Bowing Down Home Oral History Transcripts

File: arsenaultedwardp06-oh-musichome.wav

Speakers

EPA: Edward P Arsenault

ML: Marie Arsenault Livingstone

KP: Curator Ken Perlman

KP: Your parents, did they fish or were they farmers?

EPA: They farmed, pretty well.

KP

File: biggarjackie06-oh-unclesparties_M.mp3

Speakers

JB: Jackie Biggar

JB: We'd used to go out to my uncle's place there; he'd have three or four parties a the summer, George milligan, we'd go there and play probably from 9 o'clock to 2 or 3 in the morning. They used

File: gallanternie06-oh-partiesegmontbay_M.mp3

Speakers:

EG – Ernie Gallant

PD – Pat Doucette

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

They were up to three or four parties a week. One house would have it one night, then they'd take a night off and another house would have it

File: doucettepat06-oh-musichome_M.mp3

Speaker:

PD – Pat Doucette

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: Were you born on a farm?

PD: No, a little fishing village. Dad used run the Post Office; he worked the lumber woods. We had guitars in the house, and one of my brothers he

File: smithmary06-oh-musichome_M.mp3

Speakers:

MS – Mary Smith

MS: I was born in a lighthouse in North Rustico. My Dad [George Pineau] was a lighthouse keeper and he was a fisherman. And he was a lighthouse keeper for 34 years.

KP: You say he played the fiddle

File - trainorcecil06-oh-musichome_M.mp3

Speakers:

CT – Cecil Trainor

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: The community was called Peake's Station?

CT: Yes.

KP: Did you grow up in a family where people played music.

CT: My

File: wilsonteresa-oh-jigging_M.mp3

Speakers:

TW – Teresa MacPhee Wilson

JM – Jenny O'Hanlon McQuaid

TW I heard my mother sayin' that, before her time, when she was younger growin' up, they had two - They called them "tuners," two women or a man and a woman - They'd sit on

File: wedgeclifford-oh-jigging_M.mp3

Speakers:

CW – Clifford Wedge

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

CW: When we were younger, we used to do a lot of jigging; just as kids, fooling around. not at the dances.

KP: When? Was it a game?

CW: Maybe going along the road (

File: pitredennis06-oh-familyreaction_M.mp3

Speakers:

DP – Dennis Pitre

VD – Vincent Doucette

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: Did you get encouraged in your house?

DP: No, there was no music – Well, on my mother's side side, but she didn't play anything

File: morrisseyjohnny-oh-lemjay_bonaparte_M.mp3

Speakers:

JM – Johnny Morrissey

JM There was an old fellow from Mt. Stewart, Lem Jay, did you hear tell of him? And every New Years he'd go into Charlottetown – When radios came out first, it was a long time ago, he'd go into

File: hughesemmett06-oh-weddings_M.mp3

Speakers:

EH – Emmett Hughes

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

EH: Back then all the weddings were at home, and it was a big deal. The weddin' part was an odd time in the house too, but most of the time it was in the church. But then

File: oconnorattwood-oh-farmwork_M.mp3

Speakers:

AO- Attwood O'Connor

KP: Curator Ken Perlman

AO: The worst job I think there was, was haying and potatoes. Oh I detested them two jobs. Had to work by hand, fork the hay by hand. Fork it on the wagon and sometimes fork it off

File: macinnislargus-oh-decline_culturallosses_M.mp3

Speakers:

LM – Largus MacInnis

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

LM See, when radio started coming in, well, probably there'd be a place that had a radio, and there'd be old time music on sometimes, and there'd be a crowd gather in to

File: macdonaldjoe-oh-miqmacs_M.mp3

Speakers:

JM – Joe MacDonald

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

JM: Well, there was an Indian village around here, and there was about four fiddlers there, permanently.

KP: Were they Mi'kmaq fiddlers?

JM Yeah.

KP Do you

File: chipmangary-oh-donmesser_M.mp3

Speakers:

GC – Gary Chipman

KP – Ken Perlman

KP: Were there fiddlers in particular that you liked to listen to?

