Born on May 6th, 1937 in Monkland to Wilfred and Angeline (Quesnel) Leroux. Fred’s early life influences included his mother’s stories about her father, Peter Quesnel who played the violin. Encouraged by his family, he played the fiddle by ear and only later did he...
John Angus was born April 15, 1898 near Munroe’s Mills. Although there is nothing to indicate when he started playing the fiddle, there is a photo of him holding a mandolin while overseas during WWI; therefore, we can make the assumption that he started playing early...
Born in Maxville, in the heart of Glengarry, Carol has always been a proud and vocal supporter of the music and culture. When asked about her ability to play so many instruments, she replied, "Well, it's no big deal; I come from Glengarry where most everyone does...
Gerald McGillis began playing the fiddle on his 13th birthday and very quickly discovered his ability to learn any tune by ear after hearing it only a couple of times. Family folklore tells us that by the time his parents returned home from mass on that special day,...
Dr. Donaldson MacLeod can certainly be described as a "Jack of all trades" when referring to our Celtic heritage in general and Glengarry Celtic heritage in particular. Fluent in three languages, English, French and Gaelic, Donaldson, an engineer by profession, is...
Duncan, “the Farmer,” as he is now known in Glengarry was born and raised on the family farm in Glen Roy. He is the son of John Sander and Ella McDonald. His family was noted for its support of Celtic music and traditions. Duncan came from a musical family of...
James Stewart Nixon, born Oct. 19, 1931, was the son of Leslie and Margaret (Barton) Nixon. His musical ability stemmed from both sides of the family which included playing the piano, organ, accordion, guitar and fiddle. His grandfather (also James Nixon) would lilt...
Clifton Britton was born in Moose Creek on June 19, 1915 and raised on a farm four miles north of Avonmore in a settlement called Lodi. His parents were James Britton and Alberta Montgomery, both of whom played the violin. Cliff started playing the banjo first. He...
Neilie, born February 5, 1884 at North Lancaster, was the son of Austin R. McDonald and his wife Flora Campbell. He was widely known throughout the county for his entertainment; his musical ability contributed to the enjoyment of many at concerts, weddings, socials...
On March 13th, 1940, Glengarry’s Johnny Ranald MacDonald died from viral pneumonia at the age of 63. They say artists are born and not made; from all accounts, “Johnny Ranald” was one such man. A stationary engineer by trade, he is best remembered as an extraordinary...