The Paris Port Dover Pipe Band chalked up another ‘star’ to its lengthy list of star performances in 2023 and they hope to add more this summer.
Article content
“We’re heading out to Halifax for the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo,” said Gord Black, Senior Pipe Major. “We leave the 21st of June and we get back the 2n/a of August. Unfortunately, we will miss the Port Dover July 1st parade that we’ve been doing the last 20-25 years, but we have to go when and where we can get the name out there.”
Article content
The Nova Scotia tattoo is expected to include performers from every continent.
“They invite you to play in the tattoo. They know the bands to invite, they know who’s going to give them quality, give them commitment. And that’s what we can give them – we’re well known… all over the world.
“We’re looking forward to it – and there’s more coming this year.”
Last year, they performed at the sold-out Andre Rieu concert at the Toronto Scotiabank Arena in September, the final Canadian venue on Rieu’s world tour, two weeks after the pipe band had played at the RCMP Musical Ride show at the fairgrounds in Simcoe.
Article content
“It went really well, the show went off spectacularly,” said “He (Rieu) had seen us play in Switzerland, and different venues, enjoyed what we had done, and asked for our band to play in Toronto. If he comes back (to Canada), I’m sure we’ll be the first band that they ask back.”
The 2023 season had kicked off with Paris Port Dover’s sold-out show at the Lighthouse Festival Theater last February. They followed that up that traveling to Switzerland mid-July into early August, playing at the Basel International Tattoo.
“It was huge,” Black said. “We have represented Canada, Norfolk County and Brant County, all over the world.”
***
The Paris Port Dover Pipe Band has roots from two separate bands.
“When I started teaching pipes in Port Dover, it was when they had a high school,” Black said. “So I started teaching them in their music program every week.”
At the same time, Black was teaching his own students in Paris. The result was two pipe bands.
“We would come to Port Dover for the July 1st parade with a bass drum that said Port Dover Pipe Band. Then that same night, go to Paris with the same members, same kilts, and change the bass drum to Paris Pipe Band.”
Eventually, in 2006, the two bands merged into a charitable organization.
“We still have a few members who were in the original band.”
Share this article in your social network