Booking the Band
Pipes and drums are sure to add drama and excitement to your next big event. To book the band for a performance or parade, please contact our Pipe Major Bethany Bisaillion at [email protected]
We can provide a solo piper, a mini or full band and even add in highland dancers - we work with all the dance schools in the city, so be sure to ask about them!
We enjoy performing for many different groups, and very much enjoy supporting local and national charities. These have included:
ALS Canada, United Way of Ottawa Carleton, Alzheimers of Ottawa, The Canadian Cancer Soceity, The Tamarack Race Weekend, and the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation among the many we do each and every year. Birthday parties, neighborhood celebrations and all kinds of events are what we love to be part of.
We love working with local dance schools to bring more joy to your event, so let us know what we can do for you!
rock and roll and lots of fun!
the canadian war museum 20th anniversary
May 8, 2025 was not only the date to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War but also the 20th anniversary of the Canadian War Museum building. To celebrate the occasion, a new exhibit “Last Voices of the Second World War” was opened and a free gala held for the public.
This edition of the Sons of Scotland website is dedicated to the events of that evening and also to walk you through the sequence of events our Pipe Band typically goes through when we present to the public
Our members started to arrive at 16:00 for the 18:00 start of the main event. At 16:30 we did a walkthrough to the locations where we would play and then returned to Atelier B to harmonize the bagpipes (drone reeds need to be adjusted to produce a consistent background pitch so that the melody played on the chanter is pleasing). When all pipers were harmonized, Piper Major Bethany Bisaillion started to play and one by one the others joined in; all done with a careful ear to the quality of the overall sound.
This edition of the Sons of Scotland website is dedicated to the events of that evening and also to walk you through the sequence of events our Pipe Band typically goes through when we present to the public
Our members started to arrive at 16:00 for the 18:00 start of the main event. At 16:30 we did a walkthrough to the locations where we would play and then returned to Atelier B to harmonize the bagpipes (drone reeds need to be adjusted to produce a consistent background pitch so that the melody played on the chanter is pleasing). When all pipers were harmonized, Piper Major Bethany Bisaillion started to play and one by one the others joined in; all done with a careful ear to the quality of the overall sound.
With the warm-up completed, the Museum’s Plan was for us to play outside to entertain the public as they arrived between 17:30 and 18:00.
During this time, final preparations were made in the lower level where the gala was to occur.
Final sound checks were made by Peter Beaudoin and Le petit BIG BAND, and mezzo-soprano Saeideh Rajabzadeh. For the speeches, a signer assisted the speaker.
At 18:00, 400 registered attendees were allowed to enter. We were staged at the top of a long corridor leading to the gala site below. We knew that pipes and drums had the ability to create a mixture of excitement and fear when played outside, but with the hard surfaces of the cement corridor the impact was going to be an order of magnitude greater. Minutes ticked by and then Morgan, the Museum’s Event Manager, gave us the ‘green light.’ As our first notes reverberated down the corridor an immediate hush fell over the crowd below and all eyes focused on the entrance. The minutes that followed were exhilarating as the sound grew louder and when we finally emerged the crowd burst out in applause. The excitement in the room summed up the evening.
We thank the Canadian War Museum for inviting us to participate in this very memorable evening.
Attendees were encouraged to wear attire typical for the 1940’s. Many responded, but we leave you with this one of a father / daughter relationship that touches the heart. Thank you Tara and Garth!
red hot chilli pipers in ottawa - so great to join them onstage!
Song Suggestions
If you are interested in having highland music at your event, why not give a listen to some tracks for inspiration and ideas? Here are some most-requested tracks played on the pipes and drums..
Amazing Grace (Massed Band Version, from 2010 "B in the Park" show
Highland Cathedral (Band version, from Scotland Tonight show)
MacPherson's Lament (Band version, from Tartan Day Show)
Mairi's Wedding (Band version, from the Ceilidh in 2009)
Scotland the Brave (Band version, from Scotland Tonight Show)
Green Hills of Tyrol (You Tube sample, with a solo piper)
Flower of Scotland (You Tube sample with solo piper and extra instrumentation)
The Glendaruel Highlanders (You Tube sample as part of a band's medley)
The Road to the Isles (You Tube sample with extra instrumentation)
Amazing Grace (Massed Band Version, from 2010 "B in the Park" show
Highland Cathedral (Band version, from Scotland Tonight show)
MacPherson's Lament (Band version, from Tartan Day Show)
Mairi's Wedding (Band version, from the Ceilidh in 2009)
Scotland the Brave (Band version, from Scotland Tonight Show)
Green Hills of Tyrol (You Tube sample, with a solo piper)
Flower of Scotland (You Tube sample with solo piper and extra instrumentation)
The Glendaruel Highlanders (You Tube sample as part of a band's medley)
The Road to the Isles (You Tube sample with extra instrumentation)
national tartan day ottawa 2024
the andre rieu concert in ottawa, september 23, 2023
the new drum salute
Friday before The Worlds: some street scenes in Glasgow
Sons of Scotland Pipe Band plays for the RSPBA Parade through Glasgow the day before the World Pipe Band Championships.
A Highland Wedding
Having a Highland Wedding? To make your special day authentic and traditional, why not consider having a piper, mini band, full band with dancers or honor guard as part of your wedding or reception; we can help you plan it out and make sure everything is wonderful, from the music to the presentation, and everything in between. Contact us at [email protected] for ideas, quotes and availability.
