Bare legs aplenty as band celebrates a milestone (20 photos)

The 49th Field Regiment Pipes & Drums, also known as the Soo Pipe Band, celebrated its 100th anniversary with a “Tartan Ball Celebration” in the Algoma Ballroom at the Delta Sault Ste. Marie Waterfront Hotel on Saturday evening.

The band had not put on a Tartan Ball since the 1950s and the Delta confirmed it was the biggest sit-down dinner it has had in its main ballroom.

“We wanted something special to celebrate (our) anniversary. 100 years is a long time to be a pipe band… A lot (of pipe and drum bands) will… break up after 10 or 15 years… Its unusual… to stay together that long,” said Pipe Major Cliff Graham.

245 tickets were sold for the formal-dress gala event that was attended by Mayor Christian Provenzano along with high-ranking military officers, RCMP, police officers, and firefighters many of whom were dressed in medallions and red uniform jackets. 

The band performed at 6 p.m. followed by a performance by Macleod Highland Dance, dinner, then speeches and dancing that went late into the evening.

Graham, along with Drum Major Harry Thomas, performed for the last time with the band on Saturday, formally retiring in front of the audience with a shot of 15-year-old Glenfiddich Whiskey.

The guest of honor was former band member Ian Hollingsworth who, after 55 years, was the band’s longest running member when he retired in the late 1990s and has continued to support them since.

Hollingsworth spoke about the band’s history.

“With reference to finances…we were always broke. The early years (were) really tough because the city would never give us a grant or anything like that, we had to go and earn our own money (by performing in the smaller surrounding communities),” said Hollingsworth.

Things changed for the band when they joined the 49th Field Regiment as their official band in 1952 but to this day they still need significant outside funding to support the cost of their approximately $6,000 uniforms.

Graham thanked the United Way for strongly contributing to these costs this year with a “substantial” $15,000 donation

A newly compiled 176-page book about the band’s history was also made available at the ball.

The band began in 1915 when well-known piper Jock Nicholson moved to Canada and joined up with to-be manager Peter Buchan, who is incidentally also the stonemason who made the pillars of the Rotary Welcome Arch. 

“(In 1915) Peter Buchan was so convinced there should be a pipe band in the Sault. He wasn’t a piper (or) a drummer he was just a diehard Scotsman… bound and determined. When Jock Nicholson arrived in the Sault, (Buchanan) knew he was coming … and he said to Jock ‘You’ve got to start a band’ and Jock said ‘Well I kind of just got off the train!’… but he agreed and they started the band,” said Kim Forbes, curator of the Sault Ste. Marie museum and who researched and compiled the history book.

“(Buchan) was very involved in the community, and so has the band since its inception… they’ve always supported the city,” said Forbes.

Senior serving Pipe Major for the Canadian Army, MWO Alan B. Clark, who is in charge of the pipe and drums of the Ceremonial Guard in Ottawa, gave an impromptu performance and as guest speaker defended the role pipe bands serve in the Canadian military and highlighted their “strategic” significance.

“Music is an essential part of regimental life… Unlike combat arms counterparts, pipes and drums are a strategic asset and when used wisely are highly effective and serve a real purpose within the regiment. There are some regiments who unfortunately see a band as a waste of resources but when they realize the strategic benefit (to) not only public relations and morale and unit cohesion they begin to realize how to employ that capability and realize the advantage they have over other regiments without bands... They are a first class marketing tool when used correctly (and) there is a significant positive emotional effect generated by pipe bands,” said Clark. 

Persons that wish to get a copy of the band’s history book can contact the Sault Ste. Marie museum or the band itself.