Peter Chaisson remembered at festival with impromptu jam session

After the Rollo Bay Fiddle Festival came to an abrupt halt Sunday afternoon because of the sudden death of the festival's organizer, the show went on.

"It was a very, very sad occasion, but it turned into a celebration in a hurry," said fiddler Ward MacDonald, who knew organizer Peter Chaisson for his entire life.

Bystanders said Chaisson suffered a heart attack. Paramedics performed chest compressions, but were unable to revive him.

After the incident took place, the festival announced the remaining concerts would be cancelled. However, after speaking with Chaisson's family, an open jam session was held.

"When the news got back to Doreen, that would be Peter's wife, that they cancelled the event, she and the kidssaid, 'No, we don't want the music to stop. This is not what what Peter would want,'" said MacDonald.

Chaisson,72, was knownas the patriarch of the festival, now inits 39th year.

CBC News spoke to Chaissonearly on Sunday. At the time, he said hewas stressed, trying to find 200 chairs to add seating to a barn after rain had driven the festival indoors.