‘Island Girls’ spark variety of memories
Have you ever thought, as you sat through a concert, that everyone else is enjoying the exact same thing you are?
My daughter was home from out west awhile back and we attended a Cape Breton Kitchen Party at the Highland Arts Theatre in Sydney.
I worried as she bawled her eyes out, since I thought it was amazing. Actually, she did too. Her reaction was much the same as I had, when I first heard Anne Murray sing, “Out on the Mira” or Lennie Gallant perform “Man of Steel,” when I lived out west.
You just never know how something will affect other people, with their life experiences and perspectives.
One March morning, I was knitting and listening to Coast Radio as they interviewed Jenn Sheppard and unveiled her new song, the beautiful “Cape Breton Shores.”
Imagine my delight when they offered free tickets to “Island Girls” at the Savoy Theatre — if you knew her co-writer. With my multitasking ears on, I’d heard it was Fred Lavery, so quick dialing fingers and listening paid off well that day. We loved “Island Girls.”
I hope you were able to see one of the shows during its Nova Scotia tour. If you did, then you too will know what “moose testicles and the Cabot Trail” have to do with anything. Let’s just say Bette MacDonald was part of it, and many of you will understand.
Four Cape Breton female artists who could and do “Fly(ing) on Your Own” performed songs and skits they wrote themselves, while also paying tribute to other island artists.
History and music made up this wonderfully entertaining and yet educational concert.
MacDonald’s adult and political comedy had the audience raising the roof with laughter. Even as a Mira girl, I had to laugh at her satirical “Out on the Mira.” Heather Rankin, with Gordie Sampson’s Emmyaward winning song, “Jesus Take the Wheel,” sent chills tingling up our spines. Lucy MacNeil’s thoughtprovoking song had us reconsidering our infamous insular attitudes with the words … “not everyone thinks like you … some don’t think at all.” Jenn Sheppard outdid herself and certainly shared her incredible talent with her new song and her acting.
I never cease to be amazed at the world-renowned performing artists and songwriters we’ve produced in Cape Breton. The band absolutely blew my mind. And when the end came, there was appropriately a funeral. Very colloquially done, I’m told, I admit I had to ask what “he was the salt of the Earth” meant.
The talented young MacArthur Dancers reminded me of my days as a dance mom. Their costumes were gorgeous.
Last time I had to make costumes, I was nine months pregnant and could barely reach the sewing machine. Back then Ray Magnussen in Winnipeg expected parental involvement. She acquired the materials and moms made the costumes. I don’t know that my daughter’s brand-new baby sister appreciated her big sis’ efforts or the eight ballet, jazz and tap costumes, everything from a mauve satin tutu, to an unbraided macramé cord grass skirt.
It certainly took longer to make the costumes than the amount of time they were worn, but the neighbourhood girls got hours of summertime fun playing dress-up.
The next dance recital for me will be enjoying my youngest granddaughter as she performs ballet this year in Edmonton. Unfortunately, she won’t get to see her Gramma line-dance, but she was pretty impressed when I shared. Maybe I can bust some moves when I visit.
As I reflected on my total lack of musical ability, I reflected on the one person I do know who was musical — my father-in-law. Seven years to the day and almost to the hour of my own father’s death, he passed away in British Columbia.
He probably never performed with the few local Glace Bay artists I know of like John Gracie, Matt Minglewood or Matt Earhart, but he enjoyed discussing Lee Cremo and Winston Scotty Fitzgerald with his son. He also bragged of jamming with Manitoba Metis artist Ray St. Germain in Winnipeg.
When he retired from Labatt’s Brewery, his retirement job became not only fixing fiddles and guitars, but also playing them at local seniors centres.
It would have cost thousands of dollars to ship his guitars and fiddles down to his “non-playing, only son.” But his ashes have arrived, so his heart may soon be in the highlands again. At 87, he had a “long run.” RIP Davie Carson
And that’s what I was thinking about, where my mind was wandering, as I enjoyed the “Island Girls” show. Lila Carson is a former elementary teacher who returned to Cape Breton. A course on the history of Cape Breton piqued her interest in learning about where she lived and sharing this knowledge with others. Comments or ideas for future columns can be emailed to lilacarson@hotmail.com.