Page 21 - "The Time We Had for One Another": The Curtis Family & Songs

ISSUE : Issue 55

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1990/8/1

him writing the songs in scribblers, "Now," he'd say, "Rosie, who's going to sing those songs when I'm gone? You fel? lows should learn those songs." So he really didn't want them to die with him. (At the same time, he was sometimes reluc? tant to share them....) Yes, but this was in his family. He didn't say this to anyone else. It was to one of us children he said it. (Till singer Dennis Ryan came along, he didn't really encourage anybody to learn them ) No. Not at all. Not at all. Un? less maybe he felt--maybe he enjoyed being the centre of attraction a little bit. (But also, the idea of someone changing it--you told me that he wouldn't have cared for that.) No, not at all. That's one thing he always--he always said that, you know. He was always afraid someone would change the words--which very often happens. And a lot of the songs that Daddy sang, I'm sure there are a lot of words that were put in. Probably he filled it in. I don't know. But there's words that don't fit, in a lot of cases.... But I asked him at one time if he would sing the first verse of each song in the songbooks so I'd put it on tape, so we wouldn't forget the tune of the song. With so many songs, through the years, and not singing them, not hearing them, after he was gone we could very easily forget the tunes. So that's why I suggested to him that he just sing the first verse of each_ song, in the books, on tape. Oh, I don't know what it is. Perhaps they just wanted to get the song but perhaps they didn't have that love that we have for a song. We loved songs.... I used to be in the choir one time, and Jimmy used to sing in that choir. Oh, I can remember Christmas night, him and an? other teacher sang. They sang the "Adeste Fideles"--it's a beautiful, beautiful Christmas carol. I thought it was the beautifulest thing I ever listened to. Oh, I love it. Don't you love music? (I love music. But you know, it's only as I grow older that it more and more touches my heart.) Yes. Now, I love, love, love. (Helen thumps the table.) Sometimes when I'm alone--I'm here alone in the night, and I'll kind of get a little--if I'm not knitting, or doing some kind of work like that.... I'll pick up one of those books, and I'll sing and sing and sing and--go over those songs. And you know, I don't do a bad job on it, for all! And I don't seem to get tired. But, I don't know how it is (Monica, if someone in your father's time, if they had taken a song and set it to a kind of faster or country beat....) Monica: Oh, it would be--oh, God, that would be the crime of the cen? tury. Or changed a line. You couldn't change a line. It was just so--it was like, oh, changing your religion or your politics, to change a song.... Helen: Oh, I feel horrid when I hear a song that's all mixed up. And Jimmy Cur? tis the same way. They'd be after him, and he was good to give his songs, you know--he liked to share them. And per? haps we'd go someplace and some of those young ones would be singing, and--whew! "Isn't that terrible," he said, "how they murdered that song?" Oh, you'd get disgusted. "I'd never give them a song again." When you hear your own song.... St. Ann's Contracting Renovations & Repairs • Additions "' "'' Painting • Roofing • Siding • Windows & Doors "If it's broken, we fix It!" R.R.A.P. GRANTS • Licensed • Insured • AU Work Guaranteed • • 929-2921 • Murdock Shaw (929-2770) R. R. 1, Englishtown BOC 1 HO Abie (929-2463) • John (929-2575) FREE ESTIMATES • NO JOB TOO BIG OR TOO SIVIALL It all comes togethei'-.at tiiiH'''''''''' Sydport coiiiifii||| PARC I NDUSTRlEL INDUSTRIAL PARK BATTERED WOMEN AND YOUR CHILDREN: If you need help, call 539-2945 TRANSITION HOUSE If you're looking for the Ideal spot to locate your business, you should know about the Sydport connection. Strategically iocated, Sydport Is accessible by road or by rail, by air and by sea, on transportation lines to everywhere. The Sydport connection offers: • serviced land available for lease or sale • buildings available for lease • year-round harbour access • 768 metres of useable wharf - water depth 6 m.-ll m. • new all-weather highway access to Trans Canada Highway • railway and common user sidings available • advantageous government assistance programs The choice is obvious. The Sydport connection. Sydport Industrial Park P.O. Box 154, Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada BIP 6H1 Tei: (902) 564-3636 1-800-565-9460 Fax: (902) 564'612 Operated by im ir Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation

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