Herbert MacLeod, interviewed by Edward D. "Sandy" Ives

NA4384 Herbert MacLeod, interviewed by Edward D. "Sandy" Ives, April 4, 1968, at the Senior Citizens Home, Montague, P.E.I. Also present in the room, Mrs. MacLeod, Bobby Ives. MacLeod, age 79, sings "The Picnic at Groshaut" from a typed copy. His voice is a strong tenor ending lines of the song with a vibrato. Sings "Out Behind the Barn," a popular song. Sings “Galway Bay.” Speaks about the farm where he was born and lived, that it was where the "Bear at Grand River" crossed the river and went into the wood where it was shot by Walter Robinson. Sings the popular song “Cold Feet” one of the songs he used to sing at "entertainments." Sung from a typed text. Tells tall tales of Crubeen MacDonald. Working barefoot and accidentally cutoff his toe with the hoe blade. Crubeen "use to blow about the big crops he used to grow." Lost a hen once and found she pecked a hole in a potato, crawled inside, laid a dozen eggs and set. Give background on Crubeen MacDonald. Used to visit him as a child and 'get him going' to tell his stories. Crubeen's big eel [Bobby quips: "They don't hardly make eels like that anymore."]. Crubeen use to tell of the bad lightning storms. Caught in a thunder squall with his horse and cart. It rained so heavy he had to tip the cart three times to empty the water out of it. Crubeen died of gangrene 30 years ago. How he'd always say "St. Anthony guide" when he'd go to look for his plow after the kids hid it on Halloween. Talk about fiddle players in the area. Men who sing in Gaelic. "When I've Gone the Last Mile of the Way." A hymn. Singing it from a hymnal. Conversation follows about how he used to sing in a traveling quartet and sing in concerts and plays (between the acts). They used to sing a lot at home. No transcript. Recording: mf167_1.1_ives068.06_cd125_31-mf167_1.1_ives068.06_cd125_36, mf167_1.1_ives068.07_cd126_01-mf167_1.1_ives068.07_cd126_09. Time: 00:38:48