I arose at 9h and, as so often after a bad storm has passed through, to a gorgeous, sunny, bright, blue sky day with mild temperatures around +15 (upper 50’s to lower 60’s). I had breakfast at the Évangéline, which was full up, so the service was not the fastest, but the food was excellent. It was that once-a-year kind of day that is so perfect day for photography, clear with pellucid air, so I decided to spend it adding to my photo collection. I drove out the chemin Damase to the Chéticamp Back Road, stopping for the glorious views of the Cape Breton Highlands inland of the Chéticamp littoral, and continued on to Petit-Étang and into the Cape Breton Highlands National Park to the look-off above le Buttereau, where I turned around. Stopping for photos all along the way, I drove back to the Chéticamp Back Road and turned onto chemin Cormier and then onto Mountain Road and then took chemin LeFort back to the Chéticamp Back Road and out to the Cabot Trail. I stopped in Point Cross for photos of Squirrel Mountain and detoured out le chemin du Lac for photos of the lakes there; I stopped again in Grand-Étang for photos of the inlet, the harbour, and the highlands. It was one marvellous day! I continued on the Cabot Trail through Cap-le-Moine and Belle-Côte and stopped once again for photos of East Margaree from the Cabot Trail across the Margaree River—the traffic was light enough I was able to stop there without risking an accident. I then headed for Northeast Margaree, stopping again for photos of Philips Mountain and the beautiful colours, very close to peak in the Margarees, along the Cabot Trail there. I stopped off for a salad and a sandwich at the Dancing Goat and took half the sandwich with me for tonight and took advantage of the wi-fi to post the following:
My apologies for the photo bombing today, but it’s such a gorgeous day in such a stunning place at such a marvellous time of year I just couldn’t help myself. I hope at least some of you enjoyed the scenes I've seen this incredible day!
la montagne Noire (Black Mountain) is just right of centre.
Taken from the chemin Damase on the hill just west of the Chéticamp Back Road.
Taken from the chemin Damase on the hill just west of the Chéticamp Back Road.
from the chemin Damase on the hill just west of the Chéticamp Back Road
Buttereau
from the look-off on the Cabot Trail just north of le Buttereau
from the look-off on the Cabot Trail just north of le Buttereau
from the parking area at the start of le Buttereau Trail across the road
from the parking area at the start of le Buttereau Trail across the road
seen from the parking area at the start of le Buttereau Trail across the road from the grande Falaise (Great Cliff)
Island,
from Mountain Road in Chéticamp
this tree was beside le grand Lac (Big Lake) on the chemin du Lac
from the junction of the Cabot Trail and the Old Cabot Trail in Grand-Étang
le Centre-de-la-mi-Carême at the centre left, from the Old Cabot Trail in Grand-Étang
to la grande Falaise (Great Cliff) at the right, from the Cabot Trail in Grand-Étang
l’Église-St-Michel is at the left
where the colours are brighter than any I've seen elsewhere;
the peak of colours in the Margarees may well be this week!
When I came out, it had mostly clouded over with wispy white clouds and a bit of haze; I would have gone to Portree anyway, but had run out of time. I found the colours in Middle River still early, just as they were north of Margaree Harbour. I took the Yankee Line Road in Middle River to the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 105) and it to the motel in Whycocomagh, where I arrived too late to make the fish chowder community supper in West Bay Road, which I had hoped to attend. After getting changed into evening clothes, I drove off to Glendale for the Celtic Colours concert there tonight and worked on today’s notes in the car until it was time to go in.
Emceed by Edna MacDonald, Cèilidh anns a’Bhraigh: Cèilidh in the Glen began with the husband/wife duo now based in the Scottish Highlands, Brian Ó hEadhra ([ˈbri.ən.o.ˈhɛ.rə]) and Fiona Mackenzie; in Cape Breton, Brian is probably best known for his 2004 Celtic Colours collaboration with Goiridh Dòmhnullach (Jeff MacDonald) that resulted in the lovely Tàladh na Beinne Guirme (The Blue Mountain’s Lullaby). Both proved to have fine singing voices that melded in beautiful harmonies. The first selection was the Newfoundland song, Walk My Love, in English, during which Brian accompanied on guitar. Next was a modern-composed song and an old waulking song, in Gaelic. It was followed by a Gaelic incantation against “beasties”, which was in turn followed by a song in Gaelic Fiona wrote fifteen years ago that sounded to my ears very modern and non-traditional. Their final number was a rendition of Tàladh na Beinne Guirme in which Brian sang the lead and Fiona joined in on the choruses and provided backing vocals on the verses. They were followed by Rachel Davis on fiddle and Tracey Dares-MacNeil on real piano. Rachel first gave us a set of fine jigs and then Nathaniel Gow’s Coilsfield House, a slow air lush and rich and expressive in her playing, with strathspeys and reels afterwards; the piano accompaniment was superb and perfectly matched. Her third selection was a Gaelic milling song Rachel learned at university, on the choruses of which she was joined by two of Tracey’s daughters.¹ Rachel and Tracey then played a fine march/strathspeys/reels set and then for Stephen MacLennan to step dance—needless to say, he turned in his usual amazing fiery performance.
After the break and its associated business, Tracey’s five daughters, with Tracey accompanying on piano unless otherwise noted, gave us four selections: a song whose title I heard as [i.ə.kəˈni.ən] and have no idea how it might be spelled; an a cappella version of a setting of the Gaelic version of Our Father Goiridh found; a fiddle number with dual fiddles and guitar; and their father’s, Paul K MacNeil’s, Pumpkin Orange song in English, with piano and guitar accompaniment. At the end of their set, they got a standing ovation from the audience, who clearly enjoyed what they heard. They were followed by Fin Moore, Sarah Hoy, and Mike Vass. Fin kicked their set off on highland bagpipes with a quick blast of tunes (to which Edna, off stage, but visible from where I sat, step danced). Next, Fin on bellows pipes with Mike accompanying on guitar, played a set of Galician tunes, including two jigs, the first of which I have heard Carlos Núñez play. Continuing on bellows pipes, with Mike still on guitar, Fin began another set, which Sarah joined in media res. Fin, Sarah, and Mike then played a pipe march/strathspeys/reels set and followed it with a set of jigs. Finally, they played for a Scotch Four danced by three of the MacNeil sisters and Stephen. The finale began with the two oldest MacNeil sisters singing a puirt a beul which the other sisters joined midway through; Brian and Fiona sang a puirt a beul to which Stephen MacLennan step danced; Tracey, Fin, and Sarah and Mike on dual fiddles played for the two oldest sisters to step dance and then for Stephen and then for the two youngest sisters; the guitar-playing sister then step danced; and the two oldest sisters finished off on dual fiddles. Another standing ovation greeted the end of the concert. Homey and much more in the spirit of a parish concert than a Celtic Colours show, it was another great concert, very much to my taste, and one I thoroughly enjoyed.
After a good chat with friends including Tracey, I regained the car and drove back to Whycocomagh. Wendy MacIsaac was at the Red Shoe, but it was so late there was no point in driving to Mabou for fifteen minutes and then driving back to Whycocomagh, so I relaxed in my motel room, finished the sandwich from the Dancing Goat, and was in bed by 0h.
¹ One of the daughters was Jessie Helen; I regret that I did not get the names of the other four, thinking I could find them when I got home as I’m sure I have them written down somewhere. Unfortunately, I have so far been unable to do so.↩