Annotation:Father Francis Cameron
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FATHER FRANCIS CAMERON. Canadian, Reel. Canada; Cape Breton, Prince Edward Island. A Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The composition has been credited to Nova Scotia musician John Allen Cameron, although it is usually attributed to Cape Breton fiddler John Campbell (b. 1929, Mabou, Cape Breton). Father Francis Cameron is a priest in Mabou parish, who also played the fiddle (and is still musically active into the 2nd decade of the 21st century). He was (along with Campbell's father) a mentor of sorts to the young fiddler. The tune was named in his honor after the sharp-eared cleric heard Campbell play it at a dance and, recognizing it as a new composition, remarked about it.
Source for notated version: Hughie MacPhee (b. 1924, Elmira, North-East Kings County, Prince Edward Island) [Perlman].
Printed sources: Perlman (The Fiddle Music of Prince Edward Island), 1996; p. 88. Songer (Portland Collection, vol. 2), 2005; p. 60.
Recorded sources: Culburnie Records CUL102c, Alasdair Fraser & Jody Stecher - "The Driven Bow" (1988). Green Linnet SIF 1075, Eileen Ivers - "John Whelan & Eileen Ivers: Fresh Takes" (1987. Learned from Mark Simos). Green Linnet SIF 1101, Eileen Ivers - "Playing with Fire: The Celtic Fiddle Connection" (1989).
See also listing at:
Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recording Index [1]
Jane Keefer's Folk Music: An Index to Recorded Sources [2]
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