Cassells joins 78th Frasers

The Scottish Lion-78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band of Toronto has announced changed in both its pipe- and drum-sections. Piper Stuart Cassells of Falkirk, Scotland, who gained notoriety when he was named BBC Radio Scotland’s Young Traditional Musician of 2005 will play with the band, which has also moved to Pearl drums in a new sponsorship deal for the 2006 contest season.

Cassells, known primarily for his solo work, has previously played with ScottishPower, Vale of Atholl and Torphichen & Bathgate, and has completed recent studio work on the Highland pipes for The Darkness and on the soundtrack to the latest Harry Potter movie. Cassells will release his first solo recording, Blown Away, with his folk band, “Cassells,” in April.

Cassells will reportedly play with the band at three Ontario contests and then again when the band competes in Scotland. In March, the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band announced that two pipers from Scotland, Calum and James Beaumont, had joined.

In drumming, the band has moved away from Premier instruments in favour of Pearl equipment, which reportedly will be provided by the drum manufacturer at no cost. Full terms of the sponsorship were not revealed.

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