On Remembering

The role of pipe bands and pipers in Remembrance Day calls out a cast of characters that we don't always see together. The annual services in Regina see the City of Regina, Conservatory and Wa Wa Shrine pipe bands perform together at the Agridome, and the RCMP Pipe Band plays a separate role there as well. At the Cenotaph in Victoria Park, the Regina Police Service plays. While we are remembering the veterans who gave their lives, and honouring those who remain, as well as the current military, I also tend to think about the more immediate losses reflected in the ranks of the pipe bands.

I can't play that parade without remembering Brian Fraser. Our former bass drummer was a big part of the band in so many ways, and he had a special place and role on Remembrance Day. It was on that parade that he adopted the name "Only the Bass Drummer," which became his own joke on himself. This year, we missed Bruce Cooke, who was PM of the Wa Wa Shrine for a long time, and who did these ceremonies for many years. I thought about him yesterday, and reflected on his many years of service to the community. And these are just two.

In the life of a piping community, we see a lot of people come and go, and doing an annual parade where we see most is one way to note that passage of time, and the change of guard.