My Admiration for Pipe Bands

I love belonging to a pipe band. The combination of playing my favourite instrument with others and the camaraderie of friends with the same interests have been compelling forces from the time I first joined a pipe band until this day. I love to play with the band either in a parade or just to practice. And, if I should happen to be standing on a street watching a pipe band leading the parade, it’s wonderful to see the pipers and drummers swinging along, gliding simultaneously to the beat, marching neatly, row on row, proud and disciplined, playing Scottish music and honoring their heritage. Even as they pass and all I see is the last row, consisting only of tenor drummers, I enjoy seeing them spinning their drumsticks upwards, wafting the band’s music to the sky, as though it was the sweet fragrance of perfume.

There has always been a deep feeling of friendship in the bands in which I’ve belonged. Older and experienced pipers have graciously passed along their techniques while younger members have responded with enthusiasm. The result has been an improvement in overall performance. Friendship has extended to the occasional Sunday brunch at a hotel, with members and their wives or husbands, and the tailgate picnics after out-of-town parades, which were prepared by the ladies in the band. These enjoyable informal gatherings enabled us to know each other as friends as well as fellow musicians.

What I love mostly, is to play harmony either in the band or with individuals. We were particularly fortunate in our Army and Navy and Air Force Pipe Band in Winnipeg, to have as our pipe major, P/M Ian Conn, an ex-member of the Schotts and Dykehead World Championship Pipe Band. He had a wonderfully keen ear for tuning, and it was because of his special efforts to tune chanters and drones to perfection, that our band was made to sound so well. He was careful to drill the band on its attacks, finishes, accuracy of notes and timing. He admonished us to listen to the piper on either side of us and to the drummers. Indeed, it was a pleasure to play under such dedicated leadership and with conscientious pipers and drummers. After practice, when the pipes were going so well, there was an urge to play just another tune or two for the benefit of anyone who wanted to listen. The tonal quality from such beautifully tuned pipes, steady from the evening’s practice was thrilling -as if the pipes just wanted to be played.

I was fortunate to have had many years of playing along with my Dad, Earl MacDonald and my brother, Ken. The three of us often marched in the same row. Dad would say we were three brothers. That’s how he described the picture taken of us in the Rosebowl Parade in Pasadena.

It was disappointing for P/M Hugh Fraser of the Saskatoon Light Infantry Pipe Band, when we moved from there to Winnipeg Manitoba, for he would have lost three pipers at once. However, for us, we were founding members of The Manitoba Pipes and Drums under P/M Jack Reay’s direction. Our band consistently won the Western Canadian Championship. Ken and I delayed our return to university each fall, to compete as soloists and with the band. Either of us loved to report to our inquiring professors, that our band had been successful once again.

I’ve enjoyed Mondays’ band practices. It’s so beneficial to belong to a band and practice its repertoire, new tunes and medleys. It keeps the pipes in beautiful playing order and ready to play for personal engagements. Consequently, I have had confidence that my pipes would be playing well for morning worship services, weddings, funerals, memorials or piping in a head table. I thoroughly enjoy playing in a pipe band and am thankful for the privilege of being a member.