GC: Messer!

KP: Messer.

GC: Don Messer was really the only one I heard. That was only show that was on the

File: hughesemmett06-oh-agriculturalpractices_M.mp3

Speakers:

EH – Emmett Hughes

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

EH: At that time there was as much trade as there was using money. The farmers mostly always went to Clarke [Clarke's General Store in Mount Stewart] in the Spring of the

File: macdonaldhilda-oh-womensrole_M.mp3

Speakers:

HM – Hilda MacPhee MacDonald

GM – George MacPhee (Hilda's nephew)

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: And how old were you when you started playing for dances yourself?

HM: Oh, I never played at very many dances.

File: mcpheehugh06-oh-familyorigins_M.mp3

Speakers:

HM – Hughie McPhee

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

HM: I guess it started, probably started when Wolfe was in Quebec. In Wolfe's Army, they had a pipe regiment and my great, great uncle was a piper there with him. His nephew, Archie

File: mcpheedan-oh-origins_M.mp3

Speakers

DM – Dan McPhee

DM There was, I don't know how many shiploads of McPhees came from the Hebrides and settled here. They bought a Lot which was 20,000 acres, and that extended from this shore here to south shore just east of Souris. And there was

File: dauschmidtkathryn06-oh-philosophy_M.mp3

Speaker:

KD – Kathryn Dau Schmidt

KD: I figure everybody can learn something, can learn enough to have fun at it. And that's the first thing, to have fun. And the second thing is, you have to have a lot of people who just enjoy fiddling

File: macintyrestewart-oh-origins.mp3

File

SM – Stewart MacIntyre

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

SM: The MacIntyres came to the Island, well around 1800. I haven't been able to find out exactly when – They came around 1800. My grandmother was a Stewart, she was indeed related to

File: macinnisbillyjunior06-oh-musiccareer_M.mp3

Speakers:

BM – Billy MacInnis Jr

BM: When I started playing fiddle, that was my first instrument. And then to make a long story short, I recall gettin' up one morning and finding a guitar in the house. And I didn't know my Dad played

File: macdonaldfrancis-oh-ancestry_M.mp3

Speakers:

FM – Francis MacDonald

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

FM Yeah, we try to maintain a family tree back five generations, anyway.

KP How far back have you – Oh, you have traced it back five generations?

FM Yes, as

File: maccormackfrancis06-oh-gettingstarted_M.mp3

Speakers:

FC - Francis MacCormack

FM: I was the youngest of eleven, there was eight boys and three girls, and we all played the fiddle. And if I hadn't learned to play the fiddle my father would have shot me (laughs). When I was too

File: wilsonteresa-oh-lordmacd_M.mp3

Speakers:

TW – Teresa MacPhee Wilson

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

TW Back years ago they used to have fiddlers' contests

KP Yeah.

TW And you had to be able to play Lord MacDonald's Reel before you were

File: macintyrestewart-oh-farmlife_M.mp3

Speakers:

SM – Stewart MacIntyre

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: If you lived on a farm when you were young about how many hours a day would you be working?

SM: There was really no such thing as as hours, it was sunrise

File: biggarjackie06-oh-contests_M.mp3

Speakers:

JB – Jackie Biggar

KP – curator Ken perlman

JB: Cape Breton's got Buddy MacMaster, we had Elmer Robinson. They tell me Elmer Robinson and Bill Harvey - Bill Harvey played the fiddle too up in this area. They went to

File: macleandanny-oh-lumberwoods_M.mp3

Speakers:

DM – Danny MacLean

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

DOM – Donny MacLean (Danny's son)

DM: But I did learn tunes in the lumber woods. That's mostly where I did learn them. I spent a lot of time in the lumber woods.

