Bowing Down Home Oral History Transcripts

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.