Sandy MacIntyre
Encyclopedia
Hugh Alexander “Sandy” MacIntyre (born April 17, 1935) is one of the most respected artists in the tradition of Cape Breton
fiddle music.
on April 17, 1935. His father Ronald and mother Cassie were both Scottish fiddler
s. Cassie had long been considered one of the liveliest square dance
fiddlers in the county. Sandy was one of fourteen children, most of whom played musical instruments. He started playing the pump organ at age 8 or 9 chord
ing for family members and visiting fiddlers. At about age 16 he took up the fiddle, learning by ear. He also learned the guitar
and in high school he was a drummer
in the Inverness Pipe Band. Sandy married the former Lucy LeBlanc of Margaree Forks, Inverness County. They have two children, Brian, a guitarist, and Stephen, a bodhran
player. Sandy moved to Toronto
and took the music with him. He is personally responsible for creating a Cape Breton
scene there. He linked up with other exiled Cape Bretoners to bring musicians to Toronto for Cape Breton style dances and to keep the music alive. Some of his guest appearances included the Mariposa Folk Festival
at Toronto in 1971 and 1972 where he represented Cape Breton fiddlers. He performed at, and managed, the Scottish Talent Club in Toronto for approximately eight years. He has traveled extensively in Canada and the United States, and has made trips to Scotland as well as the Shetland and Orkney Islands doing fiddle workshops and concerts. He appeared for five years on the CBC
National TV show “Ceilidh
” from Halifax with other artists such as Winnie Chafe, Buddy MacMaster
, John Campbell
, Cameron Chisholm, and Doug MacPhee. Sandy was a member of the Cape Breton Symphony Fiddlers for many years, and performed on the John Allan Cameron
CTV show with symphony director Bobby Brown, Buddy MacMaster
, John Donald Cameron and Wilfred Gillis. Sandy made two trips to the Northwest Territories
, where he taught fiddle and step dancing to many Native American
and Inuit
children under the auspices of the “Strings Across The Sky” http://www.stringsacrossthesky.ca/ program arranged by Toronto Symphony violinist Andrea Hansen. Sandy was asked by the Hon. Alan J. MacEachern to perform at a fund-raising dinner in Ottawa
to assist in the restoration of Balnain House in Inverness, Scotland, the Home of Highland Music. Sandy was proud to be part of this project which raised thousands of dollars and was a major part of the restoration fund. One of the rooms in that house was named the Canada Room, and Sandy held workshops in that room during a tour of Scotland in 1995. Sandy has been an instructor at the Cape Breton Fiddling School at the Gaelic College in St. Ann’s Bay for many years and successfully expanded the interest in that program to students from around the world. Sandy’s efforts in raising funds for the College through benefit concerts and his assistance to so many students was recognized by the Board of Governors of the College in 1995. Sandy was a feature artist on “Bridging Canada”, a simultaneous series of concerts held in October, 1996 on famous bridges from Vancouver
to Montreal
to foster and celebrate Canadian unity. Sandy performed on the famous Bloor Viaduct in Toronto. Sandy was one of the feature artists in the Mirvish production of “Needfire”, a celtic musical, from 1998 – 2000 at the Royal Alexandra Theatre
and the Princess of Wales Theatre
in Toronto. He displayed the unique and traditional style of Cape Breton fiddling during numerous stage appearances throughout the show. Sandy has been a feature performer for many years at the Celtic Colours International Festivalhttp://www.celtic-colours.com/about/about-the-festival.html in Cape Breton. In 2009, the festival paid tribute to Sandy, to thank him for all he has done to preserve the music. His Toronto family band Steeped in Traditionhttp://www.sandymacintyre.com/steeped_in_tradition___the_band.htm, joined him for this concert in the beautiful St. Matthew's Church in his beloved Inverness. At Sandy's request, he was joined by some of his "teacher's pets", former students Jeff Gosse, Colin Granthttp://www.colingrant.ca/, Kimberley Fraserhttp://www.kimberleyfraser.com/bio.htm and Dawn & Margie Beatonhttp://www.dawnandmargie.com/bio.html. Sandy is an inspiring teacher, and his students sing his praises and credit him with their success.
