Remembering Buddy MacMaster (October 18 1924 – August 20 2014) By Jody Stecher

It is not unusual for a listener to be moved by the skillful playing of slow airs by a good Scottish fiddler. The only fiddler to make me weep from his playing of reels has passed away. The tears well up again as I remember Buddy MacMaster, a great musician and a great man. When I first started hearing about Buddy in the early 1980s, people said that should Inverness County ever secede from Canada, or , or from the rest of Cape Breton, Hugh Alan “Buddy” MacMaster would automatically become Premier. Then I heard a fellow get so worked up while hearing a young Cape Breton fiddler play that he just had to yell. He didn’t yell

Photo: Mary Larsen “yahoo” or “drive her,” though. He yelled “Buddy MacMaster!” But to really understand his near-mythic stature, consider this: it At the Gaelic College of Celtic Arts & Crafts, Cape Breton, 1996. was said that if you hired him to play at your wedding, Buddy would play at your funeral for free. The implication is that, being Born in in 1924, Buddy MacMaster was four years old immortal, Buddy would outlive everybody. It was not to be, of when his parents moved the family back to Judique, Cape Bret- course, but that’s how his music affected a listener. on. His father played , but it was his mother’s singing and to which he especially attributed his love of music. By Buddy balanced all this with soft-spoken dry wit and an unassum- age twelve, Buddy was performing in public, and at fourteen he ing personality. He worked for many years as a station master for played his first square dance, which he continued to do into his the railway. The hours between active work were spent perusing eighties. During the 1970s, Buddy appeared regularly on CBC books of fiddle tunes, both Scottish and Irish. Buddy was alert Television’s Ceilidh show. As his “day job,” Buddy worked for to new compositions as well, and was the first to play tunes that the Canadian National Railway. are now standard core repertoire in Cape Breton. He also was an astute creator of medleys. One tune would flow into the next with Buddy released four solo recordings (Judique on the Floor, such inevitability that a medley sounded like one flowing com- Glencoe Hall, The Judique Flyer, and Cape Breton Tradition), a position. He never called attention to the technical difficulties of duet album with his niece Natalie MacMaster (Traditional Mu- some of his tunes; he just played them. He’d select tunes from his sic from ), and also contributed tracks to var- vast repertoire according to the type of occasion, and played them ious others, notably live CD recordings on both Traditional Mu- in a style that was at once personal and traditional, at once power- sic from Cape Breton Island (Nimbus) and The Heart of Cape ful and graceful. He could make a new tune sound like a peren- Breton (Smithsonian). Buddy performed and taught throughout nial standard, and an old “chestnut” sound brand new. Perhaps his Canada, as well as in the U.S., , and . In 2000, greatest musical achievement was how memorable — how truly Buddy was awarded the Order of Canada for his contributions unforgettable — his music was. Those attending a dance, public to Canadian culture. concert, or private session where Buddy was playing would find [Buddy’s CDs and many that something he played had lodged in their minds and would not transcriptions are available let go. “That tune Buddy played? I can’t get it out of my head.” from Cranford Publications, I’ve heard that many times. www.cranfordpub.com. Buddy was one of twenty fid- He played in all keys but I’d say Buddy MacMaster absolutely dlers on Fiddler Magazine’s owned the key of D major. “Down the Burn Davy Lad,” “O’er the Fiddlers 20 book/CD set, and Moor and through the Heather,” “Davy Stewart,” “Jenny Dang the was also featured in Fiddler Weaver,” “The Forth Bridge” followed by “Master McDermott”: Magazine’s Carrying on these were no mere sequences of notes coming from Buddy’s fid- the Traditions: Cape Breton dle. These were luminous living entities, something that can’t be Today video explained except to say that he had an affinity for this key. Easier (out of print). For an excerpt to explain is his early reputation as “King of the .” He had of an interview with Buddy a special touch with the bow in 6/8 time, which he applied to a by Peter Marten in the Cape combination of well-known tunes and repertoire he’d found in the Breton 2000 issue of Fiddler Magazine, please visit www. old books. I’d be surprised if a hundred years from now, fiddlers fiddle.com.] in Cape Breton didn’t call these, as they do now, “Buddy Tunes.”

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Buddy MacMaster (1924-2014) was one of the most loved fiddlers of his generation. Buddy MacMaster (1924-2014) was one of the most loved fid- The Cape Breton Musical Heritage Series Remembered as a gentleman and fine fiddler much inDrawing demand from forthe rich concerts musical culture and ofdances, Cape Breton his Island, legacy dlers ofincludes his generation. a repertoire Remembered highly as a gentlemanimitated andby fineothers. fid- In additionin addition to his to reissues stock ofof classic older Scottish traditional books, fiddler tunes, dler muchBuddy in demand was oftenfor concerts the firstand dances, to play his newlegacy tunes includes - both onesPaul recently Cranford composed plans 12 books by to youngercomplete his local series. a repertoireplayers highly as imitated well as by others others. Inlearned addition from to his musiciansstock of met, or booksCurrently acquired, these 8 booksduring are his available: travels to older traditionalScotland, tunes, Ireland, Buddy wasThe often Shetlands, the first to USAplay newand tunes other parts of Canada.erry Holland’ – ones recently composed by younger local players as well as J Collection of Fiddle Tunes The first time I heard Buddy play was in 1977 in New Waterford’s Heather Tavern. That Safternoon others learned from musicians met, or books acquired, during his he played hundreds of tunes. At the time I was fairly new to therenda music and Stubbert’ since I was sitting with travels to Scotland, Ireland, the USA, and other parts of Canada. one of the local experts (Doug MacPhee) I was given a runningBCollection commentary of Fiddle as the Tunes tunesS were being played. It’s a humourous memory for Doug as he recallsighthouse me frantically Collection writing both titles The firstand time sources I heard onBuddy scraps play wasof inpaper, 1977 in serviettes New Waterford’s and cigarette packages. Many of the tunes Buddy of newly composed Fiddle Tunes Heatherplayed Tavern. that That dayafternoon came he fromplayed the hundreds Skye of Collection, tunes. At a book I laterL reproduced and published. I am the timegrateful I was fairly to newBuddy to the for music his andinspiration since I was and sitting will with miss his warm humour,inston generosity Fitzgerald and friendship. one of the local experts (Doug MacPhee), I was given a running WA Collection of Fiddle Tunes commentary as the tunes were being played. It’s a humourous erry Holland memory for Doug as he recalls me frantically writing both titles J The Second Collection and sources on scraps of paper, serviettes, and cigarette packages. Many of the tunes Buddy played that day came from the Skye renda Stubbert The Second Collection Collection, a book I later reproduced and published. I am grate- B ful to Buddy for his inspiration and will miss his warm humour, he Cape Breton generosity, and friendship. – Paul Stewart Cranford T Fiddlers Collection X he Cape Breton This tune can be heard at www.cranfordpub.com/ Scottish Collection buddy. There will also be links to other tunes composed T in Buddy MacMaster’s memory. cranfordpub.com

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