Reflections on the Scotland/Ireland 2007 Band Tour

By Brian Ellis, Bass Clarinet

Cold, wet, and fabulous are the adjectives that spring to mind when I reflect on the August 2007 band tour of Scotland and Ireland.

Following an uneventful overnight flight from Vancouver, we arrived at Glasgow airport, where terrorists had unsuccessfully attempted to “fire bomb” the place a month earlier. Mike Hawker, our ever-humorous English coach driver, made sure that we and our equipment were safely packed into his bus and trailer, then whisked us off to Stirling.

The next four days went by in a whirlwind, with a concert every day. At the first, a bone-chilling event at the historic Wallace Monument (close to Stirling), the wind lifted the tent in which we were performing to a sparse audience. When we returned to our hotel, the Provost of Stirling, Margaret Brisley, hosted a reception in our honour, and presented Curt with a stuffed teddy bear, which we named “Wallace”, and he accompanied us throughout the whole trip. The Provost exacted a promise from Curt that we would keep her informed of Wallace’s progress. In return, Curt presented the Provost with a formal letter of introduction from Delta Mayor Lois Jackson.

The following day saw us aboard the historic, coal-burning steamship, Sir Walter Scott, on Loch Katrine. Imagine 40-odd musicians and “Band-Aides” crammed into the stern of a small passenger ship, “protected” from a Scottish Highland mist and a belching smoke stack by a canvas canopy – open on four sides. The “brasses” had to sit in the open without any protection at all, and contend with rainwater filling their instruments and smoke, their lungs. When Curt asked if we wanted to cancel the concert, he was greeted by an enthusiastic, “NO!”, much to the amazement of the passengers. Our reward was lunch at the Loch Katrine pier restaurant, where we were regaled by a local actor in ancient Jacobite garb.

I was profoundly moved when we visited Culloden Battlefield, on our way to our next concert, by the events that must have taken place during Bonnie Prince Charlie’s futile Jacobite rebellion. My spirits were somewhat lifted for our third concert at the Glenfiddich Distillery in Dufftown, where we were sheltered from a gusty wind in their elegant Boardroom, with doors opening on to a patio. This area was a wee bit off the beaten track, so our audience was made up primarily of kilted employees who dropped by during their afternoon break. Any awkwardness or discomfort we might have experienced earlier was quickly dispelled when we were invited to sample some of Scotland’s finest “single malt”.

Bellfield Park Bandstand, in central Inverness, provided the site for our fourth performance, a joint concert with the Crown Concert Band. Both groups played to an enthusiastic audience whose spirits did not seem to be dampened by the overcast weather.

No more concerts for two days! I couldn’t help thinking about Bonnie Prince Charlie as we made our way to the Isle of Skye. Here we were, traveling in a luxury coach, crossing a windswept strait via the relatively new Skye Bridge, while he had to depend on a sympathetic Flora MacDonald and supporters to ferry him across by boat and spirit him out of the country. We were greeted warmly by our hotelier in Kyleakin, then visited Dunvegan Castle, home of the McLeod clan.

We drove to the southeast corner of the Isle of Skye, and took the Armadale-Mallaig ferry to the Scottish mainland. We boarded the Hogwarts Express steam train made famous in the Harry Potter movies. The train crosses a breath-taking stone viaduct, and band members were standing on seats and hanging out of the windows to take snapshots of this remarkable structure. Mike picked us up at the Fort William station, and, after a long and fun-filled day, we arrived safely at the Quality Hotel, Glasgow.

Several members of the Dunbartonshire Concert Band greeted us at the Kibble Palace in Glasgow’s Botanical Gardens for our fifth concert. Our audience sat on the grass lawns, and soaked up the music and the refreshing sunshine.

Following two days of exploring Scotland’s largest city, we made an early departure to catch the ferry from Troon to Larne, Ireland. The Antrim coastline afforded spectacular vistas as we made our way to the world-famous Giant’s Causeway. Afterwards, passing through Londonderry, we stayed a night at Markree Castle, near Sligo. The historical significance of this fine structure was somewhat compromised when Dick and Lucy Williams discovered they were to sleep in the “Johnny Cash” suite! I believe they were hoping for at least a local ghost. Some chose to visit the Beleek Pottery Centre, while others explored the peaceful, rural surroundings. Welcome Inn Hotel in Castlebar, County Mayo, was our next place to stay.

