ROGER CHARTRAND

                     ROGER CHARTRAND

Roger Chartrand grew up with much music in his family besides his place here with the Canadian Air Force Big Band. His dad played violin or the fiddle depending on who you speak to, his elder sister played strings and did percussions, his other sister played guitar and banjo, my mother played piano and Uncle Fred also played fiddle. Mom told me they had a family band for thirty six years. No one is around in The Pas anymore who would remember the Chartrand Ochestra but they played in the old Ulkrainian Hall often throughout the thirties and forties.

Back in Perigord, Saskatchewan where my mom ( Cecile Chartrand Richards )was born their family got together and entertained themselves and other local folk. The eldest in the family Aunt Clara played and Grandpa Gaspard Chartrand was the family band leader on violin otherwise known as the fiddle. Back in the day the fiddle player would lead with his feet tapping out the rhythm for the rest to follow. Uncle Fred also played fiddle. Aunt Marie played guitar and banjo, mom ( Cecile ) was the piano player. I think they had a bass drum which aunt Clara made use of. If someone sang I can't tell you who did. Roger played too. Hitting a few pots and pans would round out the percussion section. Spoons of course made a good sound on the jigs and reels they would play. Oh ya, the washboard was adopted as an instrument. Clara played that. I'm going by memory of what things my mom shared with me when I was a kid. My dad played the hair comb but that's a different story! Lol! If more comes to me I'll submit it. The caretaker from the Ukrainian Hall used to come to the Patrick Avenue house in The Pas to call curtain time. In his accent, he's say, " The Roger, The Fred, The Marie, The Cecile it's time to come and play!"



Submitted by Norm Richards.