Cochrane will be able to have their ‘heart’s in the highlands’ this Jan. 24 with the 16th annual Robbie Burns Night put on by the Cochrane Pipe Band.
“It’s amazing it has carried on over all of these years, that people still celebrate him,” said Susan Flowers, a piper with the band and the current manager, of the tradition to honour the memory of famous Scottish poet Robert Burns.
“It is a chance to come together and have some fun and entertainment and celebrate,” she said. “He was a character.”
The event will be held at Killarney’s Cochrane, and as of Jan. 12 all of the tickets had sold out.
Flowers said the night consists of a roast beef dinner with haggis, traditional toasts and speeches about Burns. They also encourage people to dress in their Scottish attire, and there will be entertainment provided with dancers, Rob Skeet, and of course, the Cochrane Pipe Band.
“It is a good time to showcase our music. We practice really hard leading up to the event, learning new tunes and trying to show off what we know,” she said.
There will also be a silent auction at the event with proceeds going towards supporting the Cochrane Pipe Band and their equipment.
“It is just such a unique instrument,” said Flowers of the pipes. “It is really fun. It gets you places you otherwise wouldn’t’ go and you learn lots about Scottish culture and history.”
The band formed in 2000 and performs at parades, conferences and events in Cochrane and surrounding area. They also donate their time by giving back to the community through performing at various events, including the Lindsay Leigh Kimmett Memorial Foundation Monumental Tournament of Aces. For more information, Flowers can be reached at 403-932-2228.
