June 7, 2008
Chrissy Crowley selected for “Top 20 Under 20”
SOCAN News

Eighteen year-old fiddler and SOCAN member Chrissy Crowley, of Margaree (Cape Breton), Nova Scotia, has been selected by Youth in Motion for the Canadian "Top 20 under 20 " award.

Youth in Motion created the "Top 20 Under 20" to celebrate and honour Canadians who have demonstrated a significant level of innovation, leadership and achievement but have not yet reached the age of 20.

Crowley accepted her award on June 4, 2008, from her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, at the Fairmount Royal York in Toronto. The Top 20 Under 20 program pairs each award recipient with an outstanding and accomplished Canadian who acts as a mentor for one year. Each mentor is a Member of the Order of Canada . The Governor General announced that Acadian artist Roland Gauvin was appointed as Crowley's official mentor.

Crowley released her debut self-titled recording in 2007, and last year received a Canadian Folk Music Award nomination. She returned to Point Aconi's Lakewind Studios in May 2008 to start recording her next album of traditional and original fiddle music.

For more information, visit the Youth in Motion website

June 4, 2008

The domino effect: Inspiring young people
Order of Canada recipients will mentor students being recognized
by Youth in Motion awards program
ALLISON DUNFIELD, Globe and Mail

The Top 20 Under 20 winners will meet their Order of Canada winners today in Toronto. (Yvonne Berg for The Globe and Mail)

Young people honoured with this year's Top 20 Under 20 awards are receiving more than a trip to Toronto, a week-long conference, and a $2,000 bursary. Along with being recognized for their innovations in areas from technology to science to volunteerism, the young leaders honoured by Youth in Motion (YIM) will be paired with Order of Canada recipients who will act as their mentors for the coming year.

Organizers of the Top 20 program, now in its fifth year, say the involvement of celebrated Canadians such as entertainer Tom Jackson, child-rights activist Craig Kielburger, chemistry professor Margaret-Ann Armour and community leader Barbara Brink adds a new level of excitement and national pride to the event.

"This is the first year that our mentors are going to be Order of Canada mentors ... I think it will be a very powerful partnership," says Akela Peoples, founder and president of YIM, a Toronto-based not-for-profit organization dedicated to giving young people leadership and career-enriching opportunities.

The mentoring program is co-sponsored by the Governor-General's office, which appoints Order of Canada recipients. "It makes sense to partner [with Rideau Hall] because we are like-minded in our interests in leadership development and mentoring," Ms. Peoples says.

Rideau Hall also feels the program is a great match. "We have to build bridges between the generations so that they can enrich one another," Governor-General Michaëlle Jean has said. "We need to introduce these young people to the role models who inspire them."

Marni Schecter-Taylor, director of development and communications with YIM, describes the mentoring program as an opportunity for Order of Canada recipients to help the "emerging generation," adding that some day, these young people may be recipients themselves.

The mentors and protégés will keep in touch with regular phone calls as well as via a secure area of the Citizen Voices website (www.citizenvoices.gg.ca) where they will be able to chat privately. They will also discuss their experiences on blogs, videos and forums on public areas of the site.

Tomorrow, Ms. Jean will host a discussion at the Design Exchange in Toronto between the mentors and protégés. The young people will meet their mentors later today, after being presented with their awards at a breakfast ceremony, the highlight of a five-day trip to the city for the winners which included workshops, seminars and a baseball game. "Plus, they get to mix and mingle with 19 other like-minded, passionate and innovative young people," Ms. Peoples notes.

Students can either nominate themselves or be nominated by peers or teachers for the awards. Applicants must apply by Dec. 31 each year and be under the age of 20 on that date. (Information available online at www.youth-in-motion.ca.)

Winners are selected by a group of volunteer judges, made up of community leaders from a variety of fields across Canada who look at all aspects of the applicants' skills and accomplishments, including initiative, communication and ingenuity.

"The requirement is that your leadership and innovation has led to the betterment of your school, community, province and/or country," Ms. Peoples says.

The 2007 competition drew about 300 applicants from all corners of the country, she says. That was whittled down to 42 finalists who were interviewed by telephone by the judges, who then selected the 20 honorees. Ms. Peoples says the Top 20 program is a strong reminder that there is much to be celebrated about today's youth.

"All we have to do is turn on the TV or radio and we hear all the negativity associated with young people — cyber-bullying, guns, violence, disenchanted me generation," she notes.

