The Men of the Deeps
Encyclopedia
The Men of the Deeps is a world renowned male choral
ensemble
composed of coal miners
and former miners from Cape Breton Island
, Nova Scotia
.
and particularly the Cape Breton region. To belong to the singing group, a man must have worked in the mine. The ages of the men range from the late-thirties to the upper seventies. As of 2006, only one member had been with the group since its inception, but other original members had returned after brief times out of the group. In this category are both a mine manager and a former president of District 26 of the United Mine Workers of America.
Their repertoire includes traditional songs of Cape Breton; modern, authored songs by Cape Breton songwriters; and songs arising from mining regions throughout the English-speaking world. Their style is decidedly working-class, but this obvious class-consciousness is not overtly political.
Since the group's inception, the musical director has been John C. (Jack) O'Donnell, now Professor Emeritus of music
at St. Francis Xavier University
in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. In 1983, Prof. O'Donnell's contribution was recognized by the government of Canada, as he was awarded the Order of Canada
. In 1993, he was further honoured when he received an honorary Doctor of Letters
from the University College of Cape Breton (now Cape Breton University
), an honour that was bestowed upon the group as a whole in 2000.
In 1977, the group became the first Canadian musical ensemble to tour the Peoples Republic of China. In 1999, they went to Kosovo
and performed a concert on behalf of the United Nations Children's Fund
.
and have also performed concerts specifically for fellow miners during United Mine Workers of America conventions in Cincinnati
and Denver
. They have also released several albums on the Apex, Waterloo and Atlantica record labels. The group has appeared on numerous television programs including NFB
Canada Vignette short film featuring it in performance and a 2003 documentary, which won a Gemini Award
.
Dressed in the miners' garb of coveralls and hard hats, they make an impressive impact when they enter a concert hall in total darkness with their helmet lamps providing the only light.
for the past several years. The production did a sendup of the choir by copying the group's distinctive uniforms and entrance for a song that highlighted the economic situation of Cape Breton miners.
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
ensemble
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
composed of coal miners
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
and former miners from Cape Breton Island
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....
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
.
History
Formed in 1966, the group has a mandate to preserve the traditional music and folklore of the Canadian MaritimesMaritimes
The Maritime provinces, also called the Maritimes or the Canadian Maritimes, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. On the Atlantic coast, the Maritimes are a subregion of Atlantic Canada, which also includes the...
and particularly the Cape Breton region. To belong to the singing group, a man must have worked in the mine. The ages of the men range from the late-thirties to the upper seventies. As of 2006, only one member had been with the group since its inception, but other original members had returned after brief times out of the group. In this category are both a mine manager and a former president of District 26 of the United Mine Workers of America.
Their repertoire includes traditional songs of Cape Breton; modern, authored songs by Cape Breton songwriters; and songs arising from mining regions throughout the English-speaking world. Their style is decidedly working-class, but this obvious class-consciousness is not overtly political.
Since the group's inception, the musical director has been John C. (Jack) O'Donnell, now Professor Emeritus of music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
at St. Francis Xavier University
St. Francis Xavier University
St. Francis Xavier University is a post-secondary institution located in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. The school was founded in 1853, but did not offer degrees until 1868. The university has approximately 5000 students.-History:...
in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. In 1983, Prof. O'Donnell's contribution was recognized by the government of Canada, as he was awarded the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
. In 1993, he was further honoured when he received an honorary Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters is a university academic degree, often a higher doctorate which is frequently awarded as an honorary degree in recognition of outstanding scholarship or other merits.-Commonwealth:...
from the University College of Cape Breton (now Cape Breton University
Cape Breton University
Cape Breton University , formerly the "University College of Cape Breton" , is a Canadian university in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Regional Municipality....
), an honour that was bestowed upon the group as a whole in 2000.
In 1977, the group became the first Canadian musical ensemble to tour the Peoples Republic of China. In 1999, they went to Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
and performed a concert on behalf of the United Nations Children's Fund
United Nations Children's Fund
United Nations Children's Fund was created by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946, to provide emergency food and healthcare to children in countries that had been devastated by World War II...
.
Performances
The Men of the Deeps have toured most of the major cities in North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and have also performed concerts specifically for fellow miners during United Mine Workers of America conventions in Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
and Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
. They have also released several albums on the Apex, Waterloo and Atlantica record labels. The group has appeared on numerous television programs including NFB
NFB
The acronym NFB may refer to:* National Federation of the Blind, organization representing blind people in the United States* National Film Board of Canada, Canada's public film producer and distributor...
Canada Vignette short film featuring it in performance and a 2003 documentary, which won a Gemini Award
Gemini Award
The Gemini Awards are annual television broadcasting industry awards in Canada.First awarded in 1986, the Geminis celebrate the achievements of TV members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Essentially, it presents awards for the best television productions in Canada. Awards are...
.
Dressed in the miners' garb of coveralls and hard hats, they make an impressive impact when they enter a concert hall in total darkness with their helmet lamps providing the only light.
Parody
The Men of the Deeps were spoofed by the cast of Island Mania, a local Cape Breton stage show which has been produced at the Savoy Theatre in Glace BayGlace Bay, Nova Scotia
Glace Bay is a community in the eastern part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality in Nova Scotia, Canada. It forms part of the general area referred to as Industrial Cape Breton....
for the past several years. The production did a sendup of the choir by copying the group's distinctive uniforms and entrance for a song that highlighted the economic situation of Cape Breton miners.
Discography
- Men of the Deeps (1966)
- The Men of the Deeps I II & III (1976)
- Diamonds in the Rough (1992)
- Buried Treasures (1995)
- Coal Fire in Winter (1996)
- Mining the Soul (2000) (with Rita MacNeil)
- Their Lights Will Shine (2004)
- And Now the Fields Are Green (A compilation of Cape Breton mining songs in Canada)
- The Music of the Men of the Deeps: Selected Songs from the Repertoire of North America's Only Coal Miners Choir