Old Time Country fiddler performs in Bristol friday night

BRISTOL — Adam Boyce of West Windsor, Vt., will be portraying famous fiddler and entertainer Charles Ross Taggart at a New Hampshire Humanities Council program Friday at 7 p.m. at the Bristol Town Hall.

Charles Ross Taggart grew up in Topsham, Vt., going on to perform in various stage shows across the country for over 40 years, starting in 1895, including the famous Red Path Chautauqua circuit.

A fiddler, piano player, humorist, singer and ventriloquist, he made at least 25 recordings with the Victor, Edison, and Columbia companies and appeared in a talking movies four years before Al Jolson starred in “The Jazz Singer.”

Boyce portrays Taggart near the end of his career, around 1936, sharing recollections on his life, with some live fiddling and humorous sketches interspersed.

Boyce is a 10th generation Vermonter and fiddler in his own right and has been giving talks throughout Vermont and New Hampshire since 2002. He has been involved with nearly every aspect of fiddle contests in New England since 1994, including judge, piano backup, as well as competitor. He was the 2000 Vermont division champion at the Northeast Fiddlers contest in Barre, Vt., and has placed in nearly every New England state.

He is also an Eastern style square dance caller who fiddles and calls simultaneously, and also plays piano backup for other fiddlers throughout Vermont and New Hampshire. A composer of over 100 fiddle tunes, he is also listed as a Juried Artist with the Vermont Arts Council.

A traditional dance historian, Boyce gives lectures on contra and square dancing history in Vermont and New Hampshire (“Sprightly Steps”), as well as one on fiddle contest history (“Old Time Rules Will Prevail”).

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Adam Boyce will portray “The Old Country Fiddler: Charles Ross Taggart,Traveling Entertainer” at the Bristol Twon Hall Friday night. (Courtesy photo)