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June 16, 2007
Celtic music
centre an example of dedication, community spirit
By LAURA JEAN GRANT, The
Cape Breton Post
JUDIQUE
In just minutes, Virginia MacIsaac details how a dedicated
group of volunteers and the community worked together to
make the Celtic Music Interpretive Centre a reality. A trip
through the centre makes clear what kept them motivated over
a decade of fundraising and planning.
It's 5,000
square feet of Celtic music heaven a kitchen-party
inspired stage and seating area, a green room for artists, a
gift shop, research room, recording area, a special vault to
store collections and information, office space.
It also
houses the Tom Rankin exhibit room featuring, among other
things, a wall dedicated to Cape Breton fiddlers, a verandah
setting for visitors to try their foot at stepdancing and an
interactive display for people to hear exactly what a jig,
reel and strathspey sounds like.
MacIsaac,
now an archivist at the centre, said a group formed in the
community in 1997 with the goal of doing something to
preserve Celtic music and traditions, so much a part of Cape
Breton culture.
Working
out of the community centre, MacIsaac explained, a formal
Celtic Music Interpretive Centre Society formed in 1999 and
fundraising efforts continued.
"It just
grew bigger and bigger and there seemed to be so much
potential. It became pretty obvious that we needed a
separate space," she said.
That
space, located next door to the community centre, became
reality in June 2006 thanks to $300,000 raised by the
community, approximately $350,000 from the province and
$1.45 million from the federal government.
A year
later, the Celtic Music Interpretive Centre will celebrate
its grand opening tonight, beginning at 5 p.m., with
speeches, tours of the facility and a sold-out dinner and
dance.
Kinnon
Beaton, director of the centre, said the opening marks an
important milestone for the island's culture.
"It's
important to preserve the music because if not it will be
lost. A lot of it already has been lost," he said.
The centre
is home to a large collection of artist profiles, Inverness
County's 250-tape audio collection featuring performers
talking about and playing their music, an ever-growing
collection of stories, photographs and music donated by
artists and much more.
"People
are generous with their stuff and believe in what we're
doing," said Beaton.
And it's
not just local musicians who see the potential of the
facility with Beaton noting a man from Calgary donated
$2,500 after visiting the centre.
Since
opening, the centre has hosted regular Sunday ceilidhs and
Friday pub nights, with kitchen and bar services available.
Beaton said it's a new venue for local musicians to play in
year-round and the response from performers and those who
attend has been great.
Glenn
Graham and Kimberly Gillis, both local musicians, work as
music interpreters at the centre and said it serves many
important purposes.
Graham
said it's a great place to preserve the culture of the
region and have visitors gain a better understanding of
Celtic music while Gillis, who has worked with the society
for the past number of summers making the centre a reality,
said she's just thrilled to see the doors open.
"Seeing it
all done and exactly how they wanted it is pretty cool," she
said.
Proud of
the path they've taken to get to this point, officials at
the centre speak with equal passion about the interpretive
centre's future.
Beaton
said they have big plans to grow the centre, noting things
like the Buddy MacMaster School of Fiddling which held its
first classes during the last Celtic Colours Festival, plans
for an after-school music lessons program and projects
already underway with other venues on the island.
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