File: cheveriecharles-oh-radio.mp3

Speakers:

CC – Fr. Charlie Cheverie

CC: Way back on PEI when radio came about, in the late 20s and early 30s, then you'd be speaking of hearing tunes from Sydney, Nova Scotia, and Antigonish. And the fiddlers in those days were were

File: woodrichard06-oh-olderfiddlerspart2_M.mp3

Speakers:

RW – Richard Wood

RW: When I was 11 – 9 I should say, a lot of my best friends were 60 really, and 55. Every second night I'd be goin' to a place where there would be a benefit or a ceilidh and meetin' up with these older

File: hughesemmett06-oh-learningtodance_M.mp3

Speakers:

EH – Emmett Hughes

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

EH: When I was a young lad, you learned how to dance a set before you ever tried it. The people would - If there's four couples, they'd dance a set just to show you

File: banksreg-oh-jackwebster_M.mp3

Speakers:

RB – Reg Banks

KP – Ken Perlman

RB: He used to drive the mail through here. Main road from Cardigan to Annadale. Annadale's 2 miles on the highway. And sometimes I'd take the violin out to the mailbox and meet Jack [Webster

File: princecountyfiddlers-oh-womenfiddling_M.mp3

Speakers:

GB – Glenna Bowness

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: WE have noticed that women were under-represented in the ranks of. What was your sense growing up about women and fiddling?

GB: I think fiddle was

File: doucettejoe-oh-marmotteuse.mp3

JD: La Marmoteuse? The origin of that is, There's an old couple that lived in the country like this, and there was a Bingo in the village. They played Bingo. The old lady she liked to play Bingo, and the old man didn't want to go, see?

KP: Yeah.

JD: So

File: dockendorffharold06-oh-farmlife_M.mp3

Speakers:

HD – Harold Dockendorff

KP: Curator Ken Perlman

KP: Were you born on a farm?

HD: Yes.

KP: What kind of farm?

HD: Just mixed farming. It was mostly all mixed farming at that time on the Island.

File: robinsonpeter06-oh-keithrobinson_M.mp3

Speakers:

PR – Peter Robinson

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP – Tell me about your father's musical activities. I believe he was a prominent musician on the island.

PR – His name was Keith Robinson; he was known for

File: jonesandrew-oh-fatherpermission_M.mp3

Speakers:

AJ – Andrew Jones

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP Did you learn tunes from your father at all?

AJ No, I don't think so. I don't think I learned anything from him at all. He wouldn't leave me take the fiddle. I'd sneak

File: cheveriecharles-oh-tunetitles.mp3

Speakers:

CC - Fr. Charles Cheverie

CC: Well a lot of the times if you go to the eastern part of the island here and ask the fiddler for the name of a tune, forget it! (laughs).. But yet, they'll have a sequence of tunes. Give one tune, and

File: lowejudy06-oh-gettingstarted_M.mp3

JL – Judy Lowe

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: How did you get started on the piano?

JL: From my grandmother. She taught me to play organ, to chord. My Dad played fiddle, and so he would be in the room playing fiddle and

File: chaissonkevin-oh-joepetechaisson_M.mp3

Speakers:

KC – Kevin Chaisson

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: Why was it that your family in particular took it upon itself to, almost single-handedly…

KC: Well, I wouldn't say that, just the thing is, I wish you

File: chaissonyoungpeter-oh-parentopposition.mp3

Speakers:
PC – "Young Peter" Chaisson

KC – Kevin Chaisson

KC But see the music got passed down. Like my grandmother on my father's side, I mean; she used to jig the tunes to my father when my grandpa would be away, because grandpa

File: arsenaultrobert-oh-joebibiennefamily_M.mp3

Speakers

RA: Robert Arsenault

KP: Curator Ken Perlman

RA I never saw my grandfather play too much. But he's sort of still like known like his name was Joe Bibienne -- his name was Joe Bibienne -- because there was a whole bunch

File: bernardalvin-oh-jimmybearisto.mp3

Speakers:

AB – Alvin Bernard

ES – Edwin Simmons

KP – curator Ken Perlman

AB:He used to cut hair there in Kensington and he played the fiddle. And every time you'd go in there, ther'd be a fiddler in there playin eh;

File: macpheegeorge-oh-oldjimcarter_M.mp3

Speakers:

GM – George MacPhee
KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP You were telling us before a story about a fellow with one arm who used to come over to your house.

