himself as a world class Celtic fiddler while still maintaining his Canadian roots. He worked for a time with older brother Raymond as a violin maker but has since set his tools aside in favor of a full-time career as a working musician. He has assembled a band which includes his sister Julie on piano, Brian Pickell on guitar, and multi-instrumentalist Nathan Curry, and is actively touring with this group in the company of step dancers Siobhan Reaney (Irish), Catherine MacLeod (Scottish Highland dancer) and Martin Duhème (Québec). Pierre’s recent activities include the release of a new CD entitled The New Canadian Waltz (1996 New Canadian Records) which features his band along with percussionist Brad Fremlin, a tour with British Columbia-based Celtic rock group Mad Pudding, and an Ireland tour this Spring which included representing Canada in a fiddle showcase in Limerick on March 22. Pierre also excels as an illustrator (he created a self-portrait in watercolor for the cover of his new CD), and has had numerous local showings of his artwork. Were there any other fiddlers in your family? All your siblings are musicians, aren’t they? Yes, my oldest brother Patrick played guitar. There’s my uncle, Bud Schryer. He played fiddle and was well known in the Saulte Ste. Marie area. He was an old-time fiddler and admired people like Don Messer. He played for the dances here and was inducted into the fiddlers Hall of Fame. He provided a lot of good music for the people here, mainly for the square dances. Also, my dad recalls his father playing fiddle but I never got to hear him. My dad played guitar and used to sing to us when we were kids. I remember you mentioning once that you grew up speaking French. Yeah. Actually, we went to school from Kindergarten on in French School and our high school was a French immersion program. French is not that strong among the population in the Soo [Saulte Ste. Marie]. But it was always strong in our family. My mom is from Québec. But you were born in the Soo? That’s right. April 13, 1968…. Who was your biggest influence when you were starting out? That would have to be my older brother Raymond. He went off to school in Toronto and came back with some great tapes and records and let us use them and listen to them. I play a lot with Julie, my sister, these different styles of fiddling. Raymond introduced us to the different styles that were out there. He was into Irish, Scottish, Shetland, and he was bringing it all home -- even some American stuff. Of course the real learning was happening with the triplets. We sort of bounced things off of each other. We all started at the same age; we were eight years old. We were classically trained at the same time we were going to fiddle contests. This went on through the time we were eighteen or so. Where were you studying violin? At the Conservatory. There’s a conservatory here in the Soo, the Algoma Conservatory of Music at Algoma University. That’s where I teach now. I teach traditional fiddle playing. I also have a number of private students. When the triplets were playing against each other I guess you first had to compete against older brother Raymond. No, not really. Raymond is seven years older than the rest of us so he was in a different category in the competitions. So the triplets were competing against each other? That’s right. It was only in the later years that we played against Raymond. The triplets competed in the twelve and under category and went up through the different categories and then into the Open. We started into the Open as early as age sixteen. It was friendly rivalry. That wasn’t too common, was it? No, but it’s happening more and more. It seems like the young ones are learning really, really quick. I’ve noticed that down here. Kids are getting hotter much faster these days. Yeah. There’s so much access to CDs and tapes around, and teachers. They’re all into it. They can get really good at twelve and compete in the Open at age fifteen or sixteen and do well. It’s almost scary! In a way you set the standard for this sort of thing in Canada. That’s what happened with us. There were three of us doing it. Raymond’s generation started this evolution and the standard of playing was changing. And I think our generation has evolved the competition style a bit. How would you say the music is different today from fifteen years ago at a competition like Shelburne? Well, we’d hear more intricate and more complex tunes. People are not afraid of playing their own compositions, too. Are other genres of music coming into the competitions, such as American contest fiddling or Irish music? Well, there are people coming from all over to compete but the emphasis is still on the old-time Canadian fiddling. That’s what the contests are supposed to help preserve. There are other styles creeping in, especially the origins, like Scottish and Irish. We’ve done it subtly into the Canadian style. The most pervasive thing down here is the style espoused by Mark O’Connor. Is that style finding its way into Canadian fiddle competitions? Yes. There are quite a few who look up to Mark. There are many players who imitate him, including myself. The thing with Mark O’Connor is he’s sort of changed things and set a style there, a standard I guess. I’ve attended his fiddle camp. In a way, you guys did the same thing in Canadian fiddling competitions. Raised the bar, sort of, for the rest of the fiddlers. One result of this is that it’s much tougher for judges now. They have to be of a higher caliber so they can understand the changes of standard. You mean you could play a complicated tune well and play over the heads of the judges if they don’t understand what it is you are trying to do? That’s it exactly. The fiddle contests have got to evolve to some extent. Not too much though; there’s a standard or tradition they have to follow. A subtle change throughout the years is good.
"Blue Drag" (2003) ~ Pierre Schryer Band |
Pierre’s music lifts the heart with its precision and proud humour. It takes you expertly by the hand on a journey through the many accents in at the heart of the Canadian fiddle tradition.
NORTHUMBRIAN MUSIC NIGHTS
They delighted me with their buoyant charm and very evident love of music . . . not to mention, skill. Hire them, go see them, buy their CDs !