A lot has changed since Guelph Pipe Band first formed in 1922, and with 2022 now days away, the organization is quickly approaching its 100th anniversary.
“To be part of an organization that has been in continuous operation for a hundred years is a special thing," said Guelph Pipe Band pipe major, Tyler Bridge. "I’ve been in the band since I was a kid and I remember a time when there was maybe a total of 10 or 15 of us, and now we have 70 members, in two separate competition bands, and we compete regularly, which is something the band has done on and off again with varying success.”
“It’s great to be in a very strong position for the 100th anniversary.”
To help celebrate its centennial year, Guelph Pipe Band is hosting a virtual Robbie Burns Night on Jan. 22 at 7 p.m., featuring performances by Guelph Pipe Band, its house Ceilidh band, address to the haggis and more. For $16.29, residents can purchase a livestream pass here.
“It will be about an hour of entertainment,” Bridge said of the event. “All of the technical difficulties and mishaps, will be a part of the performance, but the cool thing will be allowing the opportunity for the audience to experience that in real time with us.”
Later in 2022, the band will host a 100th anniversary concert at the River Run Centre on July 23.
“Fingers crossed that it's able to run come July,” said Bridge. “Tickets will go on sale for that on the day of our Burns night.”
For him and other members of Guelph Pipe Band, Bridge said it was important to not skip their annual Burns night despite not being able to gather together.
“The biggest thing behind it is just the not giving into COVID and find a way to keep the event running and keep our presence out in the community and boost the morale of the band members, is that we’re not stopping," said Bridge, who adds a few pipe bands across Ontario have stopped during the pandemic.
"I hope people will see the value in supporting the band," he said. “I’ve got a good team with me and a good group of people in the band, so I think it’s nice during the pandemic we’ve had such a large group of like-minded people who are all committed to not letting this stop us, because when we’ll be through it, and we’re going to come out of this a lot stronger.”
With his father being involved with Guelph Pipe Band since 1973, Bridge said he has seen the organization flip flop between competing in the Ontario Pipers Band Society and performing in community events. Bridge said joining the band was "kind of inevitable."
“I think just growing up around it and understanding the history of the band, I was just thrilled to be asked to try my hand at running the organization," he said.
When Bridge took over in 2013, he notes the band had 10 to 20 competition members.
"Now we have over 70 competing members," said Bridge, mentioning they also have an associated entry-level competition team for youth called Spirit of Ontario Pipe Band.
“It’s pretty cool to have such a wide demographic, we’ve got kids as young as 10 coming into the band and we’ve got the old guard who have been with us since the 70’s as well, it's pretty great."
As a grade three competitive band in Ontario, Bridge said Guelph Pipe Band won the North American Championships in 2019 and was supposed to compete in the World Pipe Championship in Glasgow, Scotland in 2020. When COVID hit, the competition was pushed back and was postponed again in 2021.
“It’s kind of the premiere competition that all the bands want to play at,” Bridge said about the competition, which is set to resume in 2022. “That would be the first time since 1983, that the band has been over to Scotland.”
This upcoming year, Bridge hopes the band can continue to move up in grades for competitions while also expanding its teaching program and community presence.
"The band has changed and evolved so much in ups and downs throughout the years, that we’re just excited to be the ones that are here for when it turns 100, and do our best to try and celebrate the last 100 years of other members of the community and surrounding area who have been a part of the Guelph Pipe Band.”
