Dan R. MacDonald
Encyclopedia
Dan Rory MacDonald was born February 2, 1911 in southwest Port Hood, at the home of Angus MacDonald (Angus the Carpenter). Raised in Judique, Inverness County on Cape Breton Island
, he was a composer of fiddle
tunes.
Usually known as "Dan R.", MacDonald took an early interest in music, encouraged by his fiddle-playing father. His father took him to the home of Hugh A. O’Hanley in Judique south in 1921, where Angus A. MacDougall and Allan MacDougall would go to play the fiddle. At this time MacDonald's interest in playing the violin took root. Hugh O'Hanley got a violin from his brother Allan O’Hanley, MacDonald's grandfather, in Port Hastings, for MacDonald to play. As the violin had no strings, Alexander MacDonnell strung the fiddle for MacDonald who then began learning to play. In 1930, MacDonald went to Glendale and learned to read music from John Willie MacEachern.
MacDonald made his first radio appearance in 1935 on station CJCB
in Sydney
. The next year he composed his first tune - a reel
called The Red Shoes. He made his first recording in 1939, including one of his own compositions called Lassies of Campbell Street. MacDonald enlisted in the army in 1940, and saw service in Britain, France
, Germany
, and Belgium
. While stationed at Abergeldie Castle
in Scotland
he played regularly on the BBC
. He also met J. Murdoch Henderson
, a Scottish composer and music critic who taught MacDonald. During his time in Scotland MacDonald composed Heather Hill.
After his discharge in 1946, MacDonald moved first briefly to Boston
, and then to Hamilton, Ontario
, before spending eleven years in Windsor
working in automotive plants. He became part of the group the Five MacDonald Fiddlers, organized by a fiddler named Johnnie Archie MacDonald. The group recorded two LP
s.
In 1957, MacDonald left Windsor and moved to the mining town of Elliot Lake. However, he soon had to give up his job due to failing eyesight, and he moved back to Nova Scotia in 1959. He first settled in Sydney, where he recorded four LPs for Rodeo Records. He spent his remaining years living in various parts of Cape Breton. During the 1970s, he became a regular performer on the CBC Television
program Ceilidh. MacDonald was a fluent speaker of Scottish Gaelic and was recorded, playing and discussing his music in his native language, for Scotland's BBC Radio nan Gàidheal
in 1972. He made his final public performance in July 1976 at a concert at Broad Cove. He died on September 20, 1976 at Inverness, Nova Scotia
.
MacDonald estimated in the early 1970s that he had written over two thousand tunes which other musicians have recorded. In addition to the ones already mentioned, MacDonald wrote Lime Hill, Tom Rae, The Boys of the Lake, The Trip to Windsor, and Reichwall Forest. Two published volumes of his compositions exist: The Heather Hill Collection and The Trip To Windsor Collection.
Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America. It likely corresponds to the word Breton, the French demonym for Brittany....
, he was a composer of fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
tunes.
Usually known as "Dan R.", MacDonald took an early interest in music, encouraged by his fiddle-playing father. His father took him to the home of Hugh A. O’Hanley in Judique south in 1921, where Angus A. MacDougall and Allan MacDougall would go to play the fiddle. At this time MacDonald's interest in playing the violin took root. Hugh O'Hanley got a violin from his brother Allan O’Hanley, MacDonald's grandfather, in Port Hastings, for MacDonald to play. As the violin had no strings, Alexander MacDonnell strung the fiddle for MacDonald who then began learning to play. In 1930, MacDonald went to Glendale and learned to read music from John Willie MacEachern.
MacDonald made his first radio appearance in 1935 on station CJCB
CJCB (AM)
CJCB is a Canadian radio station which broadcasts from Sydney, Nova Scotia on the AM dial at 1270 kHz with a power of 10,000 watts. The station is one of the oldest radio stations in the Atlantic Provinces, hitting the airwaves on February 14, 1929...
in Sydney
Sydney, Nova Scotia
Sydney is a Canadian urban community in the province of Nova Scotia. It is situated on the east coast of Cape Breton Island and is administratively part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality....
. The next year he composed his first tune - a reel
Reel (dance)
The reel is a folk dance type as well as the accompanying dance tune type. In Scottish country dancing, the reel is one of the four traditional dances, the others being the jig, the strathspey and the waltz, and is also the name of a dance figure ....
called The Red Shoes. He made his first recording in 1939, including one of his own compositions called Lassies of Campbell Street. MacDonald enlisted in the army in 1940, and saw service in Britain, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. While stationed at Abergeldie Castle
Abergeldie Castle
Abergeldie Castle is a four-storey tower house located near Crathie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is protected as a category A listed building.-History:...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
he played regularly on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
. He also met J. Murdoch Henderson
J. Murdoch Henderson
J. Murdoch Henderson was a Scottish fiddler, composer, and music critic.John Murdoch Henderson was born in New Deer, Scotland, and became a mathematics teacher in Aberdeen. A childhood accident hampered Henderson's playing, but he took an interest in the interpretation of fiddle music and...
, a Scottish composer and music critic who taught MacDonald. During his time in Scotland MacDonald composed Heather Hill.
After his discharge in 1946, MacDonald moved first briefly to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, and then to Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, before spending eleven years in Windsor
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
working in automotive plants. He became part of the group the Five MacDonald Fiddlers, organized by a fiddler named Johnnie Archie MacDonald. The group recorded two LP
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
s.
In 1957, MacDonald left Windsor and moved to the mining town of Elliot Lake. However, he soon had to give up his job due to failing eyesight, and he moved back to Nova Scotia in 1959. He first settled in Sydney, where he recorded four LPs for Rodeo Records. He spent his remaining years living in various parts of Cape Breton. During the 1970s, he became a regular performer on the CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
program Ceilidh. MacDonald was a fluent speaker of Scottish Gaelic and was recorded, playing and discussing his music in his native language, for Scotland's BBC Radio nan Gàidheal
BBC Radio nan Gàidheal
BBC Radio nan Gàidheal is a British radio station, broadcasting in Scottish Gaelic. It is operated by the BBC as part of its portfolio of television and radio services broadcasting to Scotland....
in 1972. He made his final public performance in July 1976 at a concert at Broad Cove. He died on September 20, 1976 at Inverness, Nova Scotia
Inverness, Nova Scotia
Inverness is a Canadian rural community in Inverness County, Nova Scotia. In 2001 its population was 2,496.Located on the west coast of Cape Breton Island fronting the Gulf of St...
.
MacDonald estimated in the early 1970s that he had written over two thousand tunes which other musicians have recorded. In addition to the ones already mentioned, MacDonald wrote Lime Hill, Tom Rae, The Boys of the Lake, The Trip to Windsor, and Reichwall Forest. Two published volumes of his compositions exist: The Heather Hill Collection and The Trip To Windsor Collection.