Scottish Pipes Skirl in Boston's Streets

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 7145, 17 February 1930, Page 2

Scottish Pipes Skirl in Boston's Streets

BAND VISITS GOVERNOR. Up Tremont street and along tho rise of Park street, Boston, the skirling pipe band of the Canadian National Railways came, a flag fluttering in the fore, tartans bright in the morning sun, medals gleaming, grand music of the Highlands; all on their way to call upon the Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Men, women and small boys ran toward tho sound; a row of policemen before the State House smiled and distributed themselves, a mere formality since who would molest the progress of a Scottish band?

The conversation between the band and Governor Allen in. his office at the State House was largely yea, yea and nay, nay until suddenly His Excellency said to the pipe major, whose name is S. (maybe Sandy, who knows?) MacKinnon, “How long does it take to learn to play the bagpipes?” And the pipe major said, “Oh, about as long as it takes to learn to play the piano or the fiddle.” And the Governor said, wistfully, “Oh,” and then, “And do you have to practise a lot? adding hastily: “Not that it would help me, because I o»n’t whistle and I can t sing and I couldn't cany a tune if 1 could do either. Only I just wondered.” And the pipe major said, on, yes, ye have to practise a lot.” And His Excellency, evidently resigned to a lost cause, said, in the general laughter “But what do the neighbours say when you’re practising?” But the pipe major was ready for that one with, “Ah, but ye have to pick out 7 °The 1 Canadian National Railways maintains there pipe bands of men, who served with valour highland regiments overseas daring the World War and who play when occasion is sufficiently festive. This is one of the three, some say the best of them. Th one played for Mr. Bamsay MacDonaid Prime Minister of Great Britain, when he was travelling through Canada. All of the men are medalists, “except those who were babies when the war was on.” MacKinnon’s piping service goes back 20 years to days when he was in service with the sth Highland Light Infantry. MacDougall Gillie taught him to pipe, and probably there has not been anyone an all of Scotland of the last 50 years, at the least, who knew how to pipe as Gillis did. Medals and Buckles Gleam.

The band reached the State House a shade early and filed into the Bulfmch Council chamber. The members, in their bright, spruce tartans conspicuously maintained the Scottish tradition of silence; the bright sun struck up points of silver fire on their shoe buckles and brooches and from the medals on their tunics, and they stood almost at rigid attention with never a sound between them. When the Governor arrived they filed into his office with little clinks of metal and light percussion of the bone parts of their bagpipes and stood in a circle, tall and impressive in the tartans of Clan Frazier (with the exception ot the colour bearer, Jock Hunter, who wears the blue and green of the Seaforths).