Malcolm House, 82, played ‘Soldier’s Joy’ at wedding last month in Chisasibi

Malcolm House was 12 years old when he first started playing the fiddle in northern Quebec Cree territory, back in 1953.

At the time, he had to go visit a friend and play his fiddle, because House didn’t have one of his own.

Seventy years later, House is still fiddling — and last month, he played the first fiddle tune of the evening at an important family event in Chisasibi, in northern Quebec. Playing the first tune, before the dancing starts, is an important Cree custom.

“I played at my grandson’s wedding, I played the fiddle at the dance,” House said, in Cree. The 82-year-old elder played Soldier’s Joy, a classic fiddle reel with origins traced back to Scotland.

oldier’s Joy was also the first fiddle tune House learned to play back in 1953. He said fiddle music has long been a standard at Cree weddings.

House said he used to play with the late Ray Spencer, a legendary fiddler in James Bay who died in 1982.

Spencer was featured as part of National Film Board’s The Fiddlers of James Bay, a 1980 documentary that traces the history of the fiddle’s arrival in Canada with Scottish traders, 300 years ago.

House and his wife Sarah live a mostly traditional life at their camp, located at Kaa Weeshinaawkimaach — a lake inland from Chisasibi and accessible only by snowmobile or plane.

The couple also has a camp closer to Chisasibi, which is accessible by road.

“It’s for Eeyou Ituun,” said Sarah in Cree, which translates into ‘Cree knowledge’.

Sarah said House often plays the fiddle at their traditional camp, and that she was happy to hear him playing at their grandson’s wedding.

It is customary for couples to have embroidered moose skin hearts made when they get married and the lead fiddle player to drape them on their fiddle.

“I used to enjoy listening to him play at our cabin, I used to think how could he play that instrument … I used to see him play at the dance a long time ago. He was a very good fiddler,” Sarah said.