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File: macpheegeorge-oh-weddings_M.mp3
Speakers:
GM – George MacPhee
KP – Curator Ken Perlman
GM They had a certain tune they used to play for the old wedding dance. They used to tune the fiddle up in high bass, and Dad used to play it all the time. But it's kind of a tricky
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: smithtony06-oh-pauljones_M.mp3
Speakers:
TS – Tony Smith
KP – Curator Ken Perlman
KP: So the played that for the Paul Jones dances?
TS: Yeah
Mrs. Smith: You're swinging, eh.
TS: And you change your partner, and
banksreg06-oh-changesqdances_M.mp3
Speakers:
RB – Reg Banks
KP – Ken Perlman
RB: Oh there's a lot of changes in the dances. I can hardly explain the dances today. They get up on the floor today, and they're dancin' around and they'd just be scufflin' around. Now, years ago
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: 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: macdougalljim06-oh-weddings_M.mp3
Speakers:
JM – Jim MacDougall
JM: There was always what they'd called a wedding shower. I can remember my oldest sister when she got married, we had borrowed this dancing booth they had for the parish for their picnics and we had it set up in our
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
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: macinnisbillysenior06-oh-donmesser_M.mp3
Speakers:
BM – Billy MacInnis, Sr
KP – Curator Ken PerlmanDid you ever meet Don Messer?
KP: Did you ever meet Don Messer?
BM: Yes I met Don Messer when he lived on Belmont St. in Charlottetown. I'd be about 7 or
File: macinnislargus-oh-quadrillecalls_M.mp3
Speakers:
LM – Largus MacInnis
KP – Ken Perlman
LM Quadrilles, you started in by salutin' your partner and then you go eight hands 'round. And then the two head couples would go right and left. And the ladies would change [chain]
File: hughesemmett-oh-doublestops_M.mp3
Speakers
EH – Emmett Hughes
KP – Curator Ken Perlman
KP I think I heard you use a lot of double strings in your playing, is that true? You try to hit two strings?
EH Yes, and a lot of times you
File: corbetttrudy06-oh-dancinginschools_M.mp3
Speakers:
TC – Trudy Corbett
FC – Fulton Corbett (husband of Trudy Corbett)
KP – Curator Ken Perlman
MS – Mary Pineau Smith
FC: But she started in school; I went to school with her. She started at school with a comb
File: mcpheehugh06-oh-contests_M.mp3
Speakers:
HM – Hughie McPhee
HM: The last one I was at – The three judges talkin', and one says to the other "The first fellow that plays a tune on the flats gets first prize." But nobody played anything on the flats (laughs). I knew this, I played
File: stewartarchie-oh-playingforset_M.mp3
Speakers:
AS – Archie Stewart
KP – Curator Ken Perlman
AS There was a certain beat of music for each section [figure] of that set. Like when you started first, you wanted a fairly slow beat, because it was a slow back and forth.