The Story of a Fiddler’s Anthem 2005 1 x 90/60 min Color & B/W: DigiBeta English

A Northern Light production One of the top ten most-performed songs of the 20th Century, she evokes both the sweetness of a familiar face and the power of a screaming locomotive. Born in the Produced and directed by Bestor Cram rough seas of the Depression, her tale is one of endless railroad tracks, towns without names and wanderlust. Like the familiar call of a train whistle, we recognize her in the Festivals and Awards: first few notes. She is Orange Blossom Special, the anthem of bluegrass and a Screened at the 2005 Nashville Film resounding voice from the heartland of American roots music. Festival, Silver Docs, IFP, Woodshole and the Cash Bash (in dedication to The Special is a musical story told by musicians and their music. Named after a Johnny Cash) seasonal train that ran down the East Coast to Florida, Orange Blossom Special was written in 1938 by fiddle virtuoso Ervin T. Rouse and made famous by Chubby Wise. The song’s evocation of the train’s sound and speed has been a hallmark of the fiddler’s art but has also been interpreted in every musical form. Without narration, the film explores this thread of musical tradition with some of the greats, such as Johnny Cash, Vassar Clements, Bela Fleck, Charlie Daniels, String Cheese Incident, The Del McCoury Band and others, including the award-winning New Zealand fiddler, Marian Burns. The film combines original cinematography, concert and backstage footage, interviews with musicians and fans, a rich and diverse collection of archival stills, motion picture footage and vintage television broadcasts to create a journey as memorable as the Orange Blossom Special itself, the fastest train on the line.

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