The Citizen, 2013-09-05, Page 10PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013.Jewitt’s musical experience proves useful as emcee
If anyone knows about keeping the
music going at the annual reunion of
the Huron Pioneer Thresher and
Hobby Association Inc., it’s John
Jewitt.
Having emceed both an open jam
session at one of the sheds during the
days leading up to the reunion and
the annual violin competition for the
past several years certainly helps
establish his credentials but, before
that, he was playing music of his
own for the event.
The story of how he came to be in
charge of some of the jam sessions
began more than 50 years ago when
Jewitt and his wife Barb moved onto
the farm they live on now in the
Londesborough area.
Jewitt has played the bagpipes for
years and, after moving to the area
and attending the first reunion, he
found himself asked by Gladys Van
Egmond to attend and play
throughout the day.
“I did that a few times, but I
always had to work it in,” Jewitt
explained. “Working on the farm
meant that I didn’t always have a lot
of time at that part of the year.”
After that, however, Jewitt’s role
at the reunion became that of a
visitor. It remained that way until
just over five years ago.
“When I retired from work I was
out at one of the Lobb’s auctions at
Seaforth,” he said. “I saw a violin
there. A fellow I knew also saw it
and he played it. I told Barb then and
there that I liked that violin and then
I just kept bidding until I won it.”
He took lessons from a Wingham-
area teacher for a year and started
playing, again in Seaforth, at the
Tuesday Tunes events.
“It’s a wonderful thing for anyone
wanting to play,” he said. “If the
weather is any good at all, they run
the program every Tuesday from
January until April. People come
from all over to play. I go out and
play and sometimes it’s good,
sometimes you trip up, but you’re
always learning.”
He said that everyone gets to play
a tune and, as time went by, he felt
more and more comfortable and, like
most everyone there, he found
confidence in doing it.
After he got his confidence with
his violin, he started to feel more
comfortable being in front of an
audience and soon found his way toworking with the Threshers reunion.It wasn’t long before he foundhimself being asked to help out by
Gladys Van Egmond again.
“Gladys asked me if I would look
after one of the tents,” he said. “Then
a couple years later, they asked if
would emcee the fiddle show.”
Jewitt said that the years have had
their ups and downs while he
emceed both the jam sessions
through the week and the events on
the weekend of the reunion but said
that he stepped down from the violin
competition this year because the
jobs he was doing were taking their
toll.
“It’s a lot busier than some people
might think,” he said. “You have to
make sure things run on time, you
have to make sure there are people in
the wings waiting to play and there
is a lot to do.”
The work hasn’t been without its
rewards, however, as Jewitt pointed
out.
He said that while emceeing
events and helping out is really all
the thanks he will ever need, some of
the relationships he has made in his
time with the reunion is a definite
perk.
“I got to know two folks, forexample,” he said. “One of themcalled me up at 2 a.m. one morninglooking for the other fellow’s phone
number.”
Jewitt explained that Al
Widmeyer, who had played at thereunion once, was being sought outby one of his other contacts.Fortunately, before anyone goes on
stage, Jewitt gets them to sign a
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A man and his fiddle
The story about how John Jewitt got involved with emceeing
the jam sessions at the annual reunion of the Huron
Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association is a long one and
has a lot to do with the violin he is shown here playing.
(Denny Scott photo)
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
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