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October 22,
2006
Cameron
collection comes home
Cape
Breton University has acquired an important part of the
island’s cultural heritage with the donation of the John
Allan Cameron Papers Collection to the university’s Beaton
Institute.
The papers
have become a key part of the institute’s growing Canadian
Celtic Music Collection, reaffirming its position as a
leading institute in preserving and studying tradition.
"We are
very grateful to the Cameron Family for their generosity and
trust in placing this important record and legacy in the
care of the Beaton Institute," said Cape Breton University
President John Harker in a news release.
Cameron
was born in Inverness County in 1938, and went on to travel
the world. For years, he was one of the few musicians
performing traditional Cape Breton music outside of the
Maritimes, and became known as the Godfather of Celtic
Music, playing bagpipe and fiddle tunes on guitar and
singing a variety of folk tunes, both traditional and
contemporary.
The
collection includes materials like diaries, correspondence,
news clippings, concert programs, promotional materials and
awards from throughout his career. Of special note are
yearly planners which list performances and song lyrics, all
in Cameron’s own hand.
Pieces of
the collection were on display for the first time last week
at a special celebration at Cape Breton University to
announce the new $500,000 Centre for Cape Breton Studies.
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