The rise and follies, highs and lows of a Vancouver bagpiper

It’s no fun when you are booked to play at a wedding ceremony – and you’re the only one who shows up. It happens and it stinks after taking the time out of your day, driving to a venue and getting the pipes tuned and ready to play. But flakey brides, uptight mother-in-laws, poor directions, traffic jams …

Bagpipes & grand piano’s: Welcome to Vancouver’s Rocky Mountaineer.

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 …

Music, dancing and whisky tasting scheduled for Tartan Day 2014

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 …

The sun sets on another Vancouver bagpiping season

Fall can be the best of times, and the worst of times. For many, there’s nothing quite like beautiful, crisp, cool fall days; an opportunity to take long walks with family and friends, hike mountain trails without trudging through snow packs or relaxing in the waning strength of our dwindling summer sun. It is a …

Top 10 reasons a bagpiper can transform an event

I monitored a Twitter conversation recently about bagpipes. The “tweeters” seemed to associate the bagpipes solely with funerals and death. A Yahoo conversation was similar; many people south of the border have only heard the pipes at funerals of police officers, firefighters and soldiers. It’s kinda sad. They don’t know what they’re missing. BC (and …

New Years, Auld Lang Syng, First-Footing & bagpipes!

The door is suddenly thrown open. The midnight countdown has ended. The crowded room stops, stares, then cheer as a bagpiper, in full regalia, playing Auld Lang Syng strides into the centre of the room. Music fills the house as guests join hands in a large circle, singing the traditional Scottish New Year’s poem penned …

Bagpiping in the cold November rain in Vancouver

Vancouver, BC – There’s something moving and poignant  about the sound of a solo piper playing The Lament on Remembrance Day every year. As aging veterans, families, service men and women, politicians and citizens huddle together, heads bowed, under grey November skies, the piper delivers the sad notes of The Flowers of the Forest; an …

Finest solo pipers in the world – streaming live from Bruce’s Castle

Bruce Murray is opening up his digs to the world – literally. For the first time ever, the 2012 Glenfiddich Invitational Solo Piping Championships will be streamed live from the chief of the Clan Murray’s traditional residence on October 27. Following the success of the live-streaming of the world pipe band championships, the National Piping …