Saultite wins big at Pembroke fiddle contest

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ALGOMATRAD

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Benoit Schryer Lefebvre wins big at Pembroke fiddle contest

ALGOMA - Desbarats resident Benoit Schryer Lefebvre, 17, won first place in the 18 years-and-under fiddle contest at the annual Pembroke Fiddle and Stepdance Competition on Labour Day weekend.  

Pembroke is one of Canada’s largest fiddle competitions and arguably the most prestigious after the Canadian Open held in Shelburne.

Friday night at Pembroke is the night of the preliminary competition where 10 fiddlers are chosen from the initial field.

These 10 go on to compete against each other, each performing their competition set, a waltz, jig, and reel, on Saturday evening to several thousand people at the Pembroke Arena.

Benoit, who performs with his family band The O’Schraves, won out of a field of 26 fiddlers aged 13 to 18, many of whom compete weekly at contests all over Ontario.

He follows in the footsteps of his uncles Raymond, Louis, Pierre, and Daniel, who have all been successful competitors in Pembroke since the late 70’s.

In fact, the Pembroke contest, a weekend not only of competitions for all ages but of legendary jam sessions at all hours of the day and night, has been something of a tradition for Sault residents Julien and Juliette Schryer and their family. 

The Schryer family, including Benoit’s mother Julie Schryer, have been going to the Pembroke contest since its inception in 1976.

The tradition is in good hands as five of Julien and Juliette’s grandchildren now compete regularly at Pembroke.

Benoit wasn’t the only successful member of his family at Pembroke this year.

His sister, eight-year-old Aine Schryer O’Gorman, came 4th in a field of 29 in the nine-years-and-under class.

She also competed in the nine-and-under stepdancing contest for the first time this year.

Sarah Devon, 18, from St. Joseph Island, also competed this year, accompanied on piano by her sister Carolyn Devon.

All of these young musicians have been attending the AlgomaTrad Family Camp since its inception in 2004.

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Pictured: Benoit, right, plays at Pembroke Fiddle Park with his brother, Zach.

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