Memories of
Father Charlie Cheverie

December 2019

When the Queens County Fiddler recorded their first CD back in 2004, there were dozens of details to deal with.

But there was one that required absolutely no discussion – the CD dedication.

That’s because the unanimous decision was to dedicate it to Father Charlie Cheverie.

The liner notes on the CD explain why:

“The dream had begun as the vision of one man, Father Charles Cheverie. Father Charlie is one of the group’s longest-serving and most-dedicated members. It was Father Charlie’s belief that the group had a musical message to share and he believed that its members had the talent to do so. We thank Father Charlie for starting what turned out to be a magical musical journey and for inspiring us and staying with us every step of the way. And for twenty years of inspiration, we dedicate this recording to you. 
To Father Charlie Cheverie
Forever in our music”.

This dedication was the Queens County Fiddlers’ way to honour a man who was respected and admired by people across the province and beyond.

That respect and admiration never dimmed over the years.

If anything, it grew, as his contributions to music continued to leave their mark.

And it’s because of this that Father Charlie’s death on Aug. 31, 2019, just shy of his 87th birthday, saddened thousands and left a gaping hole in the fabric of P.E.I.’s traditional music community.

While Father Charlie touched the lives of so many people and achieved so much outside of fiddling – in the church, with his family, at the University of Prince Edward Island, in the corridors of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, even in the Island’s fishing ponds – this is a short tribute to his life as a fiddler – a life that he loved, even if he did not come to it in his earlier years.

The Bowing Down Home website writes that he had a clear talent for music as a youngster and even took some fiddle lessons during childhood from Joe Pete Chaisson of Bear River, who was a frequent visitor to his family’s home. But he never got serious about the instrument. Instead, he played guitar.

However, after Joe Pete died in the late 1970s, Father Charlie was encouraged Joe Pete’s son, Peter, to have another go at the fiddle.

And this time, it stuck.

Father Charlie went on to become a charter member of the P.E.I. Fiddlers Society and a leader of one of its chapters – the Queens County Fiddlers. Devoting many hours to leading regular practice sessions and being the lead fiddler at concerts, in the mid-1980s, he also came up with the idea to create “learning cassettes” with tunes played at two speeds – a slow learning speed and a faster tempo – and to have sheet music to accompany them. It was a labour of love that eventually stretched up upwards of 60 sets, with everything from old standards like “Westphalia Waltz”, the “Tea Garden Jig” and “Sheehan’s Reel” to more recent tunes like “Darla’s Jig” and “Paul and Anne’s First Waltz”.

“My idea was to take the tapes and play tunes slowly so people could pick it up by ear and then read the notes as well,” he said, adding that the tapes gave potential players a good starting point and often led to them joining the group

Father Charlie Cheverie also had a simple, yet all-inclusive, philosophy when it came to playing the fiddle and encouraging others.

“My goal over the years was to have the fiddlers enjoy what they are doing – and that meant everybody,” he said in an interview several years ago.

“My goal was to challenge the better fiddlers but to also encourage the other players to do what they could. I always wanted to let them know that if you can play one waltz, there are millions of people out there who can’t do that.”

Over the years, he recorded many tapes of island fiddlers and a few years ago, he donated the entire collection to the Bowing Down Home website so that the tapes could be digitized and listened to on line. The PEI Fiddlers Society donated funds to support this important website which is well worth many visits

It’s no surprise that this approach endeared him to virtually everyone who ever met him, whether it was at a QCF practice, a kitchen party, a Tim Horton’s, in the tuning room at Rollo Bay, sharing his talents for a benefit, taking the stage at a concert, playing for seniors at nursing homes or sitting in a lawn chair enjoying the music at an outdoor festival.

A commanding, larger-than-life presence, he was also humble, eager to learn and always a patient teacher.

Over the years, his commitment to the Queens County Fiddlers and traditional music never lessened. Equally at home with everyone from older members in their 80s and teenagers to players loaded with talent and those who only wanted to learn a few tunes and listen to the music, Father Charlie was a driving force. His head and fiddle and fingers were full of music that he was always willing to share with anyone.

Although the job of leading the QCF would eventually be passed to younger players, like Ward MacDonald and Aaron Crane, he faithfully attended practices and played with the group at concerts. He also truly enjoyed being part of an informal group of players who met regularly to share tunes, put new sets together and support each other’s musical goals.

As the years went on, fiddle music took him everywhere from kitchen parties and the Rollo Bay Fiddle Festival to concerts around P.E.I. and the St. Anne’s Festival in Cape Breton.

He delighted in seeing young people chasing a musical dream and was thrilled that there were so many skilled teachers now sharing their talents with students of all ages.

He was especially pleased to be part of the group’s 2017 CD, “Ages”, with one of the sets on the CD named for him: “A Great Set for a CD”. 

Father Charlie dealt with serious health issues during the last 10 months of his life. However, he continued to draw inspiration for his recovery from his spiritual faith, his love of music and his love of people.

As soon as he was able, he was back to practices at Andrew’s of Stratford – to listen at first (but only for a short time) and then picking up the fiddle once again. Before long, he was practicing regularly with the group and was even able to make a trip to the St. Anne’s Festival in Cape Breton, where he performed on stage, just two weeks before his death.

Those who knew Father Charlie Cheverie through fiddling will never forget him. Through his years of musical leadership and companionship, they were privileged to be a part of a special circle of music and light that brightened their lives and, hopefully, his.

As the liner notes say on “Forty Fiddles Flat Out”, Father Charlie was “forever in our music”.

He will be “forever in our hearts”.

-A Queen’s County Fiddler