Photo: Mike Paterson
DRUMMING CANADA
Medal for Piobaireachd at Winter Storm in Kansas City and nurses an ambition to win a Highland Society of London Gold Medal. He started piping in Mission, British Colum- bia, under pipe major Bill Dow, then moved to the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band, playing there for 14 years. In 2001, he accepted leader-
The Band of the Royal Military College of
Canada was founded nearly 60 years ago as a pipes and drums ensemble but has since grown to include a brass and reed section, a choir, and a corps of Highland dancers, as well as the pipes and drums. Today, with more than 100 per- formers to call on, the RMC Band is one of the
“I’m from a military family and my dad was posted to Canadian Forces Base Greenwood, in Nova Scotia,” he said. “It’s a big piping area and I started with private lessons when I was about 12 with a member of the 14 Wing Pipes and Drums, an Air Force volunteer band. Then, when I was around 15, I was deemed old enough to perform with them.” With the 14 Wing band, Ben piped at events
Colin Clancy tunes piper Aaron Bradley’s pipes for the recent Concert In Scarlets in Kingston, Ontario.
ship of the Glengarry Pipe Band in Maxville, Ontario, to work it up as senior-level competing band. In 2004, he led it to sixth place in Grade 2 at the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, as well as into the prize lists in Canada and the United States. The Cadet Pipe Major at RMC this year is Cassandra Harpe, from Capreol, Ontario. “I started on drums when I was 14, then
went over to pipes.” She piped with the 2915 Capreol Army Cadet Corps band and the Lau- rentian University Band in Sudbury, and joined the pipe corps on arrival at RMC.
largest musical groups in the Canadian Forces. Officer Cadet Cassandra Harpe has been unable to perform with her corps at RMC since sustaining a serious tendon injury and has has been forced to take on a more administrative role. Standing in as pipe major for performances, such as the recent Concert in Scarlets that raised $4200 for the local United Way charitable campaign, has been Officer Cadet Ben Deutsch, another experienced player.
around eastern Canada, including the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo. His sights are set on a career as a naval diving officer. He has another year at RMC ahead of him but admits: “I have other duties around College as an administrative officer for a division so pip- ing has been a bit of a part-time thing for me this year and next year it will depend on how my workloads are.” Piper Jared Gordon, from Calgary, is due to graduate from RMC this year as an aeronautical engineer. He had his introduction to pipes as an eight-year-old and has played ever since. In Calgary, he played with his local Cadet band and with the local contingent of the 78th Fraser Highlanders — “not the Grade 1 band,” he quickly added. At RMC, Jared joined the Pipes and Drums in his first year and has devoted a lot of time to teaching new entrants. “I know it sounds hard to be up at 6.30 am practising, but most people here have to be up by then.” The turnover of experienced pipers and
drummers at RMC and tight daily schedules make striving after standards an ongoing challenge. “It’s a rollercoaster,” said Eugene.
PIPING TODAY • 47
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