“Cape Breton Fiddle Music: The Making and Maintenance of a Tradition” By Glenn Graham A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Master of Arts in Atlantic Canada Studies at Saint Mary's University Halifax, Nova Scotia May 7, 2004 © Glenn Graham Approved By: Dr. Ken MacKirmon Supervisor Dr. M a r^ re t H arry U Reader ur. 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Neither thedroit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts from Niit la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou aturement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. In compliance with the Canadian Conformément à la loi canadienne Privacy Act some supporting sur la protection de la vie privée, forms may have been removed quelques formulaires secondaires from this dissertation. ont été enlevés de ce manuscrit. While these forms may be includedBien que ces formulaires in the document page count, aient inclus dans la pagination, their removal does not represent il n'y aura aucun contenu manquant. any loss of content from the dissertation. Canada 11 Abstract Cape Breton Fiddle Music: The Making and Maintenance of a Tradition By Glenn Graham May 7, 2004 Cape Breton fiddle music is an art form rooted in Scottish Gaelic tradition. Because of an economic restructuring in Scotland between the late 1700s and mid 1800s, more than 30 000 Scottish Gaels emigrated to the island of Cape Breton, off Canada’s east coast. Since then, many elements of the island’s Gaelic culture have thrived and survived, including fiddle music. Although limited studies are available, an overview combining a social history of the music with an assessment of its current status is long overdue. The thesis traces four basic periods to show how Cape Breton fiddling has evolved in response to many changes from the time of its origins in Scotland until the year 2004. The history section surveys the influence on fiddling of traditional supports like the Gaelic language, Gaelic bagpiping and song, step-dancing, accompaniment, rural isolation, and so on. But the thesis is mainly concerned about the contemporary status of the music. With the help of surveyed respondents from today’s representative fiddlers, the major chapters deal with how well the music copes with recent changes like the drastic loss of Gaelic, the adoption of the tradition by non-Gaels, global musical influences, and commercial success. The thesis confronts directly the controversial topic of the technical means of maintaining the traditional Gaelic sound in a de-Gaelicized context. Ill Acknowledgements I would like to thank my thesis advisor, Dr. Ken MacKinnon, for the many hours that he has generously put into this project. Ken, I sense and admire your passion for Gaelie eulture. I would also like to thank my Examining Committee: Dr. Margaret Harry, Dr. Padraig Ô Siadhail, and Dr. Richard Twomey for all of their construetive comments, suggestions, and criticisms that strengthened the final product. Richard Twomey, thank- you for being a friend and a confidence builder when I needed it most. Finally, I thank my parents and family for their help and patience throughout this process. IV Table of Contents Page Abstract ...................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements .................................................................................. iii Table of Contents . !...................................................................................iv Chapter 1. Introduction..................................................................................................1 Chapter 2. A Social History of the Cape Breton Fiddle Tradition..........................21 Chapter 3. Cape Breton Fiddlers and Recent Decades of Change .......................... 80 Chapter 4. Cape Breton Fiddlers and Their Influences .......................................... 150 Chapter 5. The Economics and Business of Cape Breton Fiddling and the State of the Art Form.............................................................. 200 Chapter 6. Conclusion.............................................................................................. 228 Works Cited ............................................................................................250 Appendix 1 : Survey on Cape Breton Fiddling ......................................................... 261 Appendix 2: “Tamerack’er Down Reel” ...................................................................266 Certificate of Ethical Acceptability...................................................... 267 Chapter 1: Introduction When I was seven years old, back in 1981, two of my first memories of the Cape Breton fiddle were planted in my mind. They remain there today, fixed, possibly only important to me; and whenever conjured up, bring forth a sense of pride, tradition, and responsibility. These memories, though slightly faded like an old tune manuscript, remain cherished more than twenty years later. They are of my grandfather, Donald Angus Beaton, who, by this time, had lived, breathed, and exuded a tradition that he and my family were now beginning to offer to me. Just as 1 fondly remember learning Gaelic words from my father at the age of four, the image of receiving my first fiddle from Donald Angus at the age of seven remains embedded in my psyche as well. Although I was too young to know the history behind such a gift (and I mean more than just the instrument itself), I still recall the warmth in the room at this particular family gathering at my grandfather’s house as I received this fiddle. The instrument itself was not an expensive piece of handcrafted glory. It was, though, a fine half-sized learner’s fiddle, carefully “set up” by Donald Angus for his grandson, who he hoped, and must have “felt,” would carry on the traditional Cape Breton fiddle style that he held so dearly. I also remember him playing only once—and I believe it was that evening—but it was enough to implant a sense of curiosity and musical enjoyment that would foster musical growth within me in later years. Other musical awakenings still come to mind: “Picking” at “Lord Lovat’s Lament” and the “Black Hoe Jig” at an early age, gathering with my cousins to learn our first tunes from our uncle Kirmon Beaton, and playing those tunes at our first public performances in Glendale and Mabou, Cape Breton. There were also low musical points: the frustration of “perfecting” early tunes and a lull of virtually no playing while I concerned myself with other childhood preoccupations such as baseball and hockey. Tradition though, living a tradition, as many in Cape Breton would describe the notion, most often beckons and burns within the heart. That is why, at the age of fifteen, I rediscovered what my grandfather, grandmother, other relatives, and most importantly parents had probably hoped and known would be a part of me. During that spring, I began listening to old “home made” recordings of music played by members of the Beaton Family: Donald Angus, Kirmon, my grandmother Elizabeth, and uncle Joey. At this point of musical exposure, I began to learn the special sounds and rhythms that made this music and culture so rich. I then knew why my mother played those tapes over and over again (probably hoping a musical osmosis would take place between those recordings and her children). I finally realized why my parents were so eager to share and teach, but not force this musical tradition upon me. It was for me to discover and for my forbears to reveal and guide me through. During these earlier teen years I began to discover and understand that there was something different about this music that set it apart from any other. It was more than just musical notes taken from a notated page, played on the violin. It was quite structured and complicated, played in a way that spoke about the oral Gaelic culture from which it emerged. As Rev. Flugh A. MacDonald has noted, “Cape Breton fiddle music . reflects the zest and vitality of the life of the Scottish pioneer. And the pioneer was able, noble, robust, humorous, strong, ingenious, and at times, steeped in sentiment” (H.A.MacDonald). Having gained experience in playing, listening to, and analyzing this music, I can appreciate his comments because the way that this type of music has been and continues to be played, is noticeably different, when contrasted stylistically with all other types of music (fiddle and other kinds). This thesis attempts to address this living tradition that I have just discussed. In this