Rev. Bruce Ross
From Glengarryceltic
There was music in the genes of both of my parents, Hazel Cooper and Dad. But at my grandparents' place there were instruments galore: an organ in the parlour, a banjo, mouth organs, fiddles, jew harps, a bugle, guitar, and a mandolin. Most of my numerous uncles could play something and most could play the fiddle. My mother played the piano and was a respectable singer.
I first started on the old guitar -playing Wilf Carter stuff, like The Capture of Albert Johnson. This song just blew me away. I'd use a kitchen knife handle on the strings of this Hawaiian instrument as I played it in the far reaches of the yard. One uncle would "play me a little ditty" before bedtime.
My dad would have old time music on the radio when he got up on a work day and I'd hear such performers as "George Wade and his Corn Huskers" and Isidore Soucy, a great Quebec fiddler whose playing gave me a great love for French Fiddling which is still very much with me.
As was the case in thousands of Canadian homes years ago, we were faithful fans of Don Messer from whom we learned many tunes. Speaking of learning tunes, neither Dad nor I could read music, so we picked them up by ear. Often we could hear new tunes at a square dance and play them reasonably well when we got home. Many fiddlers in those days were "non-readers".
We moved from Ottawa to Lancaster in '38, where -thanks be to God- we became exposed to Celtic music. What a great move to Glengarry!
In public school we had Red Cross meetings every Friday afternoon. We had to perform in some way at these events and in order to avoid giving a speech I'd play my fiddle. Dad was my teacher, showing me how to hold the instrument, press the fingers firmly on the strings and so on. We had a musical stunt whereby we'd hold our own fiddle to the other's chin and finger our own fiddle while bowing the other's. We could crank out a pretty decent sound until we'd start laughing because of the ridiculousness of this practice until we couldn't play. We had a great time. One thing about learning by ear is you never had to be told to go and practise your lessons, because you didn't really have any lessons per se. I was more often told to go "put that thing away" and do my homework.
One day, Cliff Britton came along with a 78' record I just had to hear. It was my first exposure to Cape Breton fiddling -by the likes of Angus Chisholm, Little Jack MacDonald, A.A. Gillis, Dan J. Campbell and Dan R. MacDonald, to name a few. It was fantastic; I was immediately converted. From then on, Ostrom's drug store in Alexandria was the place to go to buy this music for a buck a record. You could go into a sound-proof booth, pull the record out of its paper envelope, and test it. If you liked it you bought it, and if you didn't you put it back in its envelope and went on your way. These records were scarce, so we appreciated Ostrom's. I can't describe the magic of listening to these tunes in those days. I am indebted to the late Cliff Britton for teaching me a number of things. I recall asking him how you know what key you're playing in. He said a tune usually ends on the key it's played in. What a breakthrough for me!
Another great experience as a teenager was to have Mary Frances MacPhee as one's accompanist on the piano. It's a great privilege now to have her daughter, Catherine Olive DeFreitas as our accompanist.
Father MacPhail was a great encourager for us fiddlers. I loved it when he'd phone inviting me to play at the concerts in Alexander Hall in Alexandria.
Then there were the house parties at the homes of Martin and Olive Ferguson and Clarence and Edna MacMillan. These were friends of my parents -and my new wife, Helen Edgar, and I got in on these fun times as well. I learned Big John MacNeil and Timour the Tartar from Martin. The MacMillans taught us Scottish dances and some tunes.
I learned to read music by osmosis, and getting the notes to "Soldier's Joy". I had played it for years, so I thought I'd see what it looked like on paper. It helped.
In 1977, Allan MacPhail called on Helen and I in Beaconsfield Quebec to discuss the feasibility of starting a Scottish fiddling group. We felt that too much was left to happenstance when Glengarry fiddlers were invited to play at socials, etc. We'd gather haphazardly at these events and on the way to the stage we'd still be wondering what to play. Well it usually amounted to playing something that didn't require any preparation, and that meant playing lowest common denominator tunes. Allan and some of us felt that Celtic music deserved much better than this.
Thus was born the Glengarry Strathspey and Reel Society. What a privilege it has been for me to have been part of this super group of people for 27 years and counting. I'm so pleased to see such a large crop of younger Glengarrians carrying on this marvelous Celtic music tradition. It's a great blessing from God.
Rev. E. Bruce Ross, September 29th, 2004.
Compositions
Bruce gradually unravelled the mysteries of reading and writing music and this opened up a whole new world to him. He is a very active player, always trying new tunes and techniques and is noted for his large repertoire. His favourite tunes include Mrs. Ranald MacDonald, Lady Charlotte Campbell, Jenny Dang the Weaver and Peter Bailie.
Beaconsfield United Church 20th Anniversary and Salute to Cardinal and Johnstown United Churches are named after two of his previous charges.
Helen Ross’s Birthday is named for his wife; Joshua David Ross and Christopher Ross’s Jig are named after their first two grandsons.
The Lawson Gathering recalls an early meeting of the Glengarry Strathspey and Reel Society at the home of Lorne and Sandra Lawson.
Memories of "Fr. John D. MacPhail honours the memory of a fellow fiddling clergyman of Glengarry.
