Allister MacGillivray

Instrumentally, his songs have been arranged for bagpipes, brass quintet, recorder ensemble, jazz ensemble, ukulele ensemble, massed brass & pipe band, guitar, violin, piano, and symphony suite.

He is also one of the few composers to have a commercially produced alcoholic beverage named after one of his songs. "Cape Breton Silver", a specialty liquor made by Glenora Distillers and available in Nova Scotia outlets, was inspired by a MacGillivray composition of the same name.

You've heard of the miners who tunnel for coal;
The tale of their valour has often been told.
But there's one class of hero that's misunderstood:
The lads who mine silver in the Cape Breton woods.

MacGillivray concluded his singing & playing career in the early 1980s in order to write songs and books and to make films about the musical traditions of Cape Breton Island. He continues to write and arrange music, has released a compilation CD, and is involved in the operation of Sea-Cape Music Ltd., the company which distributes his books.

Books he has published include:

• Song For The Mira (1979), a collection of thirteen original songs.
• The Cape Breton Fiddler (1981), a historical and photographic look at Cape Breton's Scottish violin tradition.
• The Cape Breton Song Collection (1985), an anthology of the Island's best-loved compositions.
• A Cape Breton Ceilidh (1988), a historical and photographic look at Cape Breton's unique step-dancing and piano-playing traditions.
• The Nova Scotia Song Collection (1989). This anthology deals with the works of Hank Snow, Wilf Carter, Stan Rogers, Dr. Helen Creighton, etc.
• Diamonds In The Rough (Vols. 1 & 2), the story of The Men Of The Deeps, Cape Breton's coal mining chorus.
• Songs From The Mira (2001), a collection of thirty-two original songs.

His children, Ciarán and Fiona MacGillivray, are also noted performers in the Celtic-music field.

He has a Bachelor of Arts degree (St. Francis Xavier University), has been awarded an honorary doctorate by The University College of Cape Breton, and has been designated The Official Bard of Clan MacGillivray Canada.

On December 13, 2013, he was appointed to the Order of Canada (2013). His citation of investiture to Rideau Hall reads as follows:

Cape Breton's musical heritage has been enriched by the contributions of Allister MacGillivray. A musician and composer, he is beloved for his original songs, many of which depict the traditional way of life of Cape Breton coal miners and fishermen. His compositions are popular with both professional and amateur choirs, notably his "Song for the Mira", considered a classic and translated into several languages. His various anthologies and publications about fiddling, step dancing, and the Gaelic language have also helped to preserve the island's traditional culture.

Allister MacGillivray, C.M., Albert Bridge (Nouvelle-Écosse)

Par sa contribution, Allister MacGillivray a enrichi le patrimoine musical du Cap Breton. Musicien et compositeur, il est extrêmement apprécié pour ses chansons originales, dont beaucoup évoquent le mode de vie traditionnel des mineurs et des pêcheurs du Cap Breton. Ses compositions sont populaires auprès des chœurs professionnels et amateurs, tout particulièrement son œuvre Song for the Mira, considérée aujourd'hui comme un classique et traduite en plusieurs langues. Ses différentes anthologies et publications sur le violon et la danse populaires ainsi que sur le gaélique ont aussi contribué à préserver la culture traditionnelle de l'île.

On May 6, 2018, in a ceremony in Halifax, NS, MacGillivray's "Song For the Mira" was inducted into The Canadian Songwriter's Hall of Fame.

On November 15, 2022, at Province House in Halifax, NS, Allister MacGillivray was presented with the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Medal in a ceremony conducted by Lieutenant-Governor LeBlanc.