The Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 137 Pipe Band of Campbell River B.C., has been known for many years as a teaching, party band, or a partying teaching band; depending on who you talk to.
We have in the past travelled as far south as Pasadena to participate in the Rose Bowl Parade, Reno Nevada for the Western United States Pipe Band Highland Games,Bellingham Washington for the Highland Games, Wenatchee Washington for the Apple Blossom Festival (as invited guests of one of the worlds great party bands, the Courtenay Legion Band,)
Perhaps our most memorable trip was to Campbell River’s twin city ,Ishikari, Japan to help them celebrate their 50th anniversary, and incorporation as a city.
While we have competed very successfully as a Grade III band, we are currently on hiatus from competition, having been hit hard by that curse of all pipe bands, people moving on.
We are in a serious rebuilding phase with approximately 15 new pipers in various stages of readiness to join the band.
Under the authority of Pipe Major James Cavanagh, and Pipe Sargeants Dave Dakin Sr. and Brian Shaw, a new teaching program has been developed using a band produced C/D in conjunction with our written music collection that is proving to be very effective at bringing new pipers along in a timely, controlled manner.
Drum Sargeant John Caffery also has a room full of drumming students with the wonderful prospect of having four sides on parade again with more in the wings. We are looking for tenor drummers, so if you have one in your closet, clean it up, feed it, and bring it down on Tuesday night.
