A Courtyard Concert
Hosted on my Flickr account
Well, the 2nd annual Mystic Irish Parade is behind us now. Especially when you consider it was only the second year, it was a great production — even larger than last years. The Quaboag Highlanders were indeed there again, as well as all the other Pipe and Drum groups. The weather really cooperated as the snow/rain the weathermen called for never really materialized. We had an off and on spit of sleet, but it never amounted to anything of any real measure — just the occasional ice crystal.
About the only downsides to the parade were Old Mystic Fire Department’s pulling out (understandable, they had to respond to an emergency) and the announcement, during the Parade, that the UCONN men lost their game. Of course the UCONN Irish Dancers cheered everyone up by reminding them to cheer on the UCONN women. The parade ended right at our building as the groups all turned into the Mystic Arts Center parking lot across the street.
After the parade we heard pipers warming up in our courtyard and looked out to see a large number of pipers and drummers from several different groups milling around talking to each other. Shortly after that the drum major from the New London Firefighters Pipes and Drums Band raised his mace, barked out a few commands and the concert was on. For a little over an hour the ad hoc group played together as if they had always been together. Although a small crowd gathered (maybe 30) they played purely for the fun of it. Everyone that was watching however was moved by the wonderful rendition of Amazing Grace they performed just prior to ending the show. In all I counted 32 pipers and 16 drummers from at least three different groups — the Mystic Highland Pipe Band, the New London Firefighters Pipes and Drums and the Rhode Island Professional Firefighters Pipes and Drums. It was an unexpected and wonderful treat.
At the end of their impromptu concert the drum major dismissed them all to a free round in the Voodoo Grill. We heard the pipes once again around 6pm when the New London Firefighters Pipes and Drums left the Voodoo Grill. They assembled in the courtyard again and then marched out to Water Street and paraded back through downtown to the Seaport where their vehicles were parked.
As soon as I can process the remaining images from the parade I will add them to a new album at Eclectic Images.
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