GM Oh, yeah. That was the old feller that lived over at my

File: brucestanley-oh-jigging_M.mp3

Speakers:

B – Stanley Bruce

AO –Attwood O'Connor

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

My oldest daughter [says] "Dad, you're forever whistling a tune or singing something . Why?" You don't even know you're doing it.

File: webstercarlandjackie06-oh-jackwebster_M.mp3

Speakers

JW – Jackie Webster

CW – Carl Webster

MQ – Merlin Quinn

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: One of you mentioned that that Jack Webster only played with three fingers.

JW: He got this finger

webstercarlandjackie-oh-jackwebster_M.mp3

Speakers:

CW – Carl Webster

JW – Jackie Webster

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

CW: When people would come to the house. When people'd come in. Dad would always play the fiddle for them, day and night. If someone come along in the

File: cranerobert06-oh-fiddlerspay_M.mp3

Speakers:

RC – Robert Crane

RC: I played with my Dad for a lot of weddings. Oh, the old fashioned weddings was great. One weddin' him and I played when I was only young. And he was rakin' hay with the old horse and rake, and I was kylin' hay in

File: johnstoneroy06-oh-futureofmusic_M.mp3

Speakers:

RJ – Roy Johnstone

RJ: In terms of where the music's going, I think there's gonna be a strong continuation of playing the tunes that are part of the repertoire here. And the players are gonna get better and better

File: macdonaldfaber-oh-fiddlecontests_M.mp3

Speakers:

FM – Rev. Faber MacDonald

FM You could get the sense that there were some very, very deep feelings about what had happened among fiddlers over the years as a result of them being engaged in competitions. I picked up

File: huestislowell06-oh-huestisorchestra.mp3

Speakers:

LH – Lowell Huestis

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

LH - We had the band and when we went to play they would want old time music, see, so we had to get the fiddler to come along with us.

KP – Oh

File: macdonaldpaul-oh-irishrolls_M.mp3

Speakers:

PM – Paul MacDonald

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: What are some of the others?

PM: One that's slowly moving its way into Scottish fiddle music which has been prevalent in Irish music is the roll. And that's

File: arsenaultpeter06-oh-gettingstarted_M.mp3

Speakers-

PA: Peter Arsenault

KP: Curator Ken Perlman

KP: Tell me how you came to take up the instrument.

PA: One night we were on a thing called Sea Sail, we were in in New York City. Well Dad [Eddy

File: johnstoneroy06-oh-hisinfluence_M.mp3

Speakers:

RJ – Roy Johnstone

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: What affect do you think [your approach] has had on the younger players?

RJ: I wouldn't really think personally I've had a big influence. It's

File: bergeronhelene06-oh-barachoisfounding_M.mp3

HB: Albert, my brother and myself had decided one year that we wanted to write a dinner theater, which is a local comedy musical production given every summer, mostly for tourists. We auditioned some local people for it. We knew we wanted Louise who is a local

File: arsenaultrobert-oh-familyencouragement_M.mp3

Speakers:

RA – Robert Arsenault

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

RA: The type of encouragement there is now from parents -- to give their kids everything and to become super-achievers is a nonexistent thing in Acadian

File: gotellhugh-oh-gettingstarted_quitting_M.mp3

Speaker:

HG – Hugh Gotell

KP: Curator Ken Perlman

HG: Well my dad played, the violin. He played at, we used to have concerts, once a year there, St. Patrick's concerts: 17th of March. And they had a little

File: chappellella06-oh-womensinsitute_M.mp3

Speakers:

EC – Ella Thomson Chappell

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

EC: There was the Women's Institute. Well you see, the men had to take them in the winter time.

KP: Tell me a little bit about the women's Institute

File: cheverieomar06-oh-gettingstarted_M.mp3

Speakers:

OC – Omar Cheverie

KP: At what age did you take up the fiddle?

OC: About 11. I tried the fiddle before that but my arm was a little too short to reach the neck. They wouldn't let me play it, you better wait

File: mellishreg06-oh-dancenotallowed_gettingstarted_M.mp3

Speakers:

RM – Reg Mellish

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: Was there music in your house?

