The Great American Brass Band Festival

2007 Festival Articles

June 7, 2007

Danville Pipe Band joins festival performers

The Danville Pipe Band made its way down Main Street in the Brass Band Festival Parade.. (Jesse Osbourne photo)

The Danville Pipe Band returns as one of the performers at this year's Great American Brass Band Festival. They perform at 9 a.m. Saturday at Constitution Square and will march in the parade at 11 a.m.

The group was founded in 2001 under the direction and tutelage of pipe major Brian Mollett of Danville. Although it strives to promote the Celtic arts and culture through concerts and educational programs, the main focus of the group is on traditional Scottish and Irish music and dance.

The band performs mainly on great highland bagpipes and Scottish drums, but from time to time will use other Celtic instruments. Instead of selecting a band tartan (commonly known as "plaid" in the United States), it was decided to allow each member to wear his own family tartan, thereby lending a unique look to the band. The rest of their Highland wear is standard. The band averages six to eight performances per year. Some of the performances have included: special entertainment at the Cumberland Gap Highland Games (Harrogate, Tenn.), Glasgow Highland Games, Constitution Square Festival, Great American Brass Band Festival, Tri-State Celtic Festival (Ashland), and the most memorable, joining the Tri-State Pipe Band for a Cincinnati Bengals pre-season halftime show in 2002.

This year's performances include the Great American Brass Band Festival, Mountain Laurel Festival in Pineville and the Constitution Square Festival in Danville.

The band's base of operations is Calvary Baptist Church in Danville, where it meets at 7 p.m. the first and third Tuesday of the month. New and prospective members are always welcome. Lessons on the bagpipe or drum are provided free every other year.

Anyone interested may call Mollett at (859) 239-9539.

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