Tune into Summer in Seattle

“By the right... quick march!” I heard a loud drumming sound followed by the tune of the bagpipe. 

Walking down the hilly streets of Seattle, I followed the group playing bagpipes as they proceeded down a road towards Lake Washington. On both sides of the street, neighbors peeked out from the doors of their homes, wondering what they were hearing.  

Lee Abshire, my 8th-grade brother and member of Saint Thomas’s Episcopal’s pipe band, was practicing his tunes with a few other members of the Northwest Junior Pipe Band in preparation for the big parade. It was amazing to see how this pipe band drew such a large crowd from the neighborhood. 

“The best part was seeing the faces of the people who had never heard the pipes before. I’ve grown up hearing bagpipes, but it’s interesting how fascinated everyone was about them,” Lee said.

After practicing the eight tunes that he previously knew, learning two new tunes, and attaining his kilt, Lee, along with Evan and Jake Markus (former STE band students) had the unique opportunity to pipe and drum in the Edmonds’ Fourth of July Parade. As the band played, my parents, Molly and Jerry Abshire, and I cheered for them, surrounded by an enthusiastic crowd of people. It was incredible to see kids from different parts of the country come and play alongside each other.

Lee became involved with bagpiping five years ago through Saint Thomas’ Episcopal. STE’s Highland Band has been a staple of life for STE since the 1950s, playing at Houston community events, parades, nonprofit fundraising events, hospitals, police and fire service events, competitions across the globe, and at their world-renowned spring concert at Smart Financial Centre in Sugar Land, Texas. 

The Band prepares for Sounds of Scotland, STE’s annual spring concert with bagpiping, drumming, and highland dancing. (Photo: Adair Hancock)

During the school year, B Band, one of the three piping bands offered, practices twice a week together and countless other times throughout the week at home or in lessons at the school. Although this year was a little different due to COVID with the band virtual bagpiping and drumming competitions and events, the band was still able to practice together outdoors and face the challenges of bagpiping together. One challenging aspect of piping is that not only does the band have to play the tune correctly, but they also have to incorporate 20 other pipers to simultaneously blend their sound and tunes together.

“In the pipe band, we do more than pipe together. We are all friends outside of the band in school. We have to have a strong connection with each other if we expect to win anything,” Lee says, recounting his experiences with the band over the past five years.

Playing at competitions, performances, and bonding with friends, Lee and the band can’t wait to bounce back and have the best year yet - in-person. 

Lee says he really enjoyed performing with old friends in a new city at the parade. “It was an amazing experience. I can’t wait to go back next year.”