Today, I'd like to share a lovely but somewhat unusual item from our archives, a tape I found in the late Willie Methot's collection, courtesy of his wife Myrna. It features a 1989 broadcast on Radio-Gaspésie hosted by Chester Cotton (from the station's former "English Hour" program), CBC Radio's Louise Penney (now a world-renowned mystery … Continue reading April 15, 1989: “Community Radio Awareness Day” on Radio-Gaspésie
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Songs of Wilbert Coffin – Article in Canadian Folk Music
Dear readers, It's been a while! I'm deep in the writing phase of my PhD dissertation on music, media, and memory in the English-speaking communities of the eastern Gaspé. This—along with car troubles and extensive travelling since last May—is largely why things have been so silent lately. A while back, some of you will remember I … Continue reading Songs of Wilbert Coffin – Article in Canadian Folk Music
Gérard Durette at the Wakeham-York Homecoming Fiddle Contest
... perhaps the most significant phenomenon in the English-speaking community was the 10-day Wakeham-York Homecoming Festival which ran for 25 years starting in 1978. I'll say more about the festival in future posts but for now, I want to note that it has been both interesting but also very complicated trying to write about something I never experienced myself (I began coming to Gaspé about six years after the festival folded). Still, many people talk about the festival and I want to give it its due when I write about it. I'll return to this topic at the end of the post.
“It’s a Long Way to Tipperary” – St. Patrick’s Day With Leo Fitzpatrick (1981 & 2007)
Happy St. Patrick's Day dear readers, As much as this is a day for celebration for many in Gaspé and beyond, today I would like to pay a little homage to one of the longest supporters of Irish culture around Gaspé, Leo Fitzpatrick, who passed away last month. I'll try not to make this too … Continue reading “It’s a Long Way to Tipperary” – St. Patrick’s Day With Leo Fitzpatrick (1981 & 2007)
Snow Flurries – A Keith Chicoyne Original
About a month ago I left Gaspé and headed back to St. John's, Newfoundland where I'm finishing my PhD at Memorial. As much as I'm enjoying the special holiday atmosphere here, with plenty of local traditions, visits, potlucks, and music, I can't help but miss Gaspé and the people with whom I developed close friendships … Continue reading Snow Flurries – A Keith Chicoyne Original
Uncle Norman’s Folly – A Keith Chicoyne Original Song
While much of Gaspé's population is in the woods this week moose hunting, I spent this rainy Tuesday catching up on tapes I'd been meaning to transfer to the computer for awhile. Several Barachois residents have recently loaned me tapes of the late Keith Chicoyne who passed away last December and I decided to spend the … Continue reading Uncle Norman’s Folly – A Keith Chicoyne Original Song
Old Songs From MaryEllen
Here's a lovely recording that I digitized last year from one of Joseph Drody's tapes, labelled simply, "Old Songs From MaryEllen." It features Joseph's sister MaryEllen Drody-Savidant singing a selection of of old folk, country, and sentimental songs as well as picking a few lively fiddle tunes on the mandolin. MaryEllen is joined by her daughter Debbie … Continue reading Old Songs From MaryEllen
Erskine and Brian Morris – 1985 Cambridge Tape
Back in 2010, Brian Morris and I started a project documenting the fiddle music of his father, the late Erskine Morris (1913-1997) from Douglastown. Erskine's music was my introduction to Gaspesian culture and has been my main source of musical inspiration for the past six years. Since we began working together, Brian has transferred about … Continue reading Erskine and Brian Morris – 1985 Cambridge Tape
Gaspesian Community Sound 