Cape Breton's Magazine

a violin player--they were all right, they didn't have to change the style of music. But over there, they had to go by military style, eh? They all went military. So that's what spoiled it. That's why they got rid of the Scotch music in Scotland. They had to come over here to find out, where the hell did it end at. But tljat' s why it ended over here. Lauchie Sumners: It's amazing, they come over to Cape Breton from Scotland to find their heritage. (Yes, but that's it. As I understand it, it was kept alive here.) Al? ex: Yeah, belonged here. That's how it came here. And when it came here, there was no such a thing as fighting between Scotland and England and France. There was no such a thing as bothering with playing for a march or anything like that. They enjoyed them? selves playing strathspeys and reels, like they did 300 years ago in Scotland. So (the I MuUins Mini-Mart ?? Gas Oil Diesel Propane Hardware Groceries ; Home Baking on Premises (Fresh Daily) Lunch Counter I Subs Sandwiches Burgers Pizza Ice Cream Bar I Sears Videos Postal Outlet Lottery Tickets ! Camping/Fishing Supplies Cappuccino Lobster (in Season) ! Summer Hours: 7 Days a Week • 6:30 AM to 10 PM ALBERT BRIDGE I Louisbourg Hwy, Route 22 • 562-1070 Mainetreet people left in Scotland) lost all of this at that time. We had it over here. And I'm the only one today living, that got a little of it. I haven't got it all, but I've got quite a bit. That's why they come over to hear me. (Your brother, was he the one who was full of tunes? Was he the main source of tunes for you?) Oh, yeah. My mother. My mother. She was full of them. (Now, who was your mother?) She was a MacMullin. Maclntyre and MacMullins. From Boisdale. And there's Danny Maclntyre, was a piper--that's her first cousin. I guess they were young girls, all they could hear was the pipes. There were a lot of pipers then. And they learned the times. My mother would jig the tine out the same as it would be on the pipes. So that'd kind of give me a lift when I'd be playing it. I'd know just how to go about it. "Like this, now, we'll play like this." Say, "Calum Crubach," eh. She'd say.... (Alex jigs the tune.) She'd jig it like the pipes. So I had no trouble to learn it, because she'd pret? ty near tell me the notes on it. (Where would your mother do this for you?) , Out in the kitchen. She'd be making bread ; or something, and she'd jig the tune. Ask ] me in Gaelic, "Try this one on the chant- er." And she'd jig the tune out. I'd have ' ' the chanter. She never lost a bit of house (work) by doing it. She'd be all the time jigging, you know. Some days I'd hear a tune. "What in the hell, that's a new one. I never heard that one before." She'd jig that five or six times, and I'd have it. I had a good ear for the tunes, eh? (Well, this is really what we mean by learning by ear.) Yeah. (And in your home.) ' 326 Charlotte Street 'Hf Home of Fine Furs and Leather ' = J.J. BARRINGTON ltd WHEEL ALIGNMENT & AUTO BODY LTD. Rl Collision Repairs & Painting Rl Frame Straightening [Tl Computer Wheel Balancing & Alignment rTl We stocl<: Bralces & Shocks for most cars [T| We now carry a Full Line of Tires 137 Kings Rd. SYDNEY, NS B1S2Z5 (AT THE TRACKS) FREE E/TIMATE; 564-8150 FAX 539-4501