NYC Bagpipes Plays at The Pipes of Christmas Show

The Pipes of Christmas featured a different pipe band, the St. Columcille United Gaelic Pipe Band, this year.  The concert, which is in its 26th year, continues to share Christmas music but with a Celtic theme, ranging from traditional music, Gaelic singing, and a bagpipe band playing Christmas music such as Adeste Fidelis (Oh Come, All Ye Faithful).   The newly added pipe band replaced the Kevin R. Blandford Memorial Pipe Band from previous years.

The Pipes of Christmas was featured in several locations this year.  The locations included one show in New York City at Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church.  In addition the concert extended for the first time ever in Boston at Old South Church.  The concert was also featured twice on December 15th in Summit, NJ at Central Presbyterian Church.

The Pipes of Christmas featured local New York City resident Cristopher Rodriguez, a member of the St. Columcille pipe band.  Cristopher coincidentally runs a bagpipe company called NYC Bagpipes, a business for hiring a bagpiper and learning the bagpipes.   The experience was fun and challenging for him since the instrument isn’t traditionally made to play with orchestral instruments and it has melodic limitations.  Much preparation had to go into the performance, including many practices and several band rehearsals.   But in the end, the crowd clapped and cheered to the magic of the holiday spirit as an old familiar bagpipe tune Scotland the Brave concluded the concerts.

Published: December 29th, 2024

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