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July 23, 2008
Music on the menu:
Music Interpretive Centre adds
luncheon entertainment
-by Frank Macdonald, Inverness Oran
In
response to suggestions from visitors that there seemed to
be no place to have lunch and listen to live music, the
Celtic Music Interpretive Centre in Judique has risen to the
occasion.
Beginning
in mid June, the centre put music on the menu, along with a
choice of chowders, sandwiches and burgers, and the result
has been crowded noon times.
From 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m., staff at the interpretive
centre, joined occasionally by guests, pick up the fiddle,
settle into the kitchen-like stage and play while people
come in to eat and listen.
“It’s been
very good,” says musical director Kinnon Beaton. Outside his
office, about forty people have seated themselves, ordered
and while waiting for or enjoying their food, listen to Port
Hood fiddler Melanie Altman, accompanied by Celtic guitarist
Pius MacIsaac. Despite the impressive turnout, Beaton notes
that this particular luncheon is “a bit slack” compared to
the usual numbers.
A moment
later, Kinnon relieves Melanie on stage to play several
tunes for the audience, fairly evenly divided between
Inverness County residents and visitors.
For many of the thousands of visitors who come to Cape
Breton each year, the major attraction is Cape Breton
fiddling, and at the Visitors Information Centre in Port
Hastings one complaint they have heard has been the lack of
mid-day music.
The Celtic Music Interpretive Centre responded to that
deficiency, as did the Red Shoe Pub in Mabou. For both, it
has been a worthwhile venture.
At the
interpretive centre, Melanie and Kinnon, often accompanied
by Betty Beaton, have provided daily entertainment while the
kitchen staff is busy preparing food.
Now that lunch and supper is available in part of the county
with music on the menu, anyone for breakfast?
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