Fiddler Supergroup Childsplay to Perform 12/5-8 in Boston Area

Fiddle supergroup Childsplay, a who's who of fiddlers, fiddles and fiddlemakers, has released As the Crow Flies, their sixth album in 26 years of performances throughout North America and Europe. In addition, the group has released a concert DVD Live from the Zeiterion Theatre. Both the CD and concert DVD are being released in advance of the group's upcoming Northeast tour dates.

Childsplay is the creation of Bob Childs, a fiddler who has been making violins for more than 30 years. Childsplay features an incredibly talented group of fiddlers, including the all-Ireland fiddle champion Sheila Falls, National Scottish Fiddle champion Hanneke Cassel, Boston Symphony Violinist Bonnie Bewick and folk superstar Sam Amidon. Every member of the Childsplay string section plays a violin or viola hand crafted by Childs in his Cambridge, Massachusetts workshop.

Childs was first introduced to violinmaking by Ivie Mann in Maine. After six years of apprenticeships with Mittenwald-trained violinmakers Anton Smith and Michael Weller, Childs set up his own shop in Cambridge, Mass. Today, Childs continues to produce instruments with a deep, sweet and dark sound whose quality has captured the interest of leading string performers throughout the United States and beyond. As a fiddler himself, Childs was immersed in the Maine fiddle tradition for many years before becoming heavily influenced by Irish music.

In addition to the string section, Childsplay features all-star instrumentalists including Irish flute player Shannon Heaton; bass player Ralph Gordon of Trapezoid; Mark Roberts, who has toured with Don Henley and The Red Clay Ramblers; and Keith Murphy, of Nightingale. While past recordings have featured renowned singers such as Aoife O'Donovan, Laurie Lewis and Mollie O'Brien, As the Crow Flies introduces listeners to the powerful, yet gentle and evocative singing of Lissa Schneckenburger, who has also made her mark in the music world with her own world-class fiddling.

The album demonstrates an innovate range of styles and influences: from blues tinge heard in The Dear Companion to the pop influences in Leave No Millionaire Behind and the rocking Appalachian feel of Don't You Get Weary to the Celtic tones of Katrina, Lianne MacLean's Revenge/The Catchy Bug and many others. Speed and rhythm go from waltzes to step dances. And the title track, As the Crow Flies, along with The Hawk and Crow tell a story of love through the sounds of various birds in a way that puts the innovation and imagination of Childsplay's performances on full display.

As the Crow Flies was produced by Irish fiddling legend Liz Carroll; engineered by Bill Wynn, who has worked with Whitney Houston, Joni Mitchell and Herbie Hancock; and mastered by Grammy Award winning mastering engineer Bob Ludwig. Nearly every piece of music on the recording was composed and arranged by band members.

Childsplay has also released a new DVD, Live from the Zeiterion Theatre, which was filmed during the group's January 2013 performance at the Zeiterion Theatre in New Bedford, Mass. The DVD features musical performances, dances and interviews with band members.

Childsplay will perform several shows in the Northeast in December 2013. These shows include:

· Thursday, Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m.

National Heritage Museum in Lexington, Mass.

· Friday, Dec. 6 at 8 p.m.

Zeiterion Theatre in New Bedford, Mass.

(Tickets to this show are available online at www.zeiterion.org)

· Saturday, Dec. 7 at 8 p.m.

Portland High School Auditorium in Portland, Maine

· Sunday, Dec. 8 at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

National Heritage Museum in Lexington, Mass.

Tickets to concerts, the CD As the Crow Flies and concert DVD Live at the Zeiterion are all available via www.childsplay.org. The CD is also available on iTunes, CDBaby and other online outlets.

About Childsplay: Childsplay's nearly two dozen musicians come from all over the United States and Sweden. They include some of the leading virtuosos in traditional and contemporary fiddle music. The group has performed in the United States and Europe for 26 years, showcasing an unsurpassed level of musicianship with their many different styles of fiddling. Childsplay's repertoire ranges from the lilting beauty of Celtic jigs and airs to the driving rhythms of hoe-downs to the smoky improvisations of jazz and more. All of the group's far-ranging stylists are tied together by one commonality: each plays a violin or viola made by band member Bob Childs in his workshop in Cambridge, Mass.