RM: No.

KP: Was there music in your community?

RM: Not much, not at that

File: mcpheehugh-oh-gettingstarted_M.mp3

Speakers

HM – Hughie McPhee

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP How old were you before you started playing a lot?

HM Oh I must've been 25 or so. Like I said before, there was nobody to play for dances and they

File: macdonaldallan06-oh-gettingstarted_M.mp3

Speakers:

AM – Allan MacDonald

KP You said you started at 15? How did you get started on the fiddle?

AM Oh I don't know. I was playing guitar and playing guitar, and just one day I said, "I think I could play the

File: quinnmerlin06-oh-schoolcommittees_M.mp3

Speakers:

MQ – Merlin Quinn

CW – Carl Webster

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: Who exactly – Every community had its school dances and some had church benefits. Who actually organized those?

CW: For the

File: arsenaultedwardp-oh-gettingstarted_M.wav

Speakers:

EPA: Edward P Arsenault

MA: Marie Arsenault

KP: Curator Ken Perlman

406 KP: You said that you didn't take up the fiddle right away...

EPA: I was 32 years old, and that's a bad mistake. She bought me

File Name: albertjoe06-oh-gettingstarted_stepdancing_M.mp3

Speakers:
JA: Joe Albert

IA: Ivan Albert

KP: Ken Perlman

KP: Joe, how old were you when you started to play the fiddle?

JA: How

File: leckyharry06_withrcook-oh-weddings_dances_M.mp3

Speakers:

HL – Harry Lecky

RC – Roland Cook

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

HL: Yhe weddings, at our church it'd be in the morning, and generally a party that night

KP: What was the party

File: johnstoneroy06-oh-fiddlingin70s_M.mp3

Speakers:

RJ – Roy Johnstone

KP: Curator Ken Perlman

RJ: I moved here in '78, yeah.

KP: What was the state of Island fiddling [then]?

RJ: Coming from Winnipeg where there wasn't

File: macdougallherb06-oh-houseparties_M.mp3

Speakers:

HM – Herb MacDougall

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

HM: We would have what we'd call house parties

KP: At your house?

HM: At our house, yes. So my mother would probably prepare for a day or

File: hallidayjimmy-oh-endofera_M.mp3

Speakers

JH – Jimmy Halliday

EM – Eddie Martin

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP When did the house parties start to go down?

JH When they started to put carpet on, I guess Eddie was it? No, People are pretty

File: wedgeclifford-oh-houseparties_M.mp3

Speakers:

CW – Clifford Wedge

CW: People would come over at night. There was no radio then. There was no television. There was nothing. Just people sitting down, they'd play the violin and sing songs. They'd just have an evening.

KP:

File Name: albertjoe06-oh-houseparties_M.mp3

Speakers:

KP: curator Ken Perlman

JA: Joe Albert

IA: Ivan Albert

KP: Did they used to have a lot of house parties and such?

JA: We used to have them all when we were up west, Holy…

KP: What were

File: raffertyervin06-oh-houseparties_M.mp3

Speakers:

ER – Ervan Rafferty

ER: Oh yeah, the house parties. Quite often you'd have the house parties too, especially in the wintertime, break up the winter. Christmas time was a great getting' together. People would go to

File: maccannellneil-oh-houseparties_M.mp3

Speakers:

NM – Neil MacCannell

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP What was a house party like in those days?

NM Well, people gathered and fiddlers set up in a corner, Usually with a guitar player as accompaniment

File: macleandanny-oh-houseparties_M.mp3

Speakers:

DM – Danny MacLean

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: How often would they be having house parties in the Eldon area when you were growing up?

DM: Well there was pretty near always a party somewhere pretty near

File Name: hallidayjimmy-oh-houseparties_M.mp3

Speakers:

JH-Jimmy Halliday

KP- Ken Perlman (curator)

JM-Jimmy Martin (accompanist)

KP When you used to play for the old house parties- how did you find out that they wanted you to play at a house party?

