Donald Pettigrew

From Glengarryceltic

Don Pettigrew was born in 1939 in Caister Centre near Niagara Falls, Ont. As a child, he enjoyed music and singing but did not have a fiddle although he often wished for one. When he reached his twenties, he had still not required an instrument and was under the impression that he was too old to learn to play. Finally, at the age of 26, he purchased a fiddle and bow and was determined to learn.

He took lessons from Gordon Allison and Eleanor Charlton of London, Ont. And Gerry Pizzariello of Ottawa at various times and became a fine old time fiddler. He gave a great deal of credit to James Nixon, a noted keyboard artist and fiddle accompanist of Vanleek Hill, for helping him achieve proper tempo. In turn, Don encourage and assisted James on the fiddle.

Don and his wife, Leila, had a family of six. At least two of them have shared their father’s musical interests. Dawn is a gifted piano accompanist and Ray began playing the fiddle at the age of 12. He learned from Don at first and then started classical training. He is also a fine fiddler.

As a young man, Don began a career with the Ontario Provincial Police and in 1981, he was transferred to Prescott where he heard about, contacted and eventually joined the Glengarry Strathspey and Reel Society. He appeared regularly with this group until he was transferred to Thunder bay.

Included here are just a few of his many fine waltzes:

“Leila’s Waltz” is named after his wife.

“The Riverside Waltz” was a tune he played at the campgrounds at Pembroke on the fiddle contest weekend and Jimmy Hickey, one of the primary organizers of the contest, suggested the name.

“Margaret Nixon’s Waltz” is named after James Nixon’s mother and was inspired by the sight of her dancing about the room as Don and James played.

“Forget Me Not” is a waltz named by a guitar player from Duluth, Minnesota.

Don had a heart transplant in 1991 and passed away on January 27th, 1999.