Thursday, October 04, 2012

Thanks for the Memories: New Westminister Police Pipe Band
[UPDATE, October 9: Well, today I'm told that the band is not folding, but is taking a year off, and rumours of it's death were premature. So, please note that we can look forward to the NWPPB at some time in the future, and in the meantime, I think everything else I said holds true.]

 This morning's news on email and Facebook was that The New Westminister Police Pipe Band had decided to cease operations. This was not a real surprise, because we had heard for a couple of years that P-M Angus MacPherson was in transition to retiring from work, moving away from the Lower Mainland, and there was some uncertainty about the band's future.

New Westminister—and "Maple Ridge" before them—have been a solid fixture on the scene for many years, and P-M Angus has persevered through some thin years at times, to consistently produce a musical and great-sounding band. The photo above, taken in 2011, captures the joy of New West members and friends following their two-day sweep of the North American Championships in Maxville and the Montreal Highland Games. Of course, the band had also experienced success in Scotland, having won prizes at various Games, including the World's.

It's sad to see such a consistently good band stop the music, but also easy to understand why these things happen. Without the dogged determination and skills of Angus and a few key members, it might have ended years back. So here's a health to Angus MacPherson, and sincere thanks from our band for your years of hard work to build and maintain an excellent pipe band in one of the most competitive scenes in the world. You have given so much to the piping scene in British Columbia, and your musical and organizational impact will be felt for some time to come.

The City of Regina Pipe Band had a few connections with the band. Former members of the CRPB, including Bryde Whelan, Morgan Brady, Aaron Malcolm, Ann Gray, Ian Aastrom and Cam Dodson all were stalwart members of the band, and many others were piping friends and former bandmates from Barb's and my days in British Columbia. To the members of NWPPB: thanks for your music and fellowship at venues across North America and Scotland. We look forward to meeting you all in new situations.