Category: Band Stories – The Blog

Blog Posts on Band Events, Band History and anything else we hope will be of interest to our followers

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Thornton Award for 2021

Every year one very special person is identified as the recipient of the Thornton Award, which goes to the band member or dancer who has served as a role model by being the ultimate team player through exceptional commitment, motivation, perseverance, and cooperation. You can read about the award’s beginnings in the 2012 History post here

At the band’s Regimental Dining-In on Saturday night, the award for 2021 was presented to Jenny Putinski. Congratulations, Jenny, from the band management team, and all band members and dancers, on this extremely befitting honour. So very much deserved.The citation for the award follows:

Citation

Jenny Putinski came to the band in 2010, and although she was not sure at first about playing for a non-competitive band, she quickly came to enjoy all the amazing events the band had to offer, including over the next two years, a Dominion Chalmers concert, a trip to Loon Mountain as Duty Band, and the FIMMQ Tattoo in Quebec City.

Already a well-accomplished piper, pipe major, and drummer, and extremely well regarded within the pipe band community of Eastern Ontario, she quickly immersed himself in the band as a committed team player whose presence has had a significant positive impact ever since.  She has participated in more than 150 events in red serge, many of them major occasions such as the presentation to the Princess Royal at the RCMP stables, and as well as domestic trips to Quebec City and Halifax, international trips to the Netherlands, Loon Mountain, Estes Park, Belfast, Edinburgh, and China.

Jenny has also done more than 30 solo events and far more than the 5,000 volunteer hours itself would belie, her commitment to representing the RCMP has been exemplary.  But even more important has been Jenny’s commitment to being the ultimate team player.

Jenny has volunteered as member on the Board of Directors, she has been acting/Pipe Major, and she has been an acting/Pipe Sergeant on many occasions.  She has also voluntarily taken on the role as one of the band’s most influential teachers and mentors, significantly helping the overall quality and presentation of the band.

Jenny’s exceptional commitment, motivation, perseverance and cooperation, serving as a role model to others in the band, makes her this year’s Thornton Award winner.

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Remembrance Day 2021

Remembrance Day is always an important date in the calendar for the Pipes and Drums. Remembering the contributions of our military and police veterans in times of conflict is a sacred duty for our members. The RCMP Pipes and Drums have led the parade at the Royal Canadian Legion branch 632 in Orleans for many years, but in 2020, due to Covid restrictions, the band was represented only by our Pipe Major and Bugler in the limited attendance ceremony. This year, with the easing of restrictions, the Legion was able to present a full ceremony at their cenotaph and we were able to participate with a full band.

The band marched on the colours at the form up point, then led the veterans contingent to the cenotaph. Once in place, we played Maple Leaf Forever again to march the colours on and off the assembly area. As the ceremony progressed, our Bugler played the Last Post and the Rouse and the Pipe Major played the traditional Lament, Flowers of the Forest. Once the many wreaths were laid, the band marched off the participants to the Regimental March. In pure celebration of the occasion to march together again, the band returned to the branch building to the tune Cabar Feidh.

After a short break to warm up and partake in the lunch put on by the Branch, a mini-band retired to the upstairs lounge and played a few tunes. From all reports, the music was enjoyed by all. Certainly the band members really enjoyed the chance to perform as a group again after such a long dry spell.

The participants at the ceremony were all obviously pleased to be able to gather for a full ceremony again to remember our veterans. The favourable weather was an added bonus for all who attended. Our band photographer, Charles, was on hand to take the beautiful photographs presented below.

  • Marching to the cenotaph
  • Leading the parade on
  • Marching on the colours
  • Sounding the Last Post
  • Drum major saluting
  • The Lament
  • Retiring from the ceremony
  • Marching the troops for dismissal
  • Marching back to “Cabar Feidh”
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A tune for your listening pleasure

A short time ago, we announced the planned production of a book of pipe music to celebrate the RCMP’s 150th Anniversary in 2023. (details here) This post is to highlight one of the entries already submitted for the book.

The tune, 50 by 1, is composed by Bruce Topp, a former Pipe Major of the E division band. Before joining the RCMP Pipe Band in 2006, Bruce had already served as Pipe Major in military bands and had participated in many significant events with several of them. His full biography can be found here.

Bruce was also a long serving member of the Delta Police Pipe band and wrote this tune for their anniversary. This video, prepared by the DPPB, provides a beautiful rendition of the tune. Look for it in the compilation when it’s released next year.

The video can be found here. Enjoy!

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RCMP Pipe Band “Virtual” Concert for Perley & Rideau Veterans

The RCMP Pipes, Drums and Dancers first performed a concert at the Perley and Rideau Veterans’ Health Centre in December 2008 as a “Christmas present” to the Veterans and staff. The audience much enjoyed the show, so in 2010, the band decided to make the concert an annual event. Since then, the band has presented a show every year, usually in April. It give us a chance to do a “dress rehearsal” to try out all the new material for the coming year and provides a kick off to summer for the veterans.

The band is proud to honour and recognize the veterans at the residence and not only applaud the service they had provided to Queen and Country, but to give them an evening’s entertainment far from their normal daily routine.

Sadly, the pandemic prevented the band from doing the annual show in 2020 and again in 2021, so an alternative was found. The band members and dancers recorded individual videos of their tunes and dances. These were passed to our multi-skilled Dance Team leader, Kelsey, who tied them all together into a great 30 minute show. The video was passed to the Perley Rideau entertainment people in early May. We are now happy to share this with a wider audience. We hope you enjoy it.