"Hopefully, Top 20 Under 20 is a domino effect about the good things. There are a lot of very talented, very positive young people that are doing just incredible things."

THE WINNERS AT A GLANCE (excerpt)

Chrissy Crowley, 17, Margaree Forks, N.S.: Six years ago, Chrissy Crowley picked up an old violin that had been stored for years in her family's home and started playing. Now she is quickly gaining recognition as one of Cape Breton's bright new stars in Celtic music, performing at venues across the country and abroad. "There are a lot of fiddlers in Cape Breton who are so generous and willing to help, especially when they see young people who are interested in learning to play," she says. "It made me realize that this region may be struggling economically, but we so rich in Celtic culture."

Last year, she released her first self-titled CD, and was nominated in the Canadian Folk Music Awards' Young Performer of the Year category. She is now studying history and political science at the University of King's College in Halifax and hopes to land a full-time job with the province's tourism department to promote Cape Breton culture. "Although I love playing the fiddle and recording CDs, I have this higher goal of using culture to create economic stability in Cape Breton," she says. "Our music is what makes us unique, and we have to do everything we can to preserve it and promote it."

June 4, 2008
Cape Breton Star Picked up Fiddle and Started to Play
Marjo Johne, Globe & Mail

Chrissy Crowley believes there’s a fiddle encoded somewhere in her DNA. Six years ago, she picked up an old violin that had been stored for years in her family’s home and started playing. Now, Ms. Crowley is quickly gaining recognition as one of Cape Breton’s bright new stars in Celtic music.She is the granddaughter of two accomplished fiddlers: Archie Neil Chisholm, a re renowned fiddler, writer and broadcaster in Cape Breton, and Bill Crowley, who was from Newfoundland. Both died about five years ago, leaving behind some instruments and audio recordings.

She ended up with five of Bill Crowley’s fiddles, says Ms. Crowley, who lives ‘with her parents and siblings in the Cape Breton town of Margaree. Knowing her parents didn’t have the money to pay for music lessons, Ms. Crowley decided to learn the fiddle on her own. She listened to as much fiddle music as she could, especially Mr. Chisholm's old albums, and then tried to repeat the sounds on her own instrument.

She also sought the help of other musicians. “There are a lot of fiddlers in Cape Breton who are so generous and willing to help, especially when they see young people who are interested in learning to play,” she says. “It made me realize that this region may be struggling economically, but we so rich in Celtic culture?’ Five weeks after she drew out her first note, Ms. Crowley was asked to perform in a school concert. She recalls “shaking like a leaf” as a result of stage fright. “Then my sister started a standing ovation because she realized how nervous I was,” says Ms. Crowley, who says she was often teased in school for playing such an “uncool” instrument.

Six years on, she is a veteran performer, entertaining audiences at concerts and music festivals across Nova Scotia as well as in Vancouver, many U.S. cities, and even the Dominican Republic. Last year, she released her first CD, Chrissy Crowley, and was nom inated in the Canadian Folk Music Awards’ Young Per former of the .Year category.
She has also picked up the torch for Nova Scotia’s Celtic culture and holds it aloft wherever she goes as a youth ambassador for the Nova Sco tia Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage.

She is now studying history and political science at the University of King’s College in Halifax and hopes to eventually land a full-time job with the province’s tourism department to promote Cape Breton’s culture.

“Although I love playing the fiddle and recording, I have this higher goal of using culture to create economic stability in Cape Breton,” she says. “Our music is what makes us unique, and we have to do everything we can to preserve it and promote it.”

March 6, 2008

Chrissy Crowley is a featured artist in the new television series "Festival Bound" with High Fidelity HDTV, airing on Equator HD Sunday, March 16th at 8:30PM ET, with reruns that night at 11:30PM, and then again the following Thursday (March 20) at 6:30 AM, 12:30 PM, and 6:30 PM ET.

February 21, 2008

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day- or week- with Chrissy Crowley, Canadian Folk Music Award nominee! Chrissy will be on tour with five-time PEI Music Award winner, Timothy Chaisson, and winner of the Celtic Colour's Driver's Award, Jason Roach, in British Columbia from March 5 to the 18th. Performances include Celticfest Vancouver, Harrison Memorial Hall, and more. For dates and locations, please visit the schedule page.

December 3, 2007

Chrissy has been selected as a showcasing artist for the Galaxy Rising Star Stage at the 2008 East Coast Music Awards in Fredericton, New Brunswick.
For more info, please visit www.ecma.ca.