Cape Breton fiddling
Cape Breton fiddling is a regional violin style which falls within the Celtic music idiom. Cape Breton Island's fiddle music was brought to North America by Scottish immigrants during the Highland Clearances. These Scottish immigrants were primarily from Gaelic-speaking regions in the Scottish...
fiddle music.
Personal life
Sandy was born into a family of musicians in the city (then town) of InvernessInverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
on April 17, 1935. His father Ronald and mother Cassie were both Scottish fiddler
Fiddler
A fiddler is a person who plays a fiddle or violin.Fiddler may also refer to:*Fabrangen Fiddlers, an American musical group founded in 1971*Tupolev Tu-28 "Fiddler", a fighter aircraft*Fiddler , a DC Comics villain...
s. Cassie had long been considered one of the liveliest square dance
Square dance
Square dance is a folk dance with four couples arranged in a square, with one couple on each side, beginning with Couple 1 facing away from the music and going counter-clockwise until getting to Couple 4. Couples 1 and 3 are known as the head couples, while Couples 2 and 4 are the side couples...
fiddlers in the county. Sandy was one of fourteen children, most of whom played musical instruments. He started playing the pump organ at age 8 or 9 chord
Chord (music)
A chord in music is any harmonic set of two–three or more notes that is heard as if sounding simultaneously. These need not actually be played together: arpeggios and broken chords may for many practical and theoretical purposes be understood as chords...
ing for family members and visiting fiddlers. At about age 16 he took up the fiddle, learning by ear. He also learned the guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and in high school he was a drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
in the Inverness Pipe Band. Sandy married the former Lucy LeBlanc of Margaree Forks, Inverness County. They have two children, Brian, a guitarist, and Stephen, a bodhran
Bodhrán
The bodhrán is an Irish frame drum ranging from 25 to 65 cm in diameter, with most drums measuring 35 to 45 cm . The sides of the drum are 9 to 20 cm deep. A goatskin head is tacked to one side...
player. Sandy moved to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and took the music with him. He is personally responsible for creating a Cape Breton
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....
scene there. He linked up with other exiled Cape Bretoners to bring musicians to Toronto for Cape Breton style dances and to keep the music alive. Some of his guest appearances included the Mariposa Folk Festival
Mariposa Folk Festival
The Mariposa Folk Festival was founded in 1961 in Orillia, Ontario. It was held in Orillia for three years before being banned because of disturbances by festival-goers. After being held in various places in Ontario for a few decades, it returned to Orillia in 2000. Ruth Jones, her husband Dr...
at Toronto in 1971 and 1972 where he represented Cape Breton fiddlers. He performed at, and managed, the Scottish Talent Club in Toronto for approximately eight years. He has traveled extensively in Canada and the United States, and has made trips to Scotland as well as the Shetland and Orkney Islands doing fiddle workshops and concerts. He appeared for five years on the CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
National TV show “Ceilidh
Céilidh
In modern usage, a céilidh or ceilidh is a traditional Gaelic social gathering, which usually involves playing Gaelic folk music and dancing. It originated in Ireland, but is now common throughout the Irish and Scottish diasporas...
” from Halifax with other artists such as Winnie Chafe, Buddy MacMaster
Buddy MacMaster
Hugh Alan "Buddy" MacMaster, is one of the most renowned artists in the tradition of Cape Breton fiddle music.-Early life:...
, John Campbell
John Campbell
- British political figures :* John Campbell, 1st Earl of Loudoun , Lord Chancellor of Scotland, President of the Privy Council* John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll , Scottish soldier, Lord Steward, Lord Lieutenant of Surrey...
