Cape Breton Fiddle : Angus Chisholm

Angus Chisholm was born in Margaree Forks, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia in 1908. He died in the United States in 1979 and was laid to rest in his native Margaree. His early recordings have now been released on tape.
The tunes are Glengarry's Dirk/Bonnie Lass of Fisherow/The Bird's Nest

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Cape
• Breton
• Fiddle
• Angus
• Chisholm
• Scottish
• Folk
• Gaelic
• Celtique
• Fidil
• Fidheal

[Builder99]

Part 5 Yes he was a superstar long before they came up with that word...I Loved Angus and he was good to me so many years ago now...God rest his soul...Hell now I'm just as fat as he was then...ha...Oh to sit next to him and listen to him play one more time would be great...He had a great fiddle, great sound and tone...I wondered who ever got it now ??...Lansing Small

[UISTMAN59]

Hi Lansing

Thanks very nuch for a very interesting response and great anecdotes on Angus.

[mactcampbell]

Angus was a personal acquaintance of mine. I remember him playing for my paternal grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary in Newfoundland. He had soft fingers and a teriffic bow hand. This recording was done on primative equipment and probably was unrehearsed and unedited but it still sounds pretty good.

[UISTMAN59]

Thanks for your comment Mac. I have heard Buddy McMaster play Glengarry's Dirk but this was the first version ever heard of it. I think it is hard to beat.

[moc041]

Thank you.

[irishviolinmaker]

He had a beautful tone, bounce and drive - he had it all!! Superb music. Thanks for sharing this.Lovely pic of the covershot - reminds me of a place I know.

[veneerofear]

This is my great Uncle! so wonderful to hear at this point in my life; when I can appreciate it.

[Hyphenate001]

So many times when I was young, I heard all about artists like Angus Chisholm, John Allan Cameron and Buddy MacMaster playing at the Canadian American Club in Watertown from my dad and mom, who was born in Long Point, Cape Breton. It took me a lot of years to appreciate it all. I would love to go down East again--I hope I can go soon.

[robsargent4]

Fantastic!

[MrTallfiddle]

My favorite fiddle medley of all time..I still play it . Did so today while out busking [in Vancouver] ...not many people "get it", unlike the "King George Medley" which is really "catchy" even if you didn't grow up in the culture. Nevertheless I keep playing it, it's so good, so full of soul and it reminds me of where I came from..not Cape Breton, but small town and rural Canada...the Cape Breton music is one of the strongest things keeping that sensibility alive now...

[Builder99]

Part 4 My Uncle John Small made him a sound system that was around 1951-52 and he was testing it at our house on Alexandre St....Well one speaker was set out on the front step and another was in the livingroom ...Angus started to play...In minutes my Uncle went to hear how it sounded and did he get a shock as a large crowd were gathered at the front of the house listening...Well that made Angus some happy...

[Builder99]

Part 3 He recorded tunes on old 78's back in 1939...Yes it was A big deal back then...Boy he was just the best...So many times my Dad Alex Small(who was a expert on that stuff,had an ear for the music) would say that...