The Bands from Glengarry reel in 65 years with a landmark reunion ceilidh May 2nd
The Glengarry Pipe Band will celebrate 65 years since its founding in 1961 as a community group in a sparsely populated region in eastern Ontario, rich with Scottish heritage and culture.
The Glengarry Pipe Band 65th Anniversary Reunion & Fundraiser on May 2nd at the Metcalfe Centre in Maxville, Ontario, will bring together past and present members and supporters of the expansive teaching and performing operation, which currently numbers more than 100 pipers and drummers.
They’re also launching an initiative to raise $200,000 over the next 18 months to support the band’s future and to get the Glengarry Juvenile Pipe Band to the 2027 World Championships.
In addition to the Juvenile band, the organization boasts Grade 3, Grade 4, and Grade 5 competition bands.
Launched in the last few years, the Juvenile band now has more than 35 members and plans to compete regularly on the 2026 Ontario circuit.
“These young players are the heartbeat of our future. We aren’t just funding a trip to the Worlds, we are building the professional foundation for these kids to carry our traditions forward for decades to come.” – Glengarry Juvenile Pipe-Major Jacob Dicker
“The juvenile band is about more than just teaching music; it’s about ensuring the next 65 years of the Glengarry Pipe Band are as vibrant as the last,” said Juvenile band Pipe-Major and instructor Jacob Dicker, who, along with Senior Pipe-Major Alan Clark, is one of the top competing pipers in Canada. “These young players are the heartbeat of our future. We aren’t just funding a trip to the Worlds, we are building the professional foundation for these kids to carry our traditions forward for decades to come.”
The May 2nd event will be essentially a ceilidh put on by pipers and drummers with a legendary reputation for knowing how to party. Performances by the Celtic folk/rock band Fridge Full of Empties, the MacCulloch Dancers, and the Glengarry Pipe Bands will be complemented by a silent auction, a 50/50 draw, and new Glengarry merch. $20 tickets are available in advance or at the door on the evening, which begins at 6:30 pm and goes on till . . . whenever.
“The Glengarry Pipe Band has a long and celebrated history,” Clark said. “All of the bands are working very hard with an eye to make an impact on the Ontario circuit this summer.”
Scott Currie, instructor and leading-drummer of the Glengarry Juveniles, said, “Our aim is to have these talented kids on good instruments, looking sharp and playing drum scores that not only develop their skills, but provide growth and leadership for other youth to follow. These students are the next generation. Seeing our veteran members and these new musicians together at the reunion will be a powerful reminder of the legacy we are all a part of.”
The Glengarry Highlanders Pipe Band started in 1961 under Pipe-Major Gordon Kippen and instructor Connie Blaney (Kippen). Over the last 65 years, hundreds of pipers and drummers received their first instruction from the group, which grew from being a local duty band to consistently fielding excellent competing bands. The organization’s most successful years were in the 1990s and 2000s in Grade 2 under Pipe-Major Colin MacLellan, who managed the piping and drumming teaching program based in Maxville for more than two decades.
Glengarry spokesperson Chris MacPherson concluded: “The 65th reunion isn’t just a look back, it’s a leap forward.”
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