Derek Neary
Northern News Services

Wrigley (Mar 15/02) - Known as the Strings Across the Sky, several Wrigley youth are hoping their music will be heard on high.

They are learning to play fiddle in memory of Hay River's Kole Crook, who died in a plane crash in late December.

The youth performed at a tribute to Crook on Sunday in Wrigley and had stirred the crowd at the adult talent show in Fort Simpson on Saturday night.

They were led by Andrea Hansen, a former member of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. An old friend of Wrigley resident Lewis Beck's, Hansen has been teaching fiddle in Northern communities intermittently for more than a decade. Upon learning of Crook's tragic death, she wanted to coach the youth in Wrigley in his memory.

Wrigley resident Stella Pellissey said Crook had been a popular guest in Wrigley over the years.

"He was just a great guy. He was a very talented fiddler and really believed in teaching kids fiddle music... kids have been inspired him. We'd just like to carry on that legacy," she said.

Until Hansen arrived last week, Beck and Pellissey, both fiddlers themselves, had been teaching the students basic notes and how to read music since January. Then Hansen rapidly taught them a few tunes.

"Her dream is to spread the joy of fiddling," Pellissey said of Hansen.

Over the weekend, the youth performed Amazing Grace before audiences in Fort Simpson and Wrigley in Crook's memory.

"Thanks to Lewis and Stella, fiddling is still going on in Kole's name," a tearful Hansen told the Fort Simpson crowd on Saturday night.

Hansen and Pellissey are both pleased with their proteges' progress in such a short time.

"I'm really impressed... to see kids play (fiddle) is something really good," Pellissey explained.

Hansen added, "The hardest thing is that they're so modest and shy they don't want to bow (after performing)."