Album Notes

Rebecca Lomnicky is a young Scottish/Cape Breton-style fiddler from Oregon who started playing Suzuki violin at age 5 and won the Junior Division of the U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Competition at age 13. The Call [self-released (2006)] is a technically masterful, wonderfully melodic collection of fiddle tunes with simple piano and guitar accompaniment. What’s most memorable about it is the many lovely slow tunes that she interprets with heartfelt feeling, putting less emphasis on fast playing for its own sake than many of her contemporaries (although she does a fine job on the quicker sets, too). This would be a worthwhile recording under any circumstances, but the fact that Lomnicky is still in high school makes it even more impressive. - Dirty Linen April/May 2008

"Rebecca Lomnicky has “finally” put out her first CD of Scottish and Cape Breton fiddle music at the age of 14. Rebecca first heard “The Call” at a very young age, started violin lessons at age five, discovered Scottish Fiddling in 2000, started taking fiddle lessons in 2004 and won the US National Scottish Fiddling Junior Championship in the following year.

It is evident from her playing in this CD that Rebecca has listened hard to and absorbed the techniques of some of the greatest fiddlers alive today including Alasdair Fraser and Natalie MacMaster who are two of her heroes. But amazingly for someone so young, she has also developed her own style.

In this CD she presents some of the best in Scottish and Cape Breton fiddle music with a ring of authenticity and with great emotion in both genres. The music spans a breadth that includes exciting, driving strathspey and reel sets from Cape Breton, to the plaintive gaelic airs of the Scottish Highlands, to the elegance of 18th Century Edinburgh and the 19th Century fiddle masterpieces of James Scott Skinner. There is also a side trip to Sweden for the beautiful Josefin’s Waltz. The CD finishes in great style with a composition of Rebecca’s.

Rebecca is ably assisted here by Cali Mckasson, a superb young piano player and friend, and by Peter Willis another long time friend, on guitar." - Calum MacKinnon