The following day’s drive took us south to Limerick, stopping on the way to visit Galway Crystal Factory and do some pre-Christmas shopping, then on to the Cliffs of Moher on the west coast. We can only take it on faith that they exist, as the fog would not permit us to get within 800 meters. The closest we came to them was in the Visitor Centre, where they have a beautiful mural on one of the walls – a great photo op!

Jury’s Inn, Limerick, provided us with an excellent base for exploring southwest Ireland. Founded by the Vikings, Limerick is located on the River Shannon and is the third largest Irish city. Pierre Capel, who used to play flute in our band before returning to his native Belgium, was waiting for us when we arrived at the hotel. His lady friend, Titi, met us a couple of days later when we arrived in Dublin.

On our way to our sixth concert at the luxurious Blarney Ramada Hotel and Golf Resort, we enjoyed an exciting visit to Blarney Castle. Some daring souls kissed the famous Blarney Stone (they are now blessed with the “gift-of-the-gab”), and explored the famous castle and its grounds, while others were separated from their travel dollars at the Blarney Woolen Mills and village gift shops. Following a sumptuous meal in the resort’s restaurant, arranged by the Blarney Brass and Reed Band, we performed a joint concert, culminating in a massed number “Pevensey Castle”, by Robert Sheldon. Next morning, a number of our members visited the 15th century Bunratty Castle, and the Bunratty Folk Park which vividly depicts 19th century life in Ireland. In the afternoon, Mike took us to the village of Adare, famous for its thatch-roofed cottages.

We left Limerick the next day, and drove east to Dublin. Here we performed our seventh and final concert in the band shelter at St. Stephen’s Green. What a surprise to see Casey Blackwell, alto sax, among the audience! He and Sayedea were in Ireland visiting family and friends. After the concert, band members and Band Aides scurried to pack up instruments, uniforms and equipment on the sidewalk outside the park in preparation for shipping everything back to Canada. Mike detached the trailer, which then had to be manhandled by band members so that it did not obstruct traffic, before it could be loaded – quite a performance in itself!

Dublin is such a vibrant and remarkable city. Lillian and I met two friends who live in Dublin, and spent a couple of days exploring the sights. Trinity College and the Book of Kells were a highlight. I was expecting to see the statue of Molly Malone (the Tart with Cart) more prominently located, but it looked rather inconspicuous sitting on Nassau Street, across from Trinity.

Everywhere you go in the city, there seems to be a statue of some famous Irish personage. Our daughter, Kim, works for a B.C. jade mine which supplied the Polar Jade and rhodonite for the smoking jacket on the statue of Oscar Wilde, located in Merrion Square, so we had to take lots of pictures of that. Sculptors around the world are beginning to appreciate the value of Polar Jade, found exclusively in Northern B.C. And what would a visit to Dublin be without sampling Guinness in the very place it was first brewed! It is a myth that Guinness draws its water from the murky River Liffy - it is piped in from a lake in the Wicklow Mountains.

A 100-foot replica of a Viking longship, the Sea Stallion of Glendalough, tied up just below Jury’s Custom House Inn where we were staying, after a 6-week, 1,200 mile journey from Roskilde, Denmark, through the treacherous North Sea. Another great photo op.!

We said “Goodbye” to Ireland as we boarded the ferry that would take us across the Irish Sea to Holyhead in Wales, then back on the bus for the ride to Chester, where some of us had played during the 1999 DMM England/Scotland tour.

Time went by very quickly on our final day in England as we prepared to go our various ways – some back home to Canada and the U.S., others to various parts of Europe and points beyond.

Heartfelt thanks to Curt for having the inspiration to propose such a fabulous tour, and to Jhandie, for nudging him when he needs to be nudged; to Hugh for overcoming the countless logistical obstacles associated with a tour of this magnitude; to our friends, the “Band-Aides”, who work tirelessly to ensure that our equipment and music is set up at each concert, and to the musicians, whose dedication ensures that our performances are presented to the best of our abilities. A special thanks to Colin and Pat Hull, and those people who took on the responsibility of safely handling and storing our equipment.