Men in kilts (or following a pipe band into the sunset)

CLICK HERE; this is mandatory music for this post

A bagpipe. For some reason it looks vaguely animal-like

So I was returning from my dentist appointment to North Van last Tuesday, which happened to be St Patrick's Day.  I noticed the sounds of bag pipes emanating from the door of a pub along the way.  For some strange reasons I have always loved the sound of bag pipes.  And it's more than simply liking the sound.

Somewhere in the deep recesses of my brain, the music triggers a little switch and I envision a pipe band marching through gently rolling hills towards the horizon and I feel the overwhelming urge to follow them.

Wonder why there is that resemblance?

An instant later I have made up my mind that I will look up bag pipe music on YouTube as soon as I am re-united with my computer.  And one of the first things things I find is the video that is hopefully playing in the background while you're reading this.

Is it alive or has it been converted to an instrument?

I click through various other pipe and drum band videos and then find this one (Wait until the 1st one has stopped). It shows the winning entry of the 2008 World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, Scotland.  At first I hesitate to believe what my eyes see, but then I get used to the idea.  I am watching the SFU Pipe Band. Yes, that is SFU in Burnaby. ENJOY THE VIDEO ;-)

Yes, the SFU Pipe Band won the Grade One Word Pipe Band Title six (6!) times  in the last 20 years !!!!. That's pretty darn impressive ;-)

This is pushing it a bit too far !

Then I can't believe my eyes; I have visited their WEB-SITE and find that they have a concert at SFU on March 28, 2015, just 9 days from now!  I will get to witness some world class live bag pipe music at SFU!  The downer hits me 2 minutes later when I realize that the concert is sold out ;-( 

Apparently some people don't like the sound of a bagpipe ;-(

But there is still hope !!  Air Transat now offers direct flights from Vancouver to Glasgow, where the World Championships will take place in August.  And there will also be bag pipes at various Highland Games, most notably because closest to me: the Victoria Highland Games in Victoria BC in May and the BC Highland Games in Coquitlam in June ;-)