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Thurso Pipe Band Returned From New York After A Packed Schedule For 2004 Tartan
Week
 The Thurso Pipe band arrived back on Tuesday night after a
hectic 5 days in New York to take part in the cities Tartan week
celebrations. As well a playing at the parade the band played at the
pre parade Ceilidh held by the New York Caledonian Society and at Times
Square. Band secretary David Manson said "There were many highlights
of the trip with us being filmed in Times Square, Playing for the Lord
Provost of Edinburgh, playing down 6th Avenue, trips to the statue of
Liberty and the New York Empire State Building as well as some lighter
moments of the trip with pipers Bryan More and Graham Fryer doing a Marlyn
Munro over a ventilation grating in the middle of Times Square and Bryan
playing jingle bells on the pipes to a packed bar while they sang along".
David added "the band, partners and friends really worked hard over the 5
days with us playing at a variety of venues at short notice, we can be
very proud of ourselves as we put on a good show in the Big Apple"
Lots Of 2004 Tartan Day Pictures
Saeculis Photographic
Thurso Pipe Band in here also.
Thurso Pipe Band Band Instruments Badly Damaged In Transit To And From New
York
 The band had a couple of hiccups with one set of
pipes going missing for 4 days, and when they finally got them they were
damaged and when they flew into Aberdeen the bass drum and mace had not
arrived with the rest of the luggage, when we finally got them the bass
drum was totally wrecked. Looks like the band will be back on
the fund raising trail to repair or purchase some new kit.
Thurso Pipe Band Carries Caithness.org To Tartan Day 2004
 We
would like to say thanks from the web site here at Caithness.org for the
Thurso Pipe Band adding our web site to their banner for the parade in New
York on Tartan Day. That is certainly the most far flung place the web
site address has been seen in any way other than on the web itself.
So many thanks from us here at Caithness.org for carrying the name so far.
THE AMERICAN-SCOTTISH FOUNDATION
PRESENTED THE WALLACE AWARD
TO THREE GENERATIONS OF THE FORBES FAMILY
 April 7, 2004 [New York, NY] - Last
night, hundreds gathered in New York City to celebrate Scotland and honor
the Forbes family with
The
American-Scottish Foundation (ASF) presentation of The Wallace
Award. Alan Bain, President of the ASF, presided over the awards ceremony
at Scotland Magazine's "Icons of Scotland" dinner where Wallace,
Christopher and Moira Forbes accepted the honour. "New York City and the American-Scottish
community is indebted to both the Forbes family's generosity and its proud
acknowledgement of its Scottish heritage. They recognize their heritage as
a source from which they draw strength," said Bain. "Each member of the
Forbes family has inherited the tradition of commitment to business,
public service and philanthropy."
Tartan Day Tuesday 6 April 2004
Tartan Day is only a few years old in New York and is already becoming a
week of activities for the many folk who now head for Manhatten in New York.
In 2004 Thurso Pipe Band will be at the parade
THURSO PIPE BAND’S FINAL PREPARATIONS
FOR 2004 TARTAN DAY PARADE
Thurso Pipe Band have done all their final preparations for their
journey to New York to participate in the well known Tartan Day Parade on
Tuesday 6 April 2004. The Band’s final preparations included their last
practice, and a TV interview with North Tonight which will be shown before
the band leaves on Wednesday, and the unveiling of a banner, which Band
President Billy Gunn will be displaying when he marches at the head of the
band at Saturday’s Parade in New York.
Tartan Day Links
Links
Caithness Pipe Band Pages
Thurso Pipe Band
Wick Pipe Band
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- just a few on Caithness.org
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What's Tartan Day About- From The
Scottish Executive
America's National Tartan Day on April 6 has a strong resonance in modern
Scotland.
Since 1998, the date has been officially
recognised by the US Senate as a celebration of the contribution generations
of Scots-Americans have made to the character and prosperity of the United
States. It is a fortunate coincidence that 1998 was also the year of
the passing of the Scotland Act which re-established a Scottish Parliament
the following year after an interval of almost three centuries.
Many have said the influence of Scots on
America had been immense, quite out of proportion for a country with a
population of just five million.
President Woodrow Wilson, the son of a
Scots presbyterian minister, said: "Every line in America's history is a
line coloured by Scottish blood."
In the USA there are over 20 million
people who claim Scots descent, and most take pride in the transatlantic
connection.
Today St Andrews Societies, Clan
associations, Caledonian clubs and Burns Suppers are the most obvious signs
of continued Scots influence on modern day America.
The Tunes of Glory event in 2002, with
10,000 pipers and drummers marching in the streets of New York, was a
magnificent spectacle that c aptured the imagination of the world.
But behind the tartan, modern Scotland
also makes an impact in the global economy as an aspiring leader in many
areas of modern science and technology.
The truth is that Scotland, as a
constituent part of the United Kingdom, has been reinvigorated by its new
Parliament which has radically changed the political landscape. In three
short years the Parliament has found a personality and has become a focal
point in Scotland.
And at the same time, of course, the world
comes to Scotland as a world-class tourist destination.
In historical terms much of the basis for
today's political system in Scotland was done here in Edinburgh during the
18th century.
The Scottish Enlightenment was very
influential across Europe and helped to shape the thinking behind the
American constitution.
As did the principles found in the earlier
Declaration of Arbroath from 1320. The anniversary of its signing is the
date on which Tartan Day is held.
Common sense philosophy, and the belief
that any man is as good as his master, and that the people reign supreme.
These democratic traditions still unite us today in the 21st century.
The links between Scotland and America,
both historic and contemporary, run deep and remain strong.
Tartan Day is now firmly part of the US
calendar and a welcome signal that the Scots-American relationship can only
strengthen in the 21st century. |