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Men of the Deeps is made up of retired and existing coal miners who sing about the work and lifestyle of the Cape Breton coal miner.
Their repertoire includes songs such as The Ballad of Spring Hill, about the Spring Hill mining disaster that took the lives of 93 miners. However, there are also such comedic gems as I’m a Lump of Coal But I’ll Be a Diamond One Day.
The group recently performed at Caterpillar’s Minesite at Night function running in conjunction with MINExpo.
Conductor and musical director John O’Donnell said the group comprised an eclectic mix of members.
One member, Johnny McLeod, is 79 years old. Another, Bobby Roper, was among the founders of the group in 1966. There is even a former mine manager and a former mining union president.
Sadly, coal mining on Cape Breton has fallen on hard times. The region was known for its operation that pulled coal from beneath the ocean. Alas, only about 50 people from the island are involved in it now.
That could change with Xstrata running the ruler over the submarine colliery.
