Tartan Day 2003!

Despite a gloomy, overcast early-morning rain, more than 2000 Pipers and Drummers gathered together Saturday, April 5th, 2003, as Edinburgh-based Epic Concepts, Ltd. and the American-Scottish Foundation presented their second Tartan Day Parade, sponsored by Dewar's Scotch Whisky. Ofiicially billed as Dewar's Tunes of Glory NYC 2003, the event was the culmination of Tartan Week, a festival of live performances, lectures and related events celebrating the 6th Annual "Tartan Day in America," honoring the contributions of Scotsfolk to the American story.

Led by the Foundation's President, Alan L. Bain, along with Epic Concepts co-founders Magnus Orr and Thomas Grotrian, the Parade featured 21 Pipe Bands ---18 from all over the New York/New Jersey/New England Region, along with three visiting directly from Scotland and England.

They were joined by Eric and Janis Milligan, Lord and Lady Provost of the City of Edinburgh; Tom Harris, from the British Consul General's Office; Michael Baume, representing the Australian Consul General's Office; and Tom's wife Sara, representing Marie Curie Cancer Care, one of the two charities benefitting from the event, the other being Gilda's Clubs Worldwide. As you know, in August of 2000, Tom and Magnus singlehandedly took 8650 Pipers and Drummers from all over the world and marched them down Edinburgh's Royal Mile, repeating the feat with uncanny precision just last year --- the idea, of course, being to break the record they had previously established for the world's largest assembly of Massed Pipes and Drums.

As had been the case with last year's Parade, tribute was paid to the heroes and victims of 9/11; this year, given the current situation of events regarding our men in Baghdad, American soldiers were honored on the day as well.

The all-too-short afternoon's festivities concluded by taking on the unexpected role of, for want of a better term, a "Bagpipers' Block Party," with all 2000-plus participants circling together in groups, some posing for photographs, and even complementing one another's tartans. Before all that, though, the participants honored those lost and those battling for our freedom with a spirited rendition of "Amazing Grace."

For the record, the 21 Pipe Bands involved in the Tartan Day Parade were:

The Clan Gordon Highlanders Pipe Band of Locust Valley and Lattingtown, Port Washington, NY
The NYPD Emerald Society Pipes & Drums
The Mount Kisco Scottish Pipes & Drums
The NYC Corrections Department Emerald Pipe Band
The Hobart, NY Fire Department Pipe Band
1066 Pipes and Drums of Hastings, England
The New York Scottish Pipes, Drums & Dancers
The Pipes & Drums of Edinburgh Universities Officers Training Corps
Colum Cille Pipe Band of the Cape Cod Region, Sandwich, MA
The Greater Richmond, VA Emerald Society Pipe Band
Lia Fail Pipes and Drums, Mercer County, NJ
New York University Pipes & Drums
Shamrock & Thistle Pipes & Drums, Toms River, NJ
The Atlantic City, NJ Fire Department Sandpipers' Bagpipe Band
The Staten Island Pipers
Cowden Beath Public Pipe Band, Fife, Scotland
The Pipes & Drums of the Pocono Region, Efort, PA
The Pipes & Drums of IBEW Local 25
The Rockland County Scottish Pipe Band
The Breezy Point Pipe Band
The Pipes & Drums of the Jersey Shore Shillelaghs

Now, 'tis hard tae believe, me friends, but five years ago, when this event was first held, there were only 100 participants, marching virtually unnoticed along several city blocks, until reaching Ralph Bunche Park, a small enclave located directly across the street from United Nations Headquarters. Back then, New Yorkers wondered what was going on with all those bagpipers making all that noise. Of course, some of them still do at times; but, of course, if ye be a die-hard Scotsman like yer auld Uncle Fergus, chances are you LIVE for this kind o' stuff!

But, as was the case in prior years, we were dampened somewhat (though not too harshly, thank goodness!) by the modest turnout --- and the lack of publicity. Were it nae for the Internet, few people if any would know that this Parade had taken place. Which is why, as per our tradition, we encourage YOU to get the word out to local television and radio stations, newspapers and magazines and other media: Let them know about Tartan Day events in your area, so that they'll all be ready to cover them next year. Meanwhile, fellow Scots, we're proud o' ye fer yer support in the past; we know ye won't let us down in the future.

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