Various Artists - The Heart Of Cape Breton: Fiddle Music Recorded Live Along The Ceilidh Trail - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Recorded in 1956 by Helen Creighton, this record captures the individualistic spirit of the island peoples of Nova Scotia. Though the majority of Nova Scotia's residents are of British descent (as is represented on this recording), many other ethnic groups also contribute to the thriving folk tradition of Nova Scotia that is captured on this recording From Acadian French and Scot-Irish populations to Micmac Indian tribe. The stunning vocals of these folk musicians are accompanied at times by fiddle, bag pipes, and occasional piano. Album Tracks 1. Jocky to the Fair 2. The Banks of Claudy 3. Mo Dhachaidh 4. Captain Conrod 5. New Year's and Children's Verse in German 6. The Welcome Table 7. Micmac Indian War Song 8. Acadian Lullaby 9. Matin Je Me Leve, Un 10. Chanson D'un Soldat 11. Acadian Dance Tune 12. Chin Music 13. Lord Gordon's Reel 14. Rafferty's Reel and Calls 15. Paddy in London 16. Old Tune Played on the Mouth Organ 17. Lady Gowrie 18. Moose and Bear Calls 19. Sally Around the Corner O / Rio Grande / Leave Her Johnny, Leave Her / Goodbye, Fare You Well / Hangman Johnny / Haul the Alabama Bowline (Medley) 20. Rain, Rain the Wind Does Blow 21. The False Knight Upon the Road 22. I'm Going to Get Married 23. The Red Mantle 24. His Jacket Was Blue 25. The Gay Spanish Maid

The musical traditions on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada, have been shaped by a combination of social and geographic factors-none more so than the arrival of pioneering Scottish Gaelic-speaking communities who, in the 19th century, fled crop failures to seek better lives on it's shores. While Scottish piping traditions were upheld and revered by the islanders, Gaelic singing was not embraced in the same way, with younger generations favoring modern music. The performers on this album were members of the last generation of Scots in Canada to hear and speak Gaelic from birth. They learned the songs from their parents and at milling frolics, where groups would prepare homespun woolen cloth accompanied by simple, beat-driven songs. A social and musical history of the island informs the liner notes, along with lyrics, musicological analysis, and histories of the songs. Album Tracks 1. H? Mo Leannan (Hey, My Darling) 2. Mo H-Ingheann Dhonn (My Brown-Haired Maiden) 3. La la L?, la Luadhadh (With Water, with Milling) 4. An Se?Ladair Curanta (The Steadfast Mariner) 5. N Uair Nighidh T? (When You Wash) 6. A' Challuinn (New Year's Day) 7. Gaol An T-Se?Ladair (The Sailor's Sweetheart) 8. Moladh Na Lanndaidh (In Praise of Islay) 9. 's A' Righinn Thu Dhe Shogh (Thou Art Princess of Cheer) 10. Mo Run, Mo Nighean Dhonn Bh?Idheach (My Love, My Pretty Brown-Haired Girl) 11. Lan I de Dh'ainneadh (She Is Full of Patience) 12. Flowers of the Forest 13. I'll Get a Soldier for a Shilling

Forrester's Cape Breton Scottish Dance Company is the performing group of the Forrester School of Celtic Dance established in 1965 under the direction of artistic director Eileen (Pottie) Forrester of Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. The dance company has been invited to represent Canada and their province at many international festivals. They have performed all over the world including Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia. One of the highlights was their participation in the World Folklore & Folk Game Festival in Taiwan in 1997 with 300,000 spectators and twenty other countries represented. Another festival that ranks among their favorites was Rhythms of the World at Epcot Centre, Walt Disney World, Florida, in which they represented Canada and performed in twenty-one shows at the America Gardens Theatre by the Shore. Forrester's musical ensemble consists of award-winning highland bagpipers, drummers, bodhrán players and fiddlers. They all work together to provide their audiences with a varied repertoire of Celtic music with a mix of both traditional and contemporary works of music and dance. Their mandate is to continue to share the Celtic culture of their ancestors with many diverse audiences locally, nationally and internationally. This is evident in the fact that the director has three daughters who perform Scottish dance, and Eileen herself was first introduced to this culture by her two older sisters.