Since October 2019, I have been working for the Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network on a Canadian Heritage-funded called "A Different Tune: Musical Heritage in English-Speaking Quebec." It's a survey of the diverse grassroots musical cultures across Quebec's English-speaking communities, both rural and urban. This past March, I was en route to Shigawake and Gaspé when … Continue reading The Shigawake Fair Presents: Thirsty Thursdays 2020 (Facebook Edition)
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Leo Fitzpatrick and Leo Bernier – “Sweet Marie” (March 27, 1959)
As some of you know, this blog is a result of my PhD research with music and home recordings made around Gaspé. I'm now working on my written dissertation and as I do so, I would like to share with you some of the recordings that comes up as I write in the next few … Continue reading Leo Fitzpatrick and Leo Bernier – “Sweet Marie” (March 27, 1959)
The Douglastown Detour – Available for Download Today
At long last, the day has arrived. The Douglastown Detour app for Apple and Android phones is now available for download. This is a self-guided audio walking tour of the Douglastown village core (from the present-day community centre down to the tracks on the beach and all important sites and places between - e.g. the … Continue reading The Douglastown Detour – Available for Download Today
Sneak Preview of the Douglastown Detour – Thursday, July 26 (3-4 pm)
It's been a quiet couple months here but I'm very excited to announce that an audio project I've been involved in for the past two years is just about ready for the public. Join Kathy Kennedy and I at the Douglastown Community Centre tomorrow (Thursday, July 26, from 3 to 4 pm) as we unveil … Continue reading Sneak Preview of the Douglastown Detour – Thursday, July 26 (3-4 pm)
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)
Paper Mill – The Gaspé Project
SPEC columnist Thierry Haroun has released another music video as part of his Gaspé Project music group. This time we have his song that he dedicated to the men and women who worked at Chandler's Gaspesia Paper Mill which was closed in 1999. Thierry had moved to the Coast shortly before the mill closed and … Continue reading Paper Mill – The Gaspé Project
Watch The Gaspe Project’s CD launch live online tonight
Thierry Haroun sent me this link for anyone wishing to live stream the video footage from tonight's CD launch party at the Frontibus bistro in Gaspe. They'll be on around 9:45 pm. Click the link around then to watch. http://livestream.com/accounts/6944075/events/6520447
How To Chord For Fiddlers – With Brigid Drody
One of the aims of this project is to provide aspiring musicians in the community with resources to develop their playing or singing. There's a lot of practical knowledge about playing music among the wider Gaspesian community at home and away. The archives can, in a small way, help convey this know-how. In a region … Continue reading How To Chord For Fiddlers – With Brigid Drody
