Mary Jessie MacDonald

Age 78, of River Ryan, Nova Scotia Friday, Dec.7, 2007 at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital, Sydney, NS. Born in New Waterford, Cape Breton, she was the daughter of the late Hugh & Mary (Beaton) MacDonald from Inverness County. In 1952, Mary Jessie emigrated to Boston from New Waterford, and lived in Brighton, Brookline, & Allston. Mary Jessie was employed at Honeywell Corp. in Brighton for twenty-seven years. When she retired in 2001, Mary Jessie returned to Cape Breton making her home in River Ryan. A piano player, Mary Jessie developed her unique interpretation of Celtic music through performing regularly with her mother, who was a noted Cape Breton fiddler; and Winston Fitzgerald with whom she played on the radio. As an accompanist she played at the Greenville Cafe, Dudley St., and the Orange Hall in Brookline and at the Canadian American Club in Waltham. Mary Jessies name became synonymous with fine violin music, as she was a regular accompanist to musicians such as Angus Chisholm, Winston Fitzgerald, Bill Lamey and Tom Doucette. On performing visits to the US, violinists from Scotland such as Sean McGuire, Hector Mac Andrew, Ronald Gonella and Alistair Fraser sought her accompaniment. Throughout her career she was a frequent guest at Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, Port Townsend, WA and in 1988 Mary Jessie was honored for her contribution to American folk music by the Smithsonian Institute, Washington DC, where she performed with fiddler John Campbell for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Other highlights of her career in music include Expo '86 in Vancouver and the 2002 Celtic Colours Festival concert held in her honor entitled Fiddlers Choice. Mary Jessie played at hundreds of house sessions during her life and can be heard throughout the classic private tape collections. In 1951, she recorded with Winston Fitzgerald; later with Joe MacLean; in 1978 with her mother for a Topic Label LP entitled the Gaelic Tradition in Cape Breton. In recent years she recorded with fiddlers: Donald Angus Beaton, Dave MacIsaac, Natalie MacMaster and Bill Lamey. Mary Jessie will be remembered for her distinctive and compelling piano style and her commitment to musicianship and innovation. She is survived by one sister, Jessie (Edward) Archibald, Braintree, MA, and one brother, John Hugh (Mary) MacDonald, New Waterford. Also surviving are nieces of Nova Scotia: Mary Cecilia Senecal, Terry Bradbury and Sandy Lotherington. Mary Jessie was predeceased by three sisters: Margaret Senecal, Ann Oravecz, Clair Currie and two brothers, Roderick Alexander and one in infancy. Visitation is on Sunday evening from 7-9 pm and Monday from 2-4 and 7-9 pm at the V.J. McGillivray Funeral Home, 380 Smith St., New Waterford, Nova Scotia. The funeral mass is Tuesday 11:00 am at the Parish of St. Leonard/St. Joseph Church, Lingan. Interment at St. Joseph Church cemetery will be held at a later date. Reception to take place after the mass in the parish hall. Donations in her memory may be made to the Cape Breton Regional Hospital Foundation, Box 1441, Sydney, N.S., B1P 6R7. Please note that a ceilidh-vigil will take place at the funeral home Monday night at 7:30 pm. On-line condolences to the family can be expressed through the funeral home at: www.vjmcgillivray.ca