Gillian Boucher is an Inverness County girl, the descendant of a long list of Scottish and Acadian ancestors, a fiddler and dancer raised in the cultural warmth of Broad Cove.
Bob McNeill is a singer-songwriter-guitarist whose Scottish roots run even deeper than Boucher’s. After all, he was born and raised there. They have been performing together in various parts of the world for a number of years after getting together in New Zealand.
Considering the connections, this may not be the most unusual place for a Scot and a Caper to meet.
After all, consider the history of Rev. Norman MacLeod and his band of Gaelic-speaking travellers who left Scotland’s Loch Broom area, settled around Cape Breton’s St. Anns Bay, and 40 years later boarded ship and sailed off to finally land near New Zealand’s Waipu River in 1853.
The journey of MacLeod and his followers provides the title song for the CD recently released by Boucher and McNeill, “Race for the Sun,” a nice 10-cut collection that highlights McNeill’s vocal and writing skills and Boucher’s knack with a fiddle and bow.
McNeill provides three of the four songs: “Steel & Silver” (a tragic ballad), “Fury” (the story of HMS Fury that wrecked on Somerset Island in Northern Canada) and the title cut. The other song, “Emily Bay” by Andrew London, tells the fate of a lad who ends up in the penal colony on Norfolk Island in the western pacific.
Boucher’s fiddle is featured on the remaining cuts, a combination that starts with the lively “A Trip to Durrow” and concludes with Neil Gow’s soulful “Lamentation” for James Moray of Abercaimey. In between you have great Scottish, Irish and Cape Breton tunes, some traditional and some from contemporary composers, including McNeill, who wrote the contemplative “Fat Girl’s Lament.”
Collective, this recording provides a lot of good listening, some old, some new, close to the floor and otherwise.
Even though Boucher and McNeill were here for the 2019 Celtic Colours, the CD will likely be hard to locate. You can probably get it online and perhaps it’s available in parts of Inverness County, but if you find it, grab it. I think you’ll enjoy it.
* * * * *
The Casino Nova Scotia Music Hall of Fame recognizes the contributions of East Coast musicians and industry movers and shakers who have had an impact on the development and promotion of Canada’s East Coast culture and music.
The inductee this year is Matt Minglewood, a veteran road-warrior for more than 50 years and a musician who has performed across North America and beyond.
Minglewood will be playing closer to home in the coming weeks with a performance as part of the Sam Moon Benefit on Feb. 2 and a show at the Membertou Trade & Convention Centre on Feb. 8.
* * * * *
The 15th edition of the Canadian Folk Music Awards takes place April 3-4 at the P.E.I. Convention Centre in Charlottetown.
Overall, the East Coast is well represented for the 19 awards by performers like Lennie Gallant, Dave Gunning, Shannon Quinn, Old Man Luedecke, Vishtèn, Jenn Grant, Matt Anderson, Richard Wood, Fortunate Ones, Irish Mythen, Nick Earle and more.
In addition, there are two nominees from Cape Breton — Rachel Davis (from Còig), nominated for traditional singer of the year, for her work on "Ashlar," and Mairi Rankin along with Eric Wright, up for instrumental group of the year for "The Cabin Sessions." Good luck to one and all.
* * * * *
The Cape Breton music scene has lost a number of talented performers lately.
Many knew Winnie MacDonald as the wife of the late Tokyo Lloyd MacDonald, well-known car dealer and musician, but she was known as a musician in her own right, playing piano and acting as church organist and choir director in several churches.
She was also a teacher, a homemaker and the mother of 12 children, offspring who mainly followed either cars or music as a career.
A gracious hostess and a wonderful conversationalist, she was someone who had an interest in everyone she met. Winnie MacDonald died recently after a brief illness. She will be missed by all who knew her.
Ciffie Carter was a good fiddler and a great guitarist, but he was not that well known outside of his home area of Richmond County.
However, if you were a guitar fan and heard him play, you knew the calibre of his talent. He was a superb soloist and an accompanist that made many fiddlers and singers sound so much better.
A very witty conversationalist with a humble approach to his musical abilities, Carter died last week after a short illness. He will be missed by many.
The Alexander Brothers would be a well-recognized name to people of a certain age.
Brothers Tom and Jack Alexander were veteran Scottish entertainers who started their professional career in 1958 and performed in Cape Breton a number of times over the years. Jack died in 2013 and it was announced last week that Tom Alexander had just passed away at the age of 85. It’s the end of an era.
And it’s hard to believe that it’s been 20 years since John Morris Rankin died so suddenly. A founding member of The Rankin Family (and The Rankin Family Band before that), John Morris was a wonderful pianist and fiddler, gifted with just the right touch to be a master of the “Mabou Coal Mines” or the Floyd Cramer style of playing.
Rankin toured the world and spent many years performing before large audiences, but he was most comfortable at home, playing for a dance in Glencoe or West Mabou. He may be gone and he is certainly missed but he’s not forgotten as so many of his great compositions are played by many across the Celtic world.
* * * * *
On Sunday, Sydney’s Old Triangle celebrates Robbie Burns. Hosted by local writer Paul MacDougall, the evening features a special menu, the toasting of the haggis and music by Colin Grant and Jason MacDonald.
Festivities start at 6 p.m.
And there are many upcoming events to help make the winter season move along.
The CBU Boardmore Theatre — currently running its 49th Season of Plays — features Sheldon Currie’s “Lauchie, Liza and Rory” tonight and Sunday; “Maritime Way of Life” (Feb. 11-16) and “The Neverending Story” (April 27-May 3).
Membertou Trade & Convention Centre has Matt Minglewood (Feb. 8), Membertou Classic Rock Series: Piano Rocks (Feb. 13) and Membertou Country Classics: Tribute to Garth Brooks & Dixie Chicks (March 6).
Sam Moon has recently been sidelined because of a hip replacement. Since he won’t be performing for the next while, many of his musical friends are getting together to put on a benefit on his behalf, taking place at Sydney’s Cedars Club, Sunday, Feb. 2 from 3-8 p.m.
Hosted by Bette MacDonald and Maynard Morrison the show features a great lineup of talent including Jinx O’Neil and Donnie Campbell, Ralph Dillon and Janet Bickerton, Duncan Wells, the Joey Bennett Band, the Blues Merchants, Parker MacNeil, Hubba Parris and The Moon Unit, the Matt Minglewood Band, and more. Now that sounds like a time.
Cape Breton Chorale has a fundraiser set for Feb. 8. The second annual A Night To Remember Valentine Gala and dance will be held at the Joan Harriss Cruise Pavilion’s Royal Cape Breton Room next to Flavor On The Water.
At the Savoy Theatre in Glace Bay, “The Real Housewives of Cape Breton” dinner theatre is on offer (starting Feb. 13), the Irish Rovers (March 8) and Cinderella (April 2-4). And at the Highland Arts Theatre in downtown Sydney, it’s “The Confidential Musical Theatre Project #12” (tonight), Derek Seguin: Live and Uncensored (Feb. 13) and Morro & Jasp: Save the Date (Feb. 18-23).
Dan MacDonald has been involved with the Cape Breton and East Coast music scene for almost 50 years. He can be reached at [email protected].
