The Kempton Park Pipe Band still going strong after 16 years
The group started with six members and they now have thirteen. The oldest member is in his late seventies and the youngest is sixteen.
Driven by founding member Gerald-John Reid, a group of music enthusiasts decided to form a new pipe band in 2008.
This is how the Kempton Park Pipe Band was born.
The band began with two competent pipers. One is its current pipe major and band leader Reg Simpson, who is a full-time military musician.
The band practised on a Saturday morning in a small room at a local church and grew by training some additional adult and child learners.
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During this growth cycle, they approached a retired side drummer to join the band as a tutor and player.
This made the pipe band of sufficient size to have its first public performance in March 2009 at the Mugg & Bean in the Festival Mall.
The group started with six members and they now have thirteen. The oldest member is in his late seventies and the youngest is sixteen.
The band is self-funded through membership fees from each band member.
“We also raise funds by playing at certain events we are paid for.
“These funds are used for the purchase and maintenance of instruments and uniforms,” said bass drummer and band admin Brendon Fourie.
“A basic set of bagpipes can cost around R15 000 to R30 000 with a full set of second-hand drums for the band ranging at around R50 000.
“There are no South African manufacturers of drums, so all the drums need to be imported.”
The band owns and provides the kilts worn as part of the uniform for the members. Each kilt costs R6000 and uses around five metres of Tartan material to make, which also needs to be imported.
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The band plays at certain community events for no compensation and has, for the last 12 years, actively participated with the Ekurhuleni Scouts to play at their annual Baden Powell (BP) day event, which is held at Arrowe Park in Benoni.
The band becomes a community with diverse people who think and respond differently, but each person needs to function with a single mind to perform together, and it is always exciting to watch how all the different parts and people come together.
When asked to explain the journey of the band in one word, Fourie stated one word cannot do it justice, as in life, for different points in time, there can be different words; however, when considering the years, it has been good fun.
Kempton Park Pipe Band is also a competitive pipe band, playing in the Pipe Band Association of South Africa (PBASA) competition season, which begins on April 13.
There are around nine competitions around the country, with the last competition of this year on July 27 at Benoni High.
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“From a community perspective, we played on April 6 at a military memorial event at the Monument in Pretoria and we will also be playing at the Pro-Patria Military Festival on May 1 at the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria.”
Fourie stated because the Kempton Park Pipe Band is a teaching band, they accept learners of all ages, both adults and children.
“We do not charge for teaching learners, so anyone is welcome. Learning an instrument is, however, not an instant thing. It takes a lot of commitment and personal effort,” he said.
