Page 69 - A Visit With Gertie Boutilier Turnbull

ISSUE : Issue 50

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1989/1/1

And Albert never thought of promising the other people. So Albert called up his sis? ter and he said, "Lily, will you go down? I promised.... And in the meantime, we're going somewhere else." And Lil said--his sister that plays the violin--"! don't know who I'd get." And Albert said, "Take Beattie." And Beattie went on and played to a dance. And she was only about 9 or 10 years old. And his sister (Lil) played the violin for the dance that was down there, rather than disappoint the people. (Beat- tie) was only a little thing like that, and she went down and she played with them. She didn't mind. She's been playing ever since. Till she died, I guess. And Bud (Gertie's son--Gary's father) was the same way. Bud was a good player, too, violin player. Oh, was he ever. He played in decisions. Yes, he was a wonderful. And saxophone player. Trumpet. In fact, it's all in our breed, like. Don't you think so? (Well, I often think that's the case, yes.) I think so, yes. (So now, Beattie played for her father first. And then, who else would she play with?) All the violin players in Sydney all know her. Anyone you'd ask, they would tell you. Johnny Wilmot. And little Tena Campbell (now deceased). One time Beattie went away with Tena up to Nova Scotia. And she used to be on (radio) Saturday night with Beattie. Beattie'd be at the piano, and (Tena'd) be with the vi? olin playing on a Saturday night. Remember the racket years ago? (Was that the radio program "The Cotter's Saturday Night"?) That was it. And then after Tena died she fell in with- Scotty Fitzgerald. (I guess that's when they used to play at the Venetian Gar? dens .) Yes. Venetian Gardens, yes. She played down there with Professor MacDo? nald. Remember him from North Sydney? She played with him. And then she played with Scotty Fitzgerald down there. And Johnny Wilmot, and--there's other fellows, now. But all the violin players in Sydney, Beattie played with. And everyone knew her. I guess when she died that time, the day of the funeral, I guess all the fid? dlers in Cape Breton Island were there. (She must have died very young.) Sixty- three. She took a heart attack. And that's what happened to her. Quite a story, wasn't it? She was born in Amherst. But she used to say she was a Cape Bretoner. She wouldn't listen to me when I told her she was born in Amherst, Nova Scotia. She said, no, she was born in Cape Breton. But anyway, that's it. La Fleur du Rosier Acadian folksongs collected by Dr. Helen Creighton Includes musical notation for each song and English translations of all lyrics. Introduction by Dr. Ronald Labelle, Universite de Moncton. '' hi J me toil iMi ?? I h ' ' j 'm * lone ?? temps que je t'li-me j* - meii ]e?' t'oa - Uie - rai. La Fleur du Rosier is available in local retail stores or trom: University College of Cape Breton Press P.O. Box 5300 Sydney, Nova Scotia B1P 6L2 Tel. (902) 539-5300 Ext. 146 Hard Cover: $39.95 Soft Cover: $24.95 USE OUR CONVENIENT LAYAWAY PLAN WooIco will meet any local competitor's advertised prices* CAPE BRETON SHOPPING PLAZA - SYDNEY RIVER MAYFLOWER MALL - GRAND LAKE ROAD - SYDNEY PORT HAWKESBURY SHOPPING CENTRE 'OTHERS SAY TT... WOOLCO GUARANTEES IT! Just bring In any Competitor's cun-ent Ad.. K our price on tlie identical item isnt already as low, or lower than their advertised price we will immediately meet their price! We exclude gimmick promotions (Scratch & Save), & entire Department, entire Store percentage otf Promotions. We reserve the right to limit quantities.

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