Band Strucutre

DRUM MAJOR:
Leaps tall buildings in a single bound.
Faster than a speeding bullet.
More powerful than a locomotive.

Walks on water.
Talks to God.

PIPERS:
Leaps small buildings with a run-up.
Is a crack shot.
Pulls railway carriages.
Fords rivers.
Listens to God.

SIDE DRUMMERS:
Vaults over fences.
Is allowed his own sidearm.
Can read a railway timetable.
Knows how to put on fishing galoshes.
Believes in God.

TENOR DRUMMERS:
Can open and walk through a door.
Knows which is the dangerous end of a gun.
Has his own train set.
Wears wellington boots.
Talks to himself.

BASS DRUMMERS:
Trips over match sticks.
Is never allowed near firearms.
Says "Look at CHOO-CHOO"
Plays in puddles
Nobody listens to him.

THE PIPE MAJOR:
Lifts tall buildings and walks underneath them.
Catches bullets in his teeth and chews them.
Kicks locomotives off their tracks.
Drinks entire oceans.
He Is GOD!

History of The Bagpipes

No instrument has ever been so deeply entrenched in a country's tradition as the bagpipe is in Scotland's. Although the origin of the pipes can be traced back to ancient Egyptian times, it was in Scotland that the pipes eventually gained popularity and flourished.

Historicialy, the Scots used the Bagpipe as an instrument of war. The bagpipe were said to possess the "sound" that could inspire warriors to great heights of valor. The Scottish pipers led their clans into battle skirting the songs of victory and the dirges of defeat. In addition, the piper celebrated births and marriages and composed songs of lament upon the death of individuals.

Over the years, the classical music of the pipes the Piobaireachd (pronounced Peeb Rock) has been handed down from piper to piper. This tradition carried on even after the failed uprising of 1745, after which piping was outlawed.

In the middle of the nineteenth century, official pipe bands were introduced to British military regiments. It was not long after this that the bagpipe became an essential component of these regiments. Civllian pipe bands were developed later and are now found all over the world, wherever individuals of Scottish and Celtic ancestry are found.