About the Band

 

Our Band:
Private Wedding, Fremont, CA 2006 (Photo Courtesy of Margie King)	The band is funded through performance fees, donations, and monthly member dues.  Membership to the band is open to all, regardless of age, gender, or race.   Uniforms and drums are provided.  We also have a limited number of bagpipes available to students.    We rehearse every Tuesday night from 7:30 pm to 9:45 pm at the St. Andrews Episcopal Church on 13601 Saratoga Ave, Saratoga, California 95070.   Rehearsals are generally open, so if you want to drop by and watch you are welcome.  You may wish to call Sue Nissen at 408.356.5406 first to confirm.
Our History:
The band was founded in San Francisco in January 1980 as the St. Peter's Highlander Pipe Band.  The band changed the name to the Stewart Tartan Pipes & Drums in 1982.  The two major tenants of the Stewart Tartan Pipes and Drums were then, and are now, that this activity should be enjoyable and educational.  While the band did compete in Scottish Highland games in the early years, performances have evolved into mostly non-competitive community-based and private functions.  2012 had the Stewart Tartan once again entering the field of competition in Grade 5.  Their first competition in 31 years found them placing First in the Quick March Medley at the Mt. Tamalpais Piping Competition. Mt. Tamalpais Pipe Band Competition, Larkspur 2012 (Photo courtesy of Amber Bartholomeusz)   Since 1980 we have played at a variety of public events in the Bay Area, including performances for the Alzheimer's Memory Walk (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008), annual  Portuguese Pentecost Festivals (Pescadero, Half Moon Bay),  athletic events (Bay to Breakers Run, Nike Women's Marathon (2004, 2006, 2007, 2008), S.F. Giants Playoff Pre-game (2002), Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon),  community festivals (Pacifica Fog Fest, SF Flower Show), and holiday events (St. Patrick's Day Parades, Skylawn Memorial Day, Piedmont's 4th of July Parade, and various Christmas parades.)  The band has also worked with many civic and public service organizations including the Alzheimer's Association, the Alameda Chapter of the American Heart Association, the Special Olympics, and the Recreation Center for the Handicapped. Some