, Cameron Chisholm, and Doug MacPhee. Sandy was a member of the Cape Breton Symphony Fiddlers for many years, and performed on the John Allan Cameron
John Allan Cameron
John Allan Cameron, was a Canadian folk singer, "The Godfather of Celtic Music" in Canada. Noted for performing traditional music on his twelve string guitar, he released his first album in 1968. He released 10 albums during his lifetime and was featured on national television...
CTV show with symphony director Bobby Brown, Buddy MacMaster
Buddy MacMaster
Hugh Alan "Buddy" MacMaster, is one of the most renowned artists in the tradition of Cape Breton fiddle music.-Early life:...
, John Donald Cameron and Wilfred Gillis. Sandy made two trips to the Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
, where he taught fiddle and step dancing to many Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
and Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
children under the auspices of the “Strings Across The Sky” http://www.stringsacrossthesky.ca/ program arranged by Toronto Symphony violinist Andrea Hansen. Sandy was asked by the Hon. Alan J. MacEachern to perform at a fund-raising dinner in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
to assist in the restoration of Balnain House in Inverness, Scotland, the Home of Highland Music. Sandy was proud to be part of this project which raised thousands of dollars and was a major part of the restoration fund. One of the rooms in that house was named the Canada Room, and Sandy held workshops in that room during a tour of Scotland in 1995. Sandy has been an instructor at the Cape Breton Fiddling School at the Gaelic College in St. Ann’s Bay for many years and successfully expanded the interest in that program to students from around the world. Sandy’s efforts in raising funds for the College through benefit concerts and his assistance to so many students was recognized by the Board of Governors of the College in 1995. Sandy was a feature artist on “Bridging Canada”, a simultaneous series of concerts held in October, 1996 on famous bridges from Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
to foster and celebrate Canadian unity. Sandy performed on the famous Bloor Viaduct in Toronto. Sandy was one of the feature artists in the Mirvish production of “Needfire”, a celtic musical, from 1998 – 2000 at the Royal Alexandra Theatre
Royal Alexandra Theatre
The Royal Alexandra Theatre is a theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada located near King and Simcoe Streets. Built in 1907, the Royal Alex is the oldest continuously operating legitimate theatre in North America.-History:...
and the Princess of Wales Theatre
Princess of Wales Theatre
The Princess of Wales Theatre is a 2000-seat theatre located at 300 King Street West in the heart of Toronto's Entertainment District in the downtown area...
in Toronto. He displayed the unique and traditional style of Cape Breton fiddling during numerous stage appearances throughout the show. Sandy has been a feature performer for many years at the Celtic Colours International Festivalhttp://www.celtic-colours.com/about/about-the-festival.html in Cape Breton. In 2009, the festival paid tribute to Sandy, to thank him for all he has done to preserve the music. His Toronto family band Steeped in Traditionhttp://www.sandymacintyre.com/steeped_in_tradition___the_band.htm, joined him for this concert in the beautiful St. Matthew's Church in his beloved Inverness. At Sandy's request, he was joined by some of his "teacher's pets", former students Jeff Gosse, Colin Granthttp://www.colingrant.ca/, Kimberley Fraserhttp://www.kimberleyfraser.com/bio.htm and Dawn & Margie Beatonhttp://www.dawnandmargie.com/bio.html. Sandy is an inspiring teacher, and his students sing his praises and credit him with their success.
Career
Sandy worked as a manager at Air Canada until he retired after twenty-five years in 1983. He sold real estate in Scarborough until 1995. He continues to run fiddle classes in Toronto and teaches Cape Breton step dancing. He is a prolific composer with over a hundred tunes to his credit, many in active circulation among Cape Breton players.Recordings
- Let’s Have a Ceilidh with Sandy MacIntyre
- Cape Breton....My Land In Music
- Island Treasure Vol. 1
- Cape Breton Fiddle Music: Steeped In Tradition
- Steeped and Served: The Sandy MacIntyre Collection (2 CD Compilation)