October 17, 2007
Chrissy has received a nomination from the Canadian Folk Music Awards!

Chrissy Crowley has been nominated for the "Young Performer of the Year Award" by the Canadian Folk Music Awards. The 2007 Canadian Folk Music Awards will be handed out at a ceremony December 1st at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Québec. www.canadianfolkmusicawards.ca

October 6, 2007

Chrissy has received a nomination in the category "Best Out of Province" at the 2007 Ontario Independent Music Awards for her track "Dodging Potholes". Other nominees in the category are: Ember Swift (Some Fine Day), Marc Gelinas (Call me Vegas), Anthill (Here Today), Immaculate Machine (Jarhand). The award show takes place in Toronto's Phoenix Theatre on November 15, 2007.

October 2007
Chrissy Crowley sees both sides now of her family
by Frank Macdonald, Inverness Oran

On October 11th, Big Brook fiddler Chrissy Crowley will be taking part in the Celtic Colours presentation of Archie Neil’s Cape Breton, a tribute to her grandfather, the legendary educator, folklorist, storyteller, musician, and host of the popular radio show, Archie Neil’s Cape Breton. She will be joined by cousin and Celtic guitarist Brian Doyle, and cousin and pianist Maybelle Chisholm-MacQueen. This alone is enough to say that the 17-year-old fiddler is well steeped in her family ties, but the truth is that her Chisholm heritage is only half of a much wider family awareness.

Last month, Chrissy Crowley crossed the Atlantic to take part in the Crowley clan gathering in West Cork where she mingles with and met hundreds of relatives from her father’s side of the family.

“I was there from September 11th - 18th at the Crowley gathering,” Chrissy explains, “to meet people and to do some sessions in the pubs in Ireland. It wasn’t an organized tour. I just wanted to learn some new tunes.”

She also learned some new things about her Irish heritage that she may compose into tunes in the future. Crowley’s grandfather came to Newfoundland from Ireland, then to Cape Breton, but interest in her heritage brought her back to Ireland for the gathering.
“There were about 300 people there. Most came from the United States, New Zealand, Australia and Canada,” Chrissy said. At the gathering, she met Liam Crowley, clan chief or taoiseach, and learned that unlike many clans, the Crowley clan chief was a position held for just three years before it passes along to another clan member.
The Crowley gathering was near Crowley Castle.

“It’s the only building linked to the Crowley name,” Chrissy says, and the castle has suffered an unfortunate fate. For many years it was on land that became privately owned, the owner allowing his large herd of cattle to use the walls of the abandoned castle as a scratching post. Eventually, one wall crumbled, and little remains but three falling walls.
In recent years, the land came under new ownership, and the new owner fenced off the area around the castle to keep cattle and other animals from inflicting further damage. In addition, he gave permission for the Crowleys to visit the castle during their gatherings, which occur every three years.

There were not a lot of musicians among her Crowley cousins, Chrissy noticed. One cousin, Larry Crowley, played the banjo. Another cousin at the gathering, Brian Crowley, is Ireland’s envoy to the European Union, but had formerly played with a rock band; but he wasn’t playing music at the gathering.

Chrissy Crowley was playing music, however. One emotional moment came when she was asked to perform with her fiddle during the celebration of a Mass. The priest was also a Crowley, and having the Mass said by a clansman and the music provided by a clanswoman stirred emotions about the place, and about the people from whom they had come.
“People were saying they left their blood in the land,” said Chrissy.

The Crowley gathering ended with the choice of a new chieftain, and the choice this time was a woman, Marion Chamberlain. In ancient times, Chrissy adds with pride, Ireland was the only aristocracy that recognized women chieftains.

Chrissy Crowley expects to attend the next clan gathering in 2010. She mentions that a Crowley chieftain should have a Crowley name, and one suspects that she has someone in mind for that role. A young woman perhaps?

Back in Cape Breton Chrissy Crowley’s attention has returned to the opportunities offered here for young musicians. When she takes part in the Archie Neil’s Cape Breton concert at the Cape Breton Highlands Academy in Terre Noire, she will be the subject, along with fiddler Wendy MacIsaac, of a Vision Television program that will be present at the show.
A rising star among Cape Breton fiddlers, Chrissy Crowley is also a fan of the music, and at the thought of the Archie Neil’s Cape Breton show she is barely able to contain her excitement over another fiddler who will play on the same program, Ashley MacIsaac.
Whether in Cape Breton or Ireland, Chrissy Crowley has found that she has family everywhere to welcome her and her music.