JH They'd ask

File: sigsworthcosmas-oh-houseparties_dances_M.mp3

Speakers

CS – Cosmas Sigsworth

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: Could you give us an idea of what a typical house party would be like from start to finish?

CS: Well, not any different that any other I suppose. People were

File: farrellleo06-oh-houseparties_M.mp3

Speakers:

LF – Leo Farrell

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: Tell me about the house dances in your community?

LF: Well, put the table in the woodshed or outside in the summertime, haul the chairs all out and

File: mcpheeangus-oh-districtdances_M.mp3

Speakers

AM – Angus MacPhee

AM Well, there used to be all kinds of house dances at that time in schools. That's all pretty much done away with now. There were only small schools, one room schools, and they'd have dances there through the year

File: hancockharold06-oh-houseparties_M.mp3

Speakers:

HH- Harold Hancock

NG – Norman Gillis

HH: They were the best ones really, was the house parties. I remember one time there was a dance up at Angus Beaton's. Remember they built a stage up there; it was Margaret

File: chaissonkenny-oh-houseparties_M.mp3

Speakers:

KC – Kenny Chaisson

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KC The house parties used to be really enjoyable.

KP What, what were they like, can you describe them?

KC Oh, you'd be in a room there, and

File: chaissonkevin-oh_musicneverdies_M.mp3

Speakers:

KC – Kevin Chaisson

KC: But you get such tremendous satisfaction. It just makes my day when I see the kids play and you see them progressing all the time, eh? That's your payment. That's your payment. Before I'm gone, I hope by-

File: raffertyervin06-oh-changesafterwar_M.mp3

Speakers:

ER – Ervan Rafferty

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP - When did the house parties and square dances such begin to decline in this area?

ER: I guess probably after the war, maybe shortly after

File: sigsworthcosmas-oh-gettingstarted_marriage_M.mp3

Speakers:

CS – Cosmas Sigsworth

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: Did you grow up in a musical household?

CS: Not really. My mother was musical; she played the organ; but there was nobody in the immediate family that

File: macintyrestewart-oh-radio_M.mp3

Speakers:

LM – Stewart MacIntyre

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

LM: Learned the tunes – My father knew every tune, Scotch or Irish tune, that ever existed, because he used to listen to this Stephen Campbell, and he played them out of a book, you

File: macdonaldallan06-oh-hectorsdancehall_M.mp3

Speakers:

AM – Allan MacDonald

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

AM: And then when I was 15, we cut for the Hall, the Dance Hall we had back here – Dad and I cut the wood together one winter with the buck saw and the axe and the old horse

File: macdonaldallan06-oh-hectorsfiddling.mp3

Speakers:

AM – Allan MacDonald

AM: He [Hector MacDonald] had a nice rhythm, everybody loved his fiddling.

KP: What did they like about his fiddling?

AM: Well, beautiful dance fiddling,

File: macdonaldpaul-oh- heartvstechnique_M.mp3

Speakers:

PM – Paul MacDonald

PM: The funny thing about traditional fiddle music on Prince Edward Island is that you can go listen to a fiddler and his technique is, he's got hardly any technique at all, but he's so full of music and

File: wightelliott-oh-donmesser_M.mp3

Speakers:

EW – Elliott Wight

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

EW That's right. At that time we had no electricity in our house and we used to have a battery radio. And we could only turn it on to hear the news and to hear Don

File: morrisseyjohnny-oh-gettingstarted_M.mp3

Speakers:

JM – Johnny Morrissey

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: How old were you when you took up the fiddle?

JM Oh I guess I was about 15 or 16. I've been playing that long and [inaudible]. I played for the first dance in Iona

File: macdougalljim06-oh-lovesfiddlemusic_M.mp3

Speakers:

JM – Jim MacDougall

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

JM But I always loved it: fiddle music. If you don't like it you'll never be able to play it.

KP: What do you like about fiddle music?

