Revelstoke pipers and drummers impressed in Kelowna last weekend as part of the Shuswap Pipes and Drums band who finished first place at the annual Spring Fling piping event.
This year, the annual Spring Fling Competition weekend was hosted in Kelowna to celebrate the Kelowna Pipe Band Society’s 100th anniversary. The group of bands from around the Okanagan and the Kootenays marched down Bernard Avenue.
According to Louisa Fleming, a member of the Revelstoke Highlanders pipe band, the idea for the Spring Fling event originated in Revelstoke in the 1970s. Archie McConnachie, a long-time member of the Revelstoke Highlanders pipe band, planned the first five iterations of the event, all held here in the community.
In the 1980s, an agreement was made between multiple cities in the region to host the event in a variety of communities annually.
Unfortunately, local interest in the Revelstoke Highlanders has ‘dwindled’ in the last few years according to Fleming, but locals who are interested still interact and perform with ‘sister bands’, like Shuswap Pipes and Drums, to keep the tradition alive.
This year, 9 bands competed in Kelowna in front of a crowd of approximately 300 people. The pipe competition took place at the Island Stage, located in the Waterfront Park, in Kelowna.
Fleming, alongside Ross Reid and Jennifer Crockford, were the representatives from Revelstoke in the Shuswap Pipes and Drums band. Local artist Rachel Kelly, a Revelstoke piper, designed the logo displayed on the band’s bass drum.
The Revelstoke Highlanders are always looking to grow the group locally. To get involved, reach out to Fleming at (250)837-1585 or visit the Revelstoke Highlanders Facebook page.
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