Wilfred Gillis

From Glengarryceltic

Wilfred Gillis grew up at Arisaig, a small coastal community near Antigonish, Nova Scotia. A native Gaelic speaker, Wilfred comes from a long line of Scottish fiddlers.

He developed a distinctive style and was much in demand in Eastern Nova Scotia. In 1964 he moved to Ottawa to pursue a career with the Civil Service and became a noted artist in traditional music circles in Eastern Ontario and particularly in Glengarry County. Wilfred was married to the former Shirley Mowat who is now deceased.

Now retired, Wilfred finds time to adjudicate at fiddling contests and to entertain with his fiddle at a wide spectrum of events, especially with his friend, Gerry Pizzariello. Gerry is also from Nova Scotia and both perform with the world Famous Cape Breton Symphony.

Wilfred has composed many fine tunes but only one is included here. “Le reel du centenaire de St-Telesphore” was composed for the centennial of this community at the request of Mrs. Viola MacCuaig. It is deemed appropriate for inclusion here because St-Telesphore is in Quebec near the Glengarry border and Wilfred has been active in the Glengarry musical scene for some time.