Fall 2007
The Legacy of Angus Chisholm of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
By Chrissy Crowley (from Fiddler Magazine)

There is a saying in Cape Breton, often used when discussing the playing abilities of different up-and-coming fiddlers: “Aye, they’re good, but they’re no Angus.” To be considered “an Angus” is a rare and almost unheard-of compliment. The legendary Cape Breton fiddler Angus Chisholm is the “Angus” to whom the quote refers. He is revered by many of the great fiddlers of today such as Natalie MacMaster, Ashley MacIsaac, Cameron Chisholm, and Dwayne Cote, just to name a few. Angus Chisholm has had a great impact on these fiddlers, during and after his time. He played with a style and grace at a level of virtuosity that others greatly admired and envied. Pianists would often shy away from accompanying the fiddle master, anticipating the intricate melodies and complicated arrangements he would perform. Fr. John Angus Rankin told of a night in Antigonish where Angus played an exhausting one-hour medley, attempting to impress a local Scottish-music enthusiast.

Angus was born in Margaree Forks, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia in 1908. When Angus was eight the Chisholm household received a visit from local fiddler Johnny Stephen, a.k.a Johnny White, who was teaching Angus’ brother Danny, and it was during a break in the lesson that Angus picked up the instrument. That simple first step set a path for the young musician that ultimately led to wide recognition as one of the best Celtic fiddlers in the world. Johnny White saw talent in the boy, and spent the day teaching him the tune “The Cock of the North.” Angus later received a fiddle from his brother Willie D., who bought the instrument from a horse trader for fifteen dollars. In the words of Angus: “It wasn’t worth fifteen cents, let alone fifteen dollars, but it was the one I learned on; I had to start somewhere.”

Angus learned and played by ear, gaining a great repertoire of tunes by listening to his sisters “jig” [lilt/sing] the melody for him. When he was fourteen a man named Jimmy MacInnis of Big Pond, Cape Breton, came to stay with the family for a year.
MacInnis had studied classical music. He showed Angus more complicated dynamics and taught him techniques such as positioning. Angus referred to these as the best lessons he had ever learned. MacInnis also taught Angus how to read music; Angus used these skills to learn the tune “Stack of Barley.”

Locals realized the potential of the young boy, as he improved rapidly. He played his first dance at such a young age his sister had to hold his hand. He played at different schoolhouse dances and kitchen parties. Angus went on to become a schoolteacher, and spent years teaching in Cape Breton and was also, for a time, a park warden at the Cape Breton Highlands National Park. He came to know the best fiddlers on the island, learning from each one. He took careful note of Angus Allan Gillis’ bowing and Mary MacDonald’s cuts. Along with Gillis, and other great fiddlers,

Angus was among the first Cape Bretoners to make a 78 rpm recording of Scottish music, around 1934. He went to the United States and played for a recording company, and the records were made commercially available. He then went to Montreal to make recordings for the Brunswick Recording Company.

Angus Chisholm’s name and talent grew as he performed throughout Canada and the United States. He mesmerized crowds with his skillful bowing and graceful fingering, always in perfect unison, as he attacked intricate tunes such as “Tullochgorum” by J.S. Skinner. Despite his overall skill in all the tunes he played, Angus had a preference for challenging clogs and hornpipes. He won so many fiddle competitions that promoters barred him from entering more.

Angus moved to Boston during the later years of his life. He returned to Canada now and then to perform in concerts and on various television programs, one being the show of the late John Allan Cameron. Following his uncle’s lead, Angus’ nephew Cameron Chisholm moved into prominence as a virtuoso fiddler in Cape Breton. Cameron was usually accompanied by his sister Maybelle Chisholm, an outstanding pianist, and sometimes performed with his sister Margaret, another fiddler known for her strathspeys.

Angus passed away in the United States in 1979, and was laid to rest in his native Margaree. His influence remains strong to this day as a new generation of fiddlers carry on the tradition, honouring earlier artists such as Angus who set such a high standard of excellence.

February 17, 2007:
Fiddling is in Chrissy Crowley’s genes
Archie Neil Chisholm’s granddaughter looking to impress at ECMAs
By Laura Jean Grant, the Cape Breton Post

HALIFAX — Chrissy Crowley is aiming to impress the East Coast Music Awards crowd this weekend. And the 17-year-old fiddler from Margaree will have lots of opportunities to do just that with several scheduled performances including a coveted spot on the Roots Room showcase stage, Friday night at Casino Nova Scotia in Halifax.

