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 Cope, Marquis of Huntly and Colonel McBain.
“Little” Jack MacDonald was born in 1887 in Creigneish, Cape Breton and raised in Judique. He played in Eastern Canada, Montreal and the United States (where he lived with his wife and children for a period of time) before settling in Glengarry County. He then lived in Windsor, Toronto, Dalhousie and finally Moore Township in Southwestern Ontario. He passed away August 8th, 1969 and is buried in Sarnia.
This recording was part of the collection of reel-to-reel tapes donated by Father MacPhail and can be found on Small Reel 17, Side 1.
Sheet Music
Colonel MacBean Johnny Cope Marquis of Huntly
(Thanks to Donaldson MacLeod and Donald Joseph MacPhee for background information).