Have fiddle, will travel - Glimpses of the Past with Karen Webster

Does finding a violin under the Christmas tree by an eight-year-old portend a career with national and international acclaim and recognition as the best fiddler in the field? It did for Eleanor Reed, who was born in 1944 in Dungannon, Ontario to Allan Reed, a bus operator, and Frances Montgomery Reed, who was the organist in the local Presbyterian Church. Eleanor’s siblings were older brother, Jim, a noted journalist, and younger sister Jewel. 

 

Eleanor honed her poise in the spotlight by competing in and placing first in the Lions District A-1 public speaking contest in Seaforth in 1958 with “Russia Today” as her topic. As well, she competed in Goderich music festivals both in the piano and violin classes. Her violin teacher was Frank Schubert of Goderich and with him she studied both classical violin and old-time fiddling. While growing up, her musical influences were Al Cherny, Ned Landry, Don Messer and Graham Townsend. 

 

In 1962, at age 18, Eleanor competed in the North American Old Time Fiddle Contest in Shelburne where she later won the women’s class in 1967, 1969 and 1970. She wasn’t eligible to compete in the women’s class after three wins and had to vie for the Open title, where she placed in the top 10 in 1971 and 1972 and was the first woman to win that title. In addition to her recordings and live appearances, Eleanor was a fiddle teacher for both the Scarborough and Simcoe Boards of Education.

 

In 1973, Eleanor’s third marriage was to Graham Townsend and they became North America’s only Championship Fiddling Team.
Graham Townsend was born in Toronto in 1942 to Fred and Enid Townsend. Fred’s claim to fame was as Don Messer’s square dance caller. Graham grew up in the Ottawa Valley and was exposed to many fiddling styles there and, as a result, was proficient in Irish, Scottish, Acadian, Cape Breton, Quebec and Ontario fiddling, as well as many other genres. He had a visual problem and could not read music, however, he was a quick study and upon hearing a tune once could repeat it. At the age of nine, he won the under 30-year-old category at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto. As well, he won the coveted Canadian Open Old Time Fiddlers’ Contest in Shelburne in 1963 and annually from 1968 to 1970 before retiring from competition. Graham’s achievements were many, including command performances for Queen Elizabeth, a television series called Star Route, and many tours sponsored by the CBC broadcasting network in conjunction with the federal Departments of Defence and Foreign Affairs. He guest starred on such television shows as Family Brown, The Tommy Hunter Show, The Ronnie Prophet Show and Don Messer’s Jubilee.

 

Together, Graham and Eleanor toured Canada and the United States in the Maple Sugar review, climaxing in Nashville at the Grand Masters’ Fiddling Contest, where Graham was the guest artist and Eleanor was an invited finalist.

 

Not all of their performances were in large centres on big stages. They frequently gave concerts in Blyth, Lucknow, Goderich and Ripley. In fact, in July of 1986, they performed at the Huronview Home for the Aged, near Clinton, where Eleanor’s mother, Fran Reed was a resident.

 

Typically generous, when Eleanor heard that a threesome step dancing group from her home area called “That’s Entertainment” was the featured act at the Shelburne Old Time Fiddling contest, she offered that she and Graham would provide their music and that is how Kim Craig of Blyth, Kim Hutton of Listowel and Donna Raynard of Ashfield Township danced to the beat of Canada’s most famous fiddling duo. 

 

In October of 1998, the Townsends were honoured in Orangeville by their peers. They arrived at the Convention Centre in the rumble seat of a 1934 Ford. Guest musicians took turns playing some of Graham’s over 400 compositions and each musician spoke words of praise for his contributions to the music world. Eleanor was feted as well, as her siblings Jim Reed and Jewel added stories of their youth. In fact, Eleanor’s composition, “Jewel Waltz” is about her sister.

 

In a touching ceremony, Graham and Eleanor were inducted into the Canadian Fiddlers’ and Step Dancers’ Hall of Fame. After a music-filled evening, the Townsends were driven home to Barrie in a stretch white limousine. 

 

Unfortunately, this tale of artistry and achievement, interwoven with love, has a sad ending.

 

The gala in Orangeville was bittersweet as it was known that Graham had been battling prostate cancer for a year. He passed away on Dec. 3. and Eleanor’s father, Allan Reed, died on Dec. 22. Tragically, there was a house fire on Dec. 31 that same year at their home in Barrie and both Eleanor and her five-year-old granddaughter perished. Gray, the 23-year-old son of the Townsends, suffered severe burns while attempting to rescue the pair.

 

A memorial service to celebrate the lives of Graham and Eleanor Townsend was held in the Bethel Community Church in Barrie on Feb. 6, 1999. They left a legacy of hundreds of compositions, recordings and albums that enrich the tapestry of Canadian music. 

 

So, yes, a Christmas present of a violin can lead to great things.