Canadian pipers in town

At 11 am on Friday August 28 The Pipes and Drums of Canada will set off from the Municipal Chambers on Buccleuch Street, heading for Plainstanes, via Burns’ Statue.
The open-air concert will mark the bicentenary of the birth of Canada’s first prime minister, Glasgow-born Sir John A Macdonald (1815-1891).
The band is touring Scotland as part of this celebration, with performances in Dunfermline, Glasgow, Balmoral Castle, Pitlochry and Irvine.
Provost Ted Thompson said: “I’ll be delighted to welcome The Pipes and Drums of Canada back to Dumfries.
“Previous visits have been a highlight in terms of music and colourful spectacle.
“It will be a pleasure for the town to host our Canadian visitors and I urge as many people as possible to come and welcome them back.”
The band has performed around the world, making its first tour of Scotland in 1979 and it has featured in events such as the Braemar Gathering, Edinburgh Festival Cavalcade, the Edinburgh Military Tattoo and performed for the Queen at Balmoral.
This will be the band’s third visit to Dumfries, with previous visits attracting large crowds.
The Pipes and Drums of Canada was founded in 1974 under the direction of senior pipe major Ross Baxter, of the Collingwood Legion Pipe Band, who envisaged a band travelling the world representing Canada, Ontario and the Royal Canadian Legion.
Pupils of the Clare Kerr School of Dance in Dumfries will perform with band.