Kincardine Scottish marks 100 years of piping and drumming

TROY PATTERSON Kincardine News Staff The 100th Anniversary of the Kincardine Scottish Pipe Band is as much about the community that supports it, as it is about the pipers and drummers that have marched every Saturday Night each summer for the last 60 years. Those who have served as pipers or drummers for years or hold positions in the upper ranks of the organization, attribute the Municipality of Kincardine, its people, guests and “volunteer spirit” to the ongoing success of the band and its parades. “When you line up on Durham Market North you have no idea how many hundreds, or thousands of people will be waiting,” said President John McManus, who joined in 1993. For him, when the bag fills with air and the drone begins, “it stirs you up inside.” The Saturday Night Parade and the Phantom Piper share the spotlight as the trademarks of the oldest street band with unbroken service in Ontario. Former pipe major Basil McCarthy and author of The Kincardine Scottish Pipe Band: The First Century said the recognition and applause they receive for their efforts from the community and visitors to the area, make the parade so worthwhile for everyone involved. “It’s pretty neat when you know people are there and they are appreciative of what you’re doing,” said McCarthy. But he added with a chuckle, “to have a reason to carry on, there has to be some ego involved.” Pipe Major Jennifer Farrell said when people identify with Kincardine, the Saturday Night Parade falls right in line with other characteristics like the beaches, sunsets and historic downtown. “It’s a tradition,” said Farrell, who added the parades cross generations of families and visitors and were the inspiration for many aspiring pipers, including herself. “They all have their own part to play in the Saturday Night Parade. If there were no people, there would be no parade.” But with a record 300-plus pipers and drummers expected at the Mass Band Festival on Saturday, the event helps fuel the excitement for everyone involved. The band also hosts the Robbie Burns Supper, with about 200 or more turning out at the Davidson Centre the weekend prior to the birthday of Scotland’s greatest poet on Jan. 25. McCarthy recalled “the changing of the guard” in the early 1990s, which kicked off a new era of renewal for the band. The Mass Band Festival slowly evolved away from a closed local event in the early 1990s to an advertised regional activity for all to enjoy. McManus said 4,000 hot dogs and 250 dozen cobs of corn were served last year alone. Ray Lavallee is the longest-standing piper in the band with 30 years as a member and about 37 years piping in total. Seeing it adapt through the years, Lavallee feels the Mass Band “is a chance for the groups to share some fellowship amongst other members.” He remembered the days when they only had eight people on the street for the parades and the support wasn’t what it should have been in the community. The band now has a membership of 45 and numerous sources of local support. Having regularly done his duty to scale the Kincardine Lighthouse to play as the legendary ‘Phantom Piper’, he described the experience that isn’t as easy as it may seem. “The appreciation you get for it is great, but it’s awful scary up there,” Lavallee said. “It takes a lot of getting used to, but it’s nice to pipe as the sun goes down. It’s inspiring, especially with the sunsets we have here.” Band members rotate through the responsibility every day from June to September, excluding Saturdays, where they can always expect to have some kind of audience, in the rain or as the sun fades beyond the horizon. With the 100th Anniversary approaching, Lavallee said the band is “100 per cent better” because of the vision of the executive and support of the community. “I’m very proud to be a member of this organization,” he said. Teaching The Kincardine Scottish take pride in welcoming anyone who is interested in learning the pipe and drums to train, free of charge. About 10 to 15 students are welcomed each year, from which about half continue on with their training at the end of the year. Chanters and pipers must eventually be purchased, but lessons and uniforms are all covered within the constitution of the organization. With experienced instructors like Pipe Major Jennifer Farrell and David Hamilton sharing their knowledge, the band continues to grow with every Wednesday night meeting. From Page 20 “The training program made us a much better band musically with Jennifer in the lead,” McCarthy said. “She’s a very good teacher and is very musical. She has a way that allows people to learn without being ridiculed.” With so many students being trained, they often move on to competitive bands for a greater challenge, but “always remember where they came from,” he said. This has translated into the band’s positive and “more approachable” image than it had historically, along with a structure that provides consistency through the leadership of the organization. “We’re very accommodating, friendly, open and amenable to people who just want to enjoy playing,” said McCarthy, who said without pipers from outside areas like Lucknow and Goderich, the band wouldn’t have survived during the harder times. “When I’m playing the pipes, it’s like I forget about everything except what I’m doing,” said Farrell, who like many pipers can’t quite pin down what it is about the instrument that draws them. “It’s compelling more than anything.” Farrell said she learned from Henry Lamont during the transition from the ‘old guard’ in 1992, which took a lot of “good instruction, dedication and desire” to begin her learning curve. Now she is the one who loves teaching and encourages her students to strive for whatever level they choose. Farrell said people have to approach the music with a “love of the instrument”. “You have to ask where does it hit you? When it hits you in the heart or in the stomach, there’s nothing better,” she said. “For others it may hit them too high or too low and can be disconcerting. You can feel yourself vibrate.” The band trains with about 40 to 50 tunes at any given time, she said, while they drop and add tunes whenever they chose. Her role as pipe major is to act as the musical director for the band and choose the tunes and how they’ll be played. “There’s a lot of music to know, so the learning curve can get that much steeper,” she said. “It’s a very powerful instrument... it’s emotional and gripping.” McCarthy’s book is available during the Saturday Night Parade and at local merchants. The band was founded by William Young in 1907, but didn’t take to the streets until 1908. Since then, a rich history has been formed that is captured in McCarthy’s book, explaining the details, transitions, events, individuals and intricacies that helped shape the image of the band that makes it synonymous with Kincardine. It also explains why the supporters of the band are so important to this day. From the Municipality of Kincardine, to local businesses and the volunteers who take time out of their day in order to benefit the band. For more information on the organization visit www.kspb.ca