Some Photos Are Worth 1000 Words

Sylvia & Vince

Last Sunday we had the opportunity to host a wee concert with stellar Antigonish fiddler Troy MacGillivray and Louis-Charles Vigneau, a francophone singer/guitar virtuoso also from the Maritimes. So, we put up the posters, sent emails to our band and MWCF mailing list, and we got enough people out to make a nice Sunday afternoon concert of excellent music in our regular practice space.

Barbara took this photo, and while she was primarily getting a nice shot of Sylvia and Vincent Aitken in the front, it also captured quite a bit in the background. I likely first met Sylvia and Vince in the late 1970s, when I was the P-M of the Fraser Pipe Band in Regina. Their son Jamie was a snare drummer in the band, and daughter Ramona later learned the pipes. Vince and Sylvia were always cheerful, practical, hard-working band parents, and over the years took on many roles with the Fraser Pipe Band. Eventually, their kids moved on from pipe bands, but not Vince and Sylvia. They continued to go on trips to Scotland with the Fraser band, and when the City of Regina Pipe Band started in 1992, they also attended our events regularly. Over the years, they have supported our every ceilidh, concert and social, and are always in the background when the band plays at a pub, has a send-off, or a public performance. Last summer, they came to Scotland with the band, and in 2010, they were there cheering us on at every turn. These are really fine people, who love pipe bands, piping and everything Scottish, and whose long-term enthusiasm has really made a difference to the pipe band. We love to see them out, and it's always more fun when they are there.

Framed right between Sylvia and Vince is Melita Clemence, who raised a family of six, and who had all six in the pipe band! Melita is another long-term contributor to Scots/Irish culture in the city. She supports everything the pipe bands do, and she has donated many beautiful handmade items for silent auctions, and she is always there with a cheerful laugh about the latest happening.  She kept all six kids busy in pipe bands, and to this day daughters Pat (half-hidden behind Sylvia) and Arlene are both members of the CRPB, and their kids have all been members of the Conservatory Pipe Band and the CRPB, and they have all volunteered, donated and been the backbone of many initiatives for pipe bands and also Irish dancing in Regina.

Way in the back of this photo is Brett Stinson, who came to the band aged 20 or so, and who has been an excellent band member, Lead Drummer and drum instructor for the band all these years. His dedication to working with kids in the Conservatory band has been amazing, and the results of his efforts have at times made up the bulk of both bands.

And last, at the right of the photo is drummer Will Currums. Willie moved to Saskatchewan from Ireland last summer, and is anxiously waiting for his family to join him this spring. Willie has been an absolute gift to the pipe band, and also to the country. It's always great when a new band member moves to the area, and it's been amazing to have someone locally with Willie's sheer passion for pipe bands and the music, and for living in general.

So there you have it. A little snapshot out of a band Sunday, with people who have been contributing to pipe bands for years, and without whom the pipe band world would be much poorer.

Seriously Fun Piping

The past couple of weeks have been a flurry of piping performances of various kinds, starting with the contests on the May long weekend [solo/band] and then moving on to the Conservatory of Performing Arts BRAVO! Gala Event, at which the Conservatory of Performing Arts Pipe Band performed. The event raised serious cash for the programs at the Conservatory, celebrated the instructors, and showed off everyone in their party dress finery. Among the regular two sets of band practices and lessons, seven new pipers at the Conservatory got their new pipes last week, and that was an exciting time for them, if not [yet] for their neighbours! Then last week, the CRPB and CPA bands combined to provide a small band each day for the University of Regina Convocation June 3, 4, and 5th. There seemed to be a real response from the 2000 or so in the audience each day when the curtain was raised as the pipe band started. Friday was a great day for Kenna Whelan, who graduated with her BEd, and got to be piped out by the band to which she has contributed so much.
Today, the bands got together at the Legion just after noon for the annual Decoration Day, at which the Legion places flags on the military graves at the cemetery, and a small service of Remembrance is conducted. The band piped in the colour party, and stood in today's cold rain while the service was underway. After, lunch at the Legion, and then a quick pint at O'Hanlon's. Among the pleasures of all this piping, we got to welcome back Graham Schmidt for the summer, and we're looking forward to having him back in the line-up for upcoming contests.

In the midst of all that band activity, I got a call from Moose Jaw native Scott Benson. I remembered Scott as having attended a fiddle workshop at the MWCF years ago with Antigonish siblings Kendra and Troy MacGillivray, and this was Scott looking for some piping as part of his CD release concerts. So, a week or so later, Barb and I played three shows with Scott on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, in the midst of all the convocation gigs.

It turns out that Scott is a great player, and he brought together some very fine people for the weekend, including Troy MacGillivray, Patrick Gillis and two excellent guys from Moose Jaw: Jared Dormer and Josh Carley on percussion and keyboards. What a pleasure to play tunes with such talented and down-to-earth people. The Thursday show in Regina was small, and gave us a chance to get things going, and then on Friday in Moose Jaw at the Mae Wilson Theatre we re-did the show in front of 300 enthusiastic and appreciative folks, and it was pure piping fun. I got to play some great tunes on the reelpipes with superb musicians, and when I wasn't playing, I got to take in the great music from the side. We did the show again at Bobby's Place in Moose Jaw on Saturday night, again to a full house of enthusiasts, so it was a great finish to the three. Check out Scott's CD HERE.