The ensemble will play reels, schottisches, jigs, waltzes and polkas in South Paris, Lewiston and Gorham.

A large group of enthusiastic fiddlers and other musicians of all ages will bring a toe-tapping program to Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School, the Franco American Heritage Center and the University of Southern Maine this month.

Fiddle-icious will play at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, at the high school located at 256 Main St., South Paris. Tickets will be available at the door for $7 and $5.

The diverse group of people who come from near and far for the love of fiddling will give a second performance at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23, in the heritage center’s performance hall located in the former St. Mary’s Church in Lewiston. Tickets are $8 in advance at Hannaford supermarkets in the area and at Victor News on Park Street, Lewiston. Tickets will be sold at the door for $10. Doors will open at 1:30 p.m. For more information, call 783-1585 or go online to www.francoamericanheritage.org.

Fiddle-icious will play again at 2 and at 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30, in Corthell Concert Hall on the USM Gorham campus. Tickets for both concerts are $10/$7/$5. Call the music box office at 780-5555.

Fiddle-icious was born out of a monthly jam session held in Portland by Don Roy, a fiddler described as a “living cultural treasure” in Maine. Both Roy and his wife, Cindy, grew up in French-Canadian families where music was an integral part of their lives. They are steeped in the traditions that have been passed down for generations. Their desire to share their music – and foster community through music – is testimony to their commitment to keeping their heritage alive.

Both the tunes and the people who make up Fiddle-icious create an atmosphere of infectious energy and joy. Featured in the ensemble’s repertorie are reels, schottisches, jigs, waltzes, polkas and other tunes. Many traditional songs, like “The Woodchopper’s Reel,” were handed down from generation to generation. There are tunes from Quebec, Scotland and Cape Breton and several original piece by Roy and by Lewiston fiddler Greg Boardman.

Directed by Roy, Fiddle-icious is made up of musicians from 28 different communities. Their occupations include surveyor, blacksmith, saddler, teacher, lawyer, psychotherapist, t’ai chi instructor, doctor, computer programmer, social worker, lawyer, musician, music teacher, librarian, veterinarian, CPA, financial advisor, physical therapist, carpenter, plumber, dental hygienist, architect, student, special education teacher, and research scientist. Their ages range from 11 to 70 years old.

Participating musians are from Biddeford, Bowdoin, Cape Elizabeth, Coopers Mills, Denmark, Falmouth, Freeport, Georgetown, Gorham, Harpswell, Harrison, Leeds, Lincolnville, Monmouth, Naples, New Gloucester, Poland Spring, Portland, Raymond, Saco, Scarborough, Sebago, South Portland, Topsham, Turner, Westbrook, Windham and Woolwich.

“Four years ago, I decided I wanted to give back to the community the gift of music I have been blessed with,” said Roy. He contacted the Center for Cultural Exchange in Portland, and for several years developed, for free, a program to teach fiddle playing. The group grew and kept on growing.

“We went from rehearsing once a month to weekly, and the group grew to nearly 70 people. We now rehearse at Falmouth Congregational Church on the West Falmouth Road,” said Roy.

“In the spring of 2004, I decided after being prodded by some participants that we would arrange a small concert series for the fall,” he explained, noting he had concerns about beginning players, the music, promotions and other details. But members stepped forward to manage, handle publicity, write out parts, lead extra sessions, teach dance steps, create a web page, and do more. The group presented two successful concerts last year in Corthell Concert Hall at USM in Gorham. This year, Fiddle-icious expanded the series to include the concerts this month in Lewiston and South Paris.

The music is important but there’s much more, Roy stressed, citing the friendships and sense of community that have developed among the musicians. “I saw people who were strangers three months before offer their homes to those who were ailing,” he said. “One lady told me that she had moved from a large city to become more involved in the community and that this was the first time she had felt that part of anything so positive.”

“As for myself,” Roy said, “The reward of seeing the personal growth and congealing of people gathering for a very positive reason is compensation way beyond any monetary value.”