- Mystic Highland Pipe Band
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Mystic Highland Pipe Band 
Established 1969 Location Mystic, CT Tartan Pipers - Royal Stewart : Drummers - Black Watch Website Official Website The Mystic Highland Pipe Band is a bagpipe band in the state of Connecticut. The Mystic Highland Pipe Band is a performance band was formed for the purpose of having fun, and furthering the traditions and music of the Great Highland Bagpipes with Drums in the tradition of military Scottish Pipe Bands. For this reason the band's uniform is patterned after the Scottish Regimental Pipe Bands and the band structure is modeled after a military band chain of command.
The band is important as an example of an organizatiaon working to maintain and demonstrate the traditions associated with the Scottish Regimental Pipe Band, the Great Highland Bagpipe, the military drum corps and the highland dancing common in regimental units.
Contents
History
The band was originally formed in 1969 and was ready to march in parades by 1972. The first parade the band marched in was a Memorial Day Parade in the town of Ledyard, Connecticut. With the regimental style of uniforms and military bearing and deportment the band became very popular for memorial and veteran events and parades.
The band grew over the years and became very popular in the New England area. In addition to parades the band participated in included:
- Naval War College Performances
- Queen of England Birthday Party
- Veteran's Dinners
- Memorial Church Services
- Funerals
- Weddings
- A Polo Match with the Scottish Polo Team
- Highland Games
- Dressed to Kilt in New York City
Country Dancing
Country Dancing at a Robert Burns Supper
The band is affiliated with the Mystic Scottish Country Dancers and as a result many of the members are proficient in Scottish Country Dancing. The Mystic Highland Pipeband plays at the Country Dancers annual Robert Burns Suppers and have performed the popular 'Reel of the 51st Division' at one of the suppers.
Highland Dancing
Band Dancers with Jim Motherwell, Queen's PiperContinuing with the philosophy of doing "all things Scottish" several members of the band learned highland dancing. Members learned to dance the Gillie Callum and the Argyle Broadsword Dance. At a Robert Burns Supper four of the band dancers danced a sword dance to the piping of Jim Motherwell, the Queen's Piper.
With additional experience with highland dancing the band members have started to choreograph their own dances and continue to add dancing to piping and drumming of the band.
References
Categories:- Pipe bands
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