File: maccormackfrancis06-oh-familydiscovery.mp3

Speakers:

FM – Francis MacCormack

FM: They came home from the army one time, my three oldest brothers. They came home from the Army. Of course as you probably know, a little bit of moonshine was flowin' around; they got into that. My

File: macdonaldpaul-oh-hardvibrato_M.mp3

Speakers:

PM – Paul MacDonald

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

PM: But the most common one used is vibrato in Scottish music. That's the most common.

KP: Explain...

PM: That's just the classical

File: stewartbud06-oh-dancehalls_M.mp3

Speakers:

BS – Bud Stewart

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: What was life like growing up on a farm.

BS: Not that great, not easy. There wasn't a lot of money but everybody was pretty much in the same boat. We didn't

File: gauthierjohn06-oh-greatunclecharlie_M.mp3

Speakers:

JG – John Gauthier

JG: I was playing to the wedding, this was about 1946 or 47, of a cousin of mine in Rustico. I took a break, and went inside - They had built a stage out in the farm yard. I went in

File: hancockharold06-oh-familyorigin_M.mp3

Speakers:

HH – Harold Hancock

KN: Keith Nicholson

HH: Well the Hancocks immigrated up from the states. Actually my grandfather deserted off an American sailing ship in Charlottetown Harbor, and in those days

File: macdonaldpaul-oh-gracenotes_M.mp3

Speakers:

PM – Paul MacDonald

KP – Ken Perlman

Pm: Grace notes, which you've seen before is just an addition

Demonstrates Grace Notes

KP: So is it just a little cut or is it?

File: stewartarchie-oh-playinglively.mp3

Speaker:

AS - Archie Stewart

AS: You get some kind of a message from your music through the people. I've seen this happen. I've seen at a dance hall where the people would be all sittin' around and nobody would be up dancin', and the thing'd

File: mackenziesheila06-oh-gettingstarted_M.mp3

Speakers:

SM – Sheila MacKenzie

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

SM: I started step-dancing probably – I know I was 5, and that sort of came – Again the music was always on the radio or a record would be on and I would try to dance. Then I

File: wilsonteresa06group-oh-gaelicsinging_M.mp3

Speakers:

TW – Teresa MacPhee Wilson

TW: When Jim would come to our place we'd see him coming. We'd get all geared up a whole bunch of kids. "Sing a song for us Jim." First he'd say, "No!." Then, the next thing you know, "How about

File: chaissonjj06-oh-fiddlingsurvival_M.mp3

Speakers

JC – JJ Chaisson

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

JC: There's an awful lot of people playing fiddle now, than there was five or ten years ago, 15 years ago. There's an awful lot of young people that have shown interest, fiddle

File: chaissontimothy06-oh-fiddlingtoday_M.mp3

Speakers:

TC – Timothy Chaisson

TC: Fifteen years ago they didn't really know if we were even going to pursue fiddle music at all, and I think they were really worried because at the time they didn't know if it was going to keep going..

File: arsenaultrobert06-oh-professionalization_M.mp3

Speakers:

RA: Robert Arsenault

KP: Ken Perlman

RA: In terms of where's the music going .We were talking last time that traditional music was essentially through kitchen parties in the home, sometimes at the

File: westprincefiddlers-oh-foundinggroup_M.mp3

Speakers:

JA: Jack Arbing

GO: George O'Connor, Kildare Capes [fid]

ER: Elmer Robinson,

DR: Dorothy Dalton Rogers

LT: Lee Thompson

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

JA George O'Cponnor

File: macdonaldfaber-oh-foundingfiddlerssociety_M.mp3

Speakers:

FM – Rev. Faber MacDonald

FM I simply got the inspiration or the idea one day that it might be a good idea to bring the fiddlers together, to bring together as many fiddlers as we could find that we knew played at

File: doironpeter-oh-pcfiddlers_M.mp3

Speakers:

PD - Peter Doiron

KP Curator Ken Perlman

KP: Were you in on the Prince County Fiddlers right from the beginning?

