“Live In Ireland 87 In Scotland” on for Celtic Connections

Field Marshal Montgomery P-M Richard Parkes, Inveraray & District P-M Stuart Liddell, Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia P-M Ryan Canning, Boghall & Bathgate P-M Ross Walker, former St. Laurence O’Toole P-M Terry Tully, and former Vale of Atholl P-M Ian Duncan. Inveraray & District Leading-Drummer Steven McWhirter has also committed to playing. McWhirter played in Maxwell’s Simon Fraser University corps for several years in the 1990s.

The 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band is of course active and successful today, and the concert will reportedly not use the name of the band, but instead focus solely on the music from the historical evening in Ulster in August 1987, just a few days before the band went on to win the World Pipe Band Championship, becoming the first non-Scottish group to take the Grade 1 prize.

A crowdfunding effort will also reportedly be launched to help defer the costs of transatlantic travel to Glasgow for most of the participants. Celtic Connections reportedly will not cover any of the travel expenses.

The current 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band organization collects royalties for sales and plays of the original “Live In Ireland” recording and all recordings made under the band’s name.

Celtic Connections has received some criticism in recent years for a gradual decline in attention paid to pipe bands and Highland pipes in general.

The event is the latest project to gather all-star players together. In 2008 the Spirit of Scotland Pipe Band was coordinated, bringing together many of the world’s top solo pipers and drummers who were not involved with a competing pipe band. The band played together for a week, competed in Grade 1 at the World Championships, qualified for the Final, and finished eleventh overall.