This month we return to the fiddle as the Tune of the Month features Rev. John MacPhail. A native of St. Andrew’s, his first fiddle teacher was his father, Roderick. His passion for music led him to form several groups, namely a band composed of his family members and, later on, the St. Finnan’s Orchestra. […]

This month, the Archival Tune features Johnny Forrest on the accordion. These tunes were recorded at a concert in Cornwall, but the year is not known. Johnny Forrest was a regular performer on Don Messer’s jubilee in the 1960s. Born in Carluke, Scotland (north of Glasgow) in 1936, he immigrated to Canada in 1956 on […]

This month the Archival Tune is a few samples of Gaelic songs sung by Duncan Angus McRae of St. Raphael’s. Someone states at the beginning of the tape that these were recorded in 1915 for John McMartin, who was one of the owners of the Hollinger Gold Mines. No more than two-dozen of these recordings […]

We’ll finish the “Little” Jack MacDonald series of posts with Winston Scotty Fitzgerald’s recollections of MacDonald in Cape Breton Magazine, volume 46. Fitzgerald was visiting Buddy MacMaster in Cape Breton, and after a late night he was awoken by a visit from MacDonald. Here’s what he says: “We got to bed – I don’t know […]

For the second archival tune of the month, we’ll keep focusing on “Little” Jack MacDonald, this time exploring his playing style in more depth. Donaldson MacLeod quotes “Little” Jack MacDonald expert Bernie MacNeil of Michigan as saying that MacDonald’s “first and greatest love was Highland Music and it was in this traditional art his playing […]

What better way to start the Archival Tune of the Month series than with a “Little” Jack MacDonald recording? This one was recorded on August 9th, 1957 at the home of Walter MacCuaig with Viola MacCuaig (of Dalhousie) providing accompaniment on the piano. “Little” Jack MacDonald plays a set of the following three tunes: Johnny […]