PD Prince County, yes. We had out little meeting in a barber shop here when we first decided to join

File: cheveriecharles-oh-foundingfiddlerssociety_contests_M.mp3

Speakers:

CC – Fr. Charles Cheverie

In 1975, Faber MacDonald, the priest for our diocese, along with Joe Chaisson –And Joe and Fr. Faber wrote to all the fiddlers they knew at that time on the Island to gather at St.

File: mcpheehugh06-oh-forerunners_M.mp3

Speakers:

HM – Hughie McPhee

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: Were people talking about forerunners in your time?

HM: Oh yeah there were lots of forerunners.

KP: Can you tell me about what forerunners

File: doucettejoe-oh-bowing,findingnotes.mp3

Speakers:

JD – Joe Doucette

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: When you were six years old and just taking up the fiddle, did your father show you anything on the fiddle?

JD: NO, anymore than he told me that to start [with]

File: cheveriecharles06-oh-future_M.mp3

Speakers:

CC – Fr. Charles Cheverie

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

CC: I think it's going to flourish. There's enough interest in younger players that they will develop. Again, you're going to get all kinds of players that will play at it as

File: bergeronhelene-oh-kitchenparties.mp3

Speakers:

HB – Helene Arsenault Bergeron

HB: Yes, I'm very partial to my father's fiddling. It's the reason that I started dancing in the first place. Because it's the most danceable fiddling that I know of. The kitchen parties

File: macleandanny-oh-goodfiddler_M.mp3

Speakers:

DM – Danny MacLean

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: what do you think makes a good fiddler? If you hear a fellow play, what about his music would stand out for you?

DM: What do you think makes him a good fiddler?

File: morrisonrita-oh--womanfiddling_M.mp3

Speakers:

RM – Rita Morrison

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

RM But they weren't encouraged as much maybe, were they?

KP I don't know! What do you think?

RM Well, it's like everything else now. There'

File: robinsonelmer92-oh-musicalbackground_M.mp3

Speakers:

ER –Elmer Robinson

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: Did you grow up in Woodstock?

ER: No, about 15 miles down the road here: Mount. Pleasant. Been up here fabout 20 years.

KP: Do you come from

File: doucettevictor06-oh-fathersrole_M.mp3

Speakers:

VD – Victor Doucette

Victor: I was in Ontario for a few years and then started to play it [the fiddle] up there again and started to fool around with it. But then when I got home and got married in the late 70s, then

File: macdonaldward06-oh-professionalopportunities_M.mp3

Speakers:

WM – Ward MacDonald

I think it's a combination of things: just the time right now, the time we're in right now. It's very easy to make a CD, any player that's trying to go anywhere has a website and they put a press kit

File: leardwarren92-oh-flourmill_M.mp3

Speakers:

WL – Warren Leard

KP: 1925. And I was told you own a mill, a flour mill.

WL: Yes, I have the only mill left on Prince Edward Island. That's a custom flour mill. We do grinding for the farmers, and I'm the third generation. My

File: macdonaldfaber-oh-thegift_M.mp3

Speakers:

FM – Rev Faber MacDonald

FM: I used to talk about the social nature of the gift. See, the gifts, God's gifts, are given to us not for ourselves. No! They're entrusted to us for everybody. And the human person, when he engages himself

File: cousinsjohn-oh-thegift_M.mp3

Speakers:

JC – John Cousins

JC: To become a fiddler, to become a good fiddler the term everyone used ad nauseum was "It was a gift." It was a gift; you were given this gift. And people said it sincerely. Only a few people were given this gift, but

File: arsenaultrobert-oh-fiddlersrepcultures_M.mp3

Speakers

RA: Robert Arsenault

RA: A fiddler carries his own level of feeling with him when he plays. A fiddler when he plays he plays with his body. A fiddler is a dancer and his whole entire body plays. You stop a fiddler from

File: albertjoe06-oh-musichome_lent_frolics_M.wav

Speakers

KP: curator Ken Perlman

JA: Joe Albert

IA: Ivan Albert

IA: Me and Joe's brothers but we got 12 brothers between us, between the two of us 10 others and we got 12 sisters. And we got 18 livin', and pretty much all