The Bundaberg Caledonian Pipe Band celebrated 135 years of community service at their Through the Years concert on Saturday.
The band’s secretary Julie Myers said the Moncrieff Entertainment Centre was the perfect place to hold the concert as the audience was captured by a combination of listening to the live performance and taking in the history with photos on the big screen.
“The concert was good on all accounts, and I heard people say it was our best ever and they loved hearing about our history,” Julie said.
“We had photos from as far back as we could find, of different uniforms and players. I searched the library and the internet and included what I could.”
Julie said the Bundaberg Caledonian Pipe Band members have upheld 135 years of continuous service to the residents of the Bundaberg Region and she thanked the members for their years of dedication.
Always a show stopper
Julie said the Through the Years concert was well attended and more than 100 performers took to the stage to delight the audience and capture the 135 years of proud history.
“We had our band and also two choirs, Pub Rock Choir pairing with the Rhythms of the Reef Choir and Vocal Affinity with Robyn Edgar,” she said.
“We played older songs to modern songs from now, the band really has changed with the times over the years.
“One of the showstoppers of the night was the performance of Highland Cathedral, which is always a song that moves the audience.”
She said the build-up as the song is started with solo piper to then incorporate more pipers and drums was breathtaking.
A chance to see the band again
If you missed the Through the Years concert the Caledonia Pipe Band is set to play at the annual Pageant of the Lights in December, before finishing off the year in style on New Years Eve.
“Every year we are driven around in a Stewart and Sons bus as we stop at clubs and walk in unannounced to perform a song and then off to the next one,” Julie said.
“This has been the New Year’s Eve tradition for many decades, and I can remember it when I was eight or nine when I was out with my parents at dinner and the pipers would come in – I am 60 now!
“It’s something we always look forward to and hope people in the community do too.”
- Other news: Bundaberg Caledonian Pipe Band has proud heritage