Here is the link to the video on YouTube

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RCMP PB at FIMMQ 2013

The first Festival Internationale de Musique militaire (FIMMQ) took place in Québec City in 1967. It was organized by the Canadian Army for the 100th anniversary of the Canadian
confederation. This year (2013) saluted the 15th anniversary of the Festival and gathered close to 700 musicians and participants.

Over the week of activities, it was estimated that the bands entertained over 200,000 people. There were bands from Belgium, Germany, Chile, France and Russia as well as all the Canadian bands. Three soloists from the Russian Red Army Choir were the special guest.

This was the fourth and final time that an RCMP Composite Pipes, Drums and
Dancers performed at the FIMMQ. Unfortunately, the FIMMQ ceased operations after the 2013 show. It was a huge disappointment to all who felt that this was one of the best
exhibitions of military brass bands in existence.

Representatives participated from the RCMP Pipes and Drums from “H” Division (Halifax), “J” Division (Moncton), “C” Division (Montréal), “National” Division (Ottawa), “D” Division (Winnipeg), “K” Division (Regina) and “E” Division (Vancouver). Dancers from “H”, “C” and “National” Divisions joined the RCMP Composite Pipes and Drums. As was the case the previous year, the only other pipe band participating was the local 78th Fraser Highlanders, Québec City Garrison.

It was a great performance, which you can watch here: FIMMQ 2012

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RCMP PB at Windsor Castle 2009

The RCMP Pipe Band traveled to the U.K. in 2009 to participate in the Royal Windsor Military Tattoo. The occasion was the presentation of RCMP Horse “George” to Her Majesty the Queen. “George” was the fourth black horse presented to Her Majesty by the RCMP. These beautiful horses are used for the breeding program and to be ridden on ceremonial occasions.

The video shows the full presentation ceremony This includes the introduction by Leslie Neilson, which gives the history of the presentation of RCMP horses to Her Majesty. The band marches in with “George” at about the 3 minute mark.

You can read more about “George” and the presentation in the CTV News article here. Enjoy the video on YouTube, by following this link.

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Last Nicht o Loch Doune

The band had to celebrate Robbie Burns’ birthday in January 2021, but was not able to meet physically due to the lockdown. We did a virtual dinner instead; everyone in their own homes, but connected through Zoom. The physical distancing didn’t prevent members from having a great evening of fellowship.

As a little “extra”, several videos were prepared and played for those attending, Some of the other videos have been highlighted through posts on the website here already, but we saved the best for last. Our illustrious Pipe Sgt Donald Corbett and Drum Cpl Andy Main collaborated to compose this great story of the trials and tribulations of a pipe band in the era of lock down, but looking hopefully at the end of it!

We hope you find it as entertaining as we did. Follow this link to the video and sit back and enjoy!

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The RCMP Regimental March

Charles O’Neill composed “The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Regimental March” for the RCMP in 1952. It was arranged for the bagpipes by our own Pipe Major, Graeme Ogilvie. The full story of how the march came to be, is spelled out in the Band History for 2017. You can read that on our web site here

The band traditionally performs the Regimental March at the end of public performances and even at band practices. If you follow the band, you will definitely have heard it before. The featured photo is from the Sunset Ceremonies in 2018, where the band puts on a performance jointly with the Ottawa Police Service Pipe Band.

The pipers and drummers of the RCMP National Division Pipe Band assembled (virtually – it was 2020) to perform the RCMP Regimental march, late in 2020. Band Members’ individual videos were expertly assembled by our Dance Team Leader Kelsey Stewart into this presentation, which is available on YouTube at the link here.

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“Herbie MacLeod” Set Video

Here is a second virtual performance by the RCMP Pipe Band and Dancers of National Division. This video presents the dancers performing to the tunes “In Memory of Herbie MacLeod”, “Stone Frigate” and “High Drive”. Band members and dancers recorded their inputs in isolation (because 2020) and provided them to our Dance Team Leader Kelsey Stewart. She used her technical and artistic skills to synchronize the videos and produce this excellent video.

“In Memory of Herbie MacLeod” was written by Jerry Holland; “Stone Frigate” was composed by P/M Donald Carrigan and “High Drive” was composed by Gordon Duncan.

This video was first presented at the Scottish Society of Ottawa’s Hogman-eh celebration on 31 December 2020. It is available on YouTube at this link:

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“Corky’s Gift” Dance presentation

Because of the regulations prohibiting gatherings, the RCMP Pipe Band and Dancers could not assemble as a band after March 2020. While frustrating, that did not stop the members from wanting to perform. In the Fall, the band was asked to provide content for the Scottish Society of Ottawa’s “Hogman-eh” celebration on 31 December 2020.

The dancers decided to submit a unique dance to the tune “Corky’s Gift.” Each dancer provided a video of their own performance of the dance and the Dance Team’s lead, Kelsey Stewart, provided the technical expertise to bring the videos together into a beautiful presentation.

Corky’s Gift was composed by Pipe Major Graeme Ogilvie as thanks to Corky Muir, wife of piper Graham Muir.  He wanted her to have it as a gift – a gesture of thanks for the many meals Corky had prepared and delivered to the Ogilvie residence during his wife, Debbie’s, protracted battle with cancer. P/M Ogilvie played the tune for the video and was accompanied by his nephew Cameron Ogilvie on guitar.

The tune is part of the band’s regular repertoire, but this video presents it in a very different way. Enjoy! You can enjoy the video by clicking on this link