It’s been a busy 2023 so far. A Nova Scotia wedding in May, two major festivals (ScotFestBC and World Music Festival) in June and another Irish festival in Vancouver in August. Throw in a few weddings including one in Ucluelet, funerals, memorials, backyard parties, Canada Day and of course graduations, and my pipes haven’t had …
I played on the beaches, on the land, at sea, hospitals and senior homes. It was a busy Remembrance week in the Lower Mainland of BC. As usual, I was the piper at the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club 8-Bells service at sea on Nov. 11. This is an 80-year old solemn event for lost members …
Read more “Catching my breath after a busy Remembrance Week”
(Click here to contact Mike directly) It has been a brutal 15-months. For families who lost loved ones during the Covid-19 pandemic, the sense of loss can be overwhelming. Losing isolated family members and unable to be by their bedside in their time of need is one of the most difficult things to deal with …
My first piping instructor – still going strong, with her father’s pipes. What the story doesn’t say is that when Barb’s father showed up in Scotland during leave, to pick up and pay for his pipes, his regiment had already paid for them out of respect.
The plaid is a sure sign of spring in British Columbia. Starting this weekend, the French Canadian community in the Lower Mainland is the first to host a festival that has been going strong for 40 years.  The Festival du Bois takes place the March  5 weekend in Coquitlam, and is the kick-off event of …
Read more “Shamrocks, four leaf clovers and bagpipes: St. Patrick’s Day in Vancouver”
For the past four years during the summer months, I have been fortunate to play pipes for the Rocky Mountaineer Rail Company. The tourist passenger train with the amazing views takes travellers through the spectacular Rocky Mountains to Banff and Jasper, Calgary and Whistler. And this year, the company has added an additional train, the …
Read more “Bagpipes & grand piano’s: Welcome to Vancouver’s Rocky Mountaineer.”
The RCMP E. Division Pipe Band and the Buffalo Celtic Music Society are proud to present: Tartan Day 2014 Concert “A Highland Celebration” Saturday, April 5, 2014 Riverside Palace Banquet Hall, 14431 Knox Way, Richmond, BC V6V 2Z1 Cocktails: 6pm. Dinner: 7pm Featuring: RCMP E. Division Pipe Band, under PM Hugh Peden The Tam O’Shanter …
Read more “Music, dancing and whisky tasting scheduled for Tartan Day 2014”