Another Triumph for Delta Police Pipe Band
DELTA - The second Delta Police Pipe Band Celtic Gala was held at the South Delta Baptist Church on May 9.
This follows on from the success of the 2008 Spring concert and the sellout concert of Anthony Kearns in November, 2008. The band feared they would be hard put to match that record but Delta was once again treated to an outstanding evening of Celtic variety.
 THE SECOND Delta Police Pipe Band Celtic Gala was held at the South Delta Baptist Church on May 9. |
The appearance of tenor Mark Donnelly, known for his singing of the national anthem at the Vancouver Canucks games, was thought to be in jeopardy for the first part of the concert due to the timing of his commitment to the Canucks.
Fortunately, 'The Fastest Tenor in the West' made it and, with his son Sean, provided an enjoyable and spirited act.
Donnelly also performed with the Celtic fusion group, Whiskey Dicks, giving a heartfelt rendering of the perennial favourite, Danny Boy.
Mark's later performance of Amazing Grace with the Pipe Band was another example of interaction between the cast members.
The Whiskey Dicks are a group of young musicians, all with music degrees and are teachers of music. Their vivid and energetic performance provided a refreshing blast of Celtic fervor.
The group combined with four pipers from the Delta Police Pipe Band to perform a Scottish air. The virtuoso violin playing of the group's Pat Ernst was particularly memorable.
Audience favourites, Eire Born Irish Dancers, graced the stage with their customary elegance and show stopping talent. They were accompanied by Juno award-winning Celtic Fiddler, Shona LeMottee, who also provided the audience with two stunning solo pieces. Sophisticated lighting and choreography for the dancers elicited comparison with Lord of the Dance performances.
As always, the Delta Police Pipe Band stirred the audience with their stage presence and excellent musical rendering of traditional Scottish airs.
The band's Highland dancers and the drum cadence were examples of careful practice and expert performance. The finale saw the full cast assembled and a spirited rendering of Auld Lang Syne closed the evening's show, followed by the march out of the performers led by the band.
This year's concert was marked by a deliberate interaction between the performers, making the event a true "variety" concert. The enthusiastic reaction of the audience was proof positive that there is a definite place for this type of high quality entertainment in Delta.
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