Bowing Down Home Oral History Transcripts

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?