Cape Breton's Magazine

from anywhere from Johnstown or the Strait down this way. But Inverness people came in then, and some of them got jobs in the pit, and Waterford, and they started their music. And that's Scotch music. That's how the Scotch (came into the music)--and it stayed. All those fellows were all pretty well washed up when those fellows came in. (Do you mean Henry and Joe and the Irish players were pretty well washed up when the Scottish players--) Yeah, when they came in. (When you were growing up, you weren't hearing very much Scottish fiddling?) Well, we heard it, but--like Joe Confiant and Henry Fortune, they played it the way that they played their own music. Joe was pret? ty good on the Scotch music. But Henry wasn't that good on Scotch music. He was good on set music, and that. Now, for step- dancing, Henry'd be no good at all. That's where the Scotch music came in. But he could play clogs and that, or Irish stuff for dancing. Well, the most they played was Irish music, But with Joe, he played both • (Paul: You play both, too.) Well, yeah. I know, when I went up to Toronto, I didn't play any more Irish tunes at all. Because I was playing the dances up there, and Scotch people didn't want to dance for them. Some? times you'd get away with one or two. But they all waited for one of the Scotch tunes. But it's the same yet. Scotch. You hear all Inverness players, all the time, right? The music that Henry Fortune and them played was before this stuff, here. (In the Northside?) Oh yeah, it was the Northside, and there was a fellow out at Low Point there, and there was a fellow up at Johnstown there. And they played the same type of music. (The Irish music?) Yeah. They were pretty well on their way out, anyway. All those outdoor picnics were slacking off and everything. Even the Scotch--now, you don't see too many pic? nics with them. They have those concerts now. There's no dancing. Only stepdancing and Highland dancing and that. Above: Henry Fortune and his wife Mary. Below: JoQ Confiant and Henry Fortune. It was later when I started playing. I did play with Joe, went out to a picnic. That was the first place I ever played with him. It was up at Frenchvale. Joe got me $5. He got $5 or $6 himself. I must have been a- bout 15. I wasn't very good to play. Then when I got good to play, or I got pretty good, or I thought I was good, or the peo? ple thought I was good--I was playing in Bbisdale Hall. So I thought I was doing great, you know. We were getting a good crowd and everything. An old fellow came (902) 539-0019 (902) 727-2403 The Cabinet Shop Kitchen Cabinets & Vanities Sales, Designs & Installation Mike Byrne Rear 199 Townsend Street Sydney, N. S. BIP 5E4 St. Peters Drug Store Ltd. Don Stone, Ph. C, Proprietor Open 6 Days a Week Mon. to Fri. open until 8 p.m. Sat. until 5 p.m. -535-2203 St. Peters. N.S. Phone (902) 794-7251 Cable BRENNANS Telex 019-35149 Night 6c Holiday 736-8479 794-3178 '';' Brennans ??SS&j; Travel Agency ' 'ssoc>*" 158 QUEEN STREET, NORTH SYDNEY STEAMSHIP -- AIRLINE • RAIL AND HOTEL ACCOMODATIONS HOBBY HUT The Knitting & Craft Shop 204 Coimiercial St., North Sydney, N. S. Tel. 794-7774 • Pure Wool & Synthetic Yams • Knitting Needles & Patterns • Crewel & Needlepoint Canvases • Artists' Supplies • Locally Made Ceramics & Gift Items (61)