The Epic Battle

In the last days of the Queendom, messengers came from West the with tales of dark forces assembling in the foothills, while to the East the blue hordes continued to extend their reign. Quietly, the hobbits made drone reeds, and seasoned bags, and tightened heads, in the knowledge that they would soon meet the forces of darkness.

Easy to portray the pipe band scene like a Lord of the Rings movie. Good and evil are relative, of course, depending on what band you happen to be in. The classic battle of opposing moral forces is often the way these things are sold within bands, as a way to motivate people to prepare. It often amuses me how quickly people are able to transfer from one mindset to another, at least on the surface, when they change bands. Of course, within a band, we also see people differently when they leave the Queendom. It's just the way it goes sometimes.

When the band first formed, we had some clear and distinct rivals: The Clain McBain Pipe Band in Calgary, the Stirling Pipe Band in Winnipeg, and the Victoria Park Pipe Band here in Regina. Later, there was the Glengarry Pipe Band from Calgary [McBain offshoot], and the Edmonton & District Pipe Band, and off and on the St. Andrew's Pipe Band from Winnipeg, until about 2 years ago, when they've been ON the whole time.

It's hard for me to see the current situation like the LOTR. The dark forces on the West have as many old CRPB players as we do, and Winnipeg St. Andrews has its share, too. So in the words of one storied ex-member, how can we "get pumped to do battle"?

Well Frodo, you must look within. What are the things that you seek to conquer as a player? What things are you "battling" to overcome? Coming into another band weekend, we all need to think about what things we can do to take the team forward by improving what we have to offer as individual band members.

The dark forces we need to worry about are the ones we bring with us. In the end, they are the only things over which we have control.

Tomorrow the CRPB will assemble for the 17th time to play at the Royal Canadian Legion's Remembrance Ceremony. Seems hard to believe that when we first started, a number of the current band members had not yet been born, but there it is. I find the day meaningful, sad, and enjoyable.

It is meaningful for many whose parents and grandparents served in the wars. My grandfather, John A. Fraser, left university studies in PEI to join the CEF in World War I, and served in Europe with the !st Canadian Tank Corps. My Dad, who grew up in Saskatoon, left his law career in 1939 to volunteer, and served with the Royal Canadian Service Corps in England, France, Germany and Holland, with several memorable breaks in Edinburgh and Glasgow. I knew all about Sauchiehall Street before I'd ever set foot there. The war was a vibrant thread in the tapestry of my Dad's life, and despite the passing of years, and thousands of miles separating, my Dad maintained a connection with other men with whom he served. When my Dad died in 1991, our family received letters from army friends who told us how important he was to them, despite the many years that had passed.

So on Remembrance Day, I think a lot of my Dad : Major R.A. MacDonald, M.B.E. and also my Grandfather: Lt. John A. Fraser. I think, too, of the many serving soldiers currently, including friends and fellow pipers.

The sadness comes from seeing the diminishing presence of "the Old Guard," those veterans of past wars who marched in such numbers 17 years ago, and who are in short supply now. There are new veterans to remember, and new fallen to commemorate, but time creeps on, the faces change.

And, November 11 is also a time of remembering the good stuff: the bonds and friendships, the shared experiences, and the ultimate victories, despite the odds and the heavy cost. I enjoy witnessing all this, and playing a role in commemorating, and I think the band has, over the years, served the Legion well. Long may it continue.

Remembering Brian
All the recent blog chatter has had me thinking about bass drummers and "mid-sections" or "bass sections" as they like to call them in Scotland. I voted in the pipes|drums poll because it seems like a good bit of fun. Apparently, some are working hard to stuff the ballot boxes, and some seem outraged that an award will be made from online poll results. Incidentally, I voted for Kathryn Tawse and the SFU bass section. I think she's brilliant every time she plays, and this year at the Worlds....wow. Lots of other good plays, too, and I did enjoy the HOE Shotts & Dykehead "inflate the tenor drum" trick. Cool, and fun.

Anyway, I got to thinking about CRPB bass drummers past to present, and the various things they brought to the band: Don Jeannotte, Jody Brin, Brian Fraser, John Hall, Mitch Stilborn, and now Karen Hala. Brian Fraser brought a lot to the band. It was about this time of year when he was tragically killed in a Winnipeg road accident, and I miss him still. Brian was one of those band guys who would do anything for the band, and anything to support people in the band.

In 1997, Brian won "Best Bass" at Maxville in the Grade 2 event. We was also a winner of that award at Moose Jaw, Regina, Red Deer, Canmore and other places. While he was justly proud of his various wins in that regard, he was really more interested in the band succeeding, and his efforts were completely focussed in that direction.

Whatever happens long term with the awarding of bass & mid-section prizes, let's remember that the contest is all about the band's ensemble performance, and not how one section of one band is better than those sections of other bands.

And I'll take a moment to remember a good friend and his bad jokes, and say thanks to all the members who have made the CRPB "bass section" over the years.