“I really want to impress people,” she said, before taking the stage for a sound check.

Crowley’s manager, Lisa Butchart, founder of Offshore Gael Music, an independent production, artist development and promotion company based in Ontario, said it’s appropriate that Crowley is getting her first big break at the ECMAs this weekend.

Butchart explained that while in Sydney for the 2005 ECMAs she suggested Crowley as a fill-in when another fiddler she was helping was unable to do a spot at the 72-Hour Jam.

“That was actually the first time I ever saw Chrissy perform was at the 72-Hour Jam. I think it was eight in the morning on a Saturday,” she recalled. “But I was really impressed with her poise and her ability and right then and there decided to help her with a demo.”

The granddaughter of one of Cape Breton’s most legendary fiddlers, Archie Neil Chisholm, Crowley actually didn’t pick up the fiddle until she was 12 years old after hearing a performance by New Brunswick fiddler Mike Hall.

“I just fell in love with it and I started playing the next day and I played for hours and hours every day,” said the Grade 11 student at Cape Breton Highlands Academy, noting she taught herself how to play.

Crowley recently released her self-titled debut album which features some of the region’s biggest names in the music industry.

“I have the best musicians on it.I have Gordie Sampson, Ryan MacNeil, Troy MacGillivray, Timothy Chaisson, Patty Gillis, Pius MacIsaac, and Brian Doyle,” she said.

As for the future, Crowley said she’s taking her career in the music industry one day at a time. She said she’s not necessarily looking to be the next Natalie MacMaster adding with a laugh “but that would be nice.”

“I want to have fun with it, that’s for sure,” she said.

Crowley will perform during the 72-Hour Jam this afternoon and at The Old Triangle Pub tonight as part of Inverness County at the ECMAs, presented by the Strathspey Place.

November/December 2006                                          
A Trip to the Homeland
From Celtic Heritage magazine Volume 20 No. 5

by Chrissy Crowley

16-year-old Chrissy Crowley gets an opportunity to see where her Chisholm ancestors lived and play her fiddle at an International Gathering of Chisholms in Scotland

This July, I was given a vast opportunity to explore my roots, and in the process, meet those of the same goal. I was invited to attend the International Chisholm Clan Gathering in Inverness, Scotland, both as a clan member and to perform as a Scottish violinist. The Chisholms are my maternal clan, my ancestors trace back to the Strathglass region of the Scottish Highlands. Interestingly, the Chisholms held a high rank in society. The clan chief held a title of great prestige. He was referred to as “the Chisholm.” Only figures such as the King, the Queen and the Pope, held the definitive article before their label.

The Chisholms migrated from Scotland to my home province, Nova Scotia, in the early 17th century. They can now be traced to every continent. Attending the gathering were Chisholms of Canada, the U.K, New Zealand, and the United States. Ben and Juliette Chisholm helped organize the entire gathering and did an outstanding job. I thank them, as well as Merritt (Clan President) and Benny Chisholm for making sure I had a comfortable and enjoyable stay. I had the utmost pleasure of staying with a remarkable couple, Duncan and Mary Chisholm of Inverness. They made my stay both wonderful and informative. Duncan helped organize the event, and taught me much of what I state in this article. It is hard to summarize the whole of my experiences in just a few pages but I will do my best to briefly describe each highlight of the tours and the Chisholm relation to each.

The gathering commenced with a welcome ceremony, consisting of a variety of bus tours to the ancestral lands of past Chisholms, evening ceilidh suppers, and concluded itself with an exquisite lunch at Erchless Castle. Former Chisholm Clan Chiefs once owned the castle, their gravesites can be found close by. The bus tours began with a trip to Glen Affric. The surrounding landscape is breathtaking, it is easily understood why the Chisholms, descending from the Norman conquerors of 1066, would make this their home in the 14th century. Their last remaining lands were sold 600 years later, into the 20th century. The Chisholms immigrated to North America as a result of the clearances and would later discover and name the Fraser River and the Chisholm Trail. We visited the formerly Chisholm-owned lodge of the area. It has now switched hands and can only be viewed from afar, as it is privately owned and leased. Our next stop was Cannich, also in the heart of the Highlands. Here we saw the Marydale Church. Marydale, according to the date on the original pipes, was completed in 1866. The priest, Fr. Colin Grant, sold much of his private possessions to fund the construction. The church holds a historic holy water stoup, built from a stone from the ruins of a church built at Western Knockfin by Colin Chisholm, after he became a catholic in 1668. It was given to Marydale by Duncan Scott in 1932. Many highlanders retained Catholism after the Reformation. In 1579, Thomas Chisholm, laird of Strathglass, was imprisoned for doing so.

