Early Friday morning my phone rang. It was an American calling from Spain, which got my attention (he’s from Atlanta metro area). His aunt here in Georgia had just lost her son. Although he and his wife are in Spain right now, he wanted to do something for her. She’s half-Scottish, he said. Would I go and play the pipes for her?
Of course.
I went and played for the woman who had lost her son. I stood in her driveway, she sat at the edge of the garage with a couple friends near by. For an hour I played. It was a privilege.
An advantage of the pipes in this present time is that you do not need to be very close to enjoy them. In fact they’re nice from a bit of distance. Earlier in the week I played for a graveside service, while maintaining a safe social distance.
Pandemic “Cancels” St. Patricks Day
Of course, the spread of COVID-19 impacted St. Patrick’s Day events this year—organizers cancelled parades in Ireland and all over the U.S. Since then, Scottish Highland Games that were scheduled for this spring began postponing or cancelling. So Saturday March 14th was the last hurrah for pipers and drummers banding together.
I was fortunate that Saturday to play in one event with North Georgia Pipes & Drums in Atlanta and three events on my own, including an Irish pub and a couple private parties. Atlanta Pipe Band events Saturday and Sunday were cancelled. Some of my fellow pipers saw cancellation of personal gigs. Saturday was the end of piping for large events, as it needed to be. Gatherings are no longer feasible for the foreseeable.
By Tuesday, the actual St. Paddy’s Day, the pub where I was to play had to close. So instead I played for my neighbors.
Still Piping
Pipers will play! Watch for us online. And if you happen to have a piper in your area, step outside. You’ll likely hear the pipes calling.
And while many of us now work remotely, there are some things that cannot be done from home. So I stand ready to play.