Our next adventure, the highlight of my trip, was the highland museum of Kingussie. We viewed tools and artefacts of the Scottish highlanders. The museum contains authentic and fabricated black-houses, the early Scottish home. It also features a film of the farming techniques of the early 1900’s, as well as authentic machinery and equipment of the past century.

Strathglass, origin of the Chisholms, held no particular site. We took a look at the lands of our ancestors, seemingly bare today. The Chisholms of the area were very wealthy at the time, the land has been owned by Ira Chisholm and Lord Luvet. Due to a delay in my bus route, I was able to see a historic stone the other tours were not. It is a memorial, erected by a widow who lost her lover in the battle of Culloden. It states the initials C.F lamenting for W.C, lost in 1746. The initials are the only identification, but there is an infamous song called the Lament for William Chisholm, linked to the stone.

Beauly can be found at the start of Strathglass. The Beauly Priory was our reason for arrival. Monks of Valliscaulian order came to build their priory 800 years ago. The church is the only remains, left are the freestanding walls. It was reformed in 1560, and religious life ended in the priory. Unable to maintain independence, it became private property. The church grounds are now in use as a burial site, some Chisholm plots can be found in the graveyard. Located within the structure are tombs, some inhabited by Chisholms. The church has been in care of state since 1909.

The visit to Culloden was another trip highlight. In 1746, government forces led by the Duke of Cumberland defeated the army of Prince Charles Edward Stuart, aka Bonnie Prince Charles. They ended the hopes of restoring the Jacobite Stuarts to the British throne. I walked through the battlefields where the 9000-strong government crushed the 5000 starved Jacobite soldiers, within just an hour. The rugged highlands contain stones depicting the clans and where they stood. The Chisholms fought alongside their fellow Jacobites in this battle, the last fought on British soil. As you walk through, there is an inevitable haunting feeling ,as visions of the hungry, desperate Highlanders fight for their lives, knowing their doomed fate. Yet they still faced the battle with bravery.

The final day of tours was unfortunately greeted by the unpredictable Scottish rain. On a sunny day, one would have been able to walk up and see a historic pile of stones, a Scottish tradition. It is a custom that when you climb up a large hill to leave a stone, showing your accomplishment. You could also see one of the old Scottish battle cannons, and if not for high waters, you could view the sacrificial stone from afar.

Able to get out of the rain, we went to Erchless Castle, which is now out of Chisholm hands. Here we had a great lunch, including some lovely Scottish shortbread. As I mentioned before, at the end of each day a ceilidh supper was held. They were hosted by the Chieftain Hotel. On the second day of the gathering, a president’s reception was held, where the Clan Chief Hamish Chisholm, as well as his family and the Society President Forbes Merritt Chisholm greeted the clan. I performed the fiddle on Wednesday night, after a civic reception at the town hall. I was honoured to perform for the clan chief as well as the rest of the Chisholm clan. I performed again on Thursday night, this time with the Ceilidh Band of Inverness. It was my first time performing with accordionists and quite the treat. I perform Scottish Celtic Fiddle, brought to Cape Breton from the original Scottish ancestors. On Friday, the final night, the clan was invited to see the Inverness Tattoo, which inspired me to book a skydiving trip at home (much to my mother’s dismay)!

Overall, the trip was a wonderful experience, an opportunity that not many youth get to enjoy. I hope to share my experiences with my fellow peers and perhaps they will share an interest in their own roots. As part of the younger generation of the Chisholms, or any clan for that matter, I can say that it is hard to appreciate one’s heritage and what can be learned from your elders is easily taken for granted, especially when that new MP3 player turns you anti-social. By being able to immerse myself into my heritage through this trip, I was able to appreciate the work others have put into tracing back lineage or working to unite the clan, however far or near. I thank the Chisholm Clan Society for providing me with this opportunity and for putting so much effort into their goals of keeping the Clan informed of their past. I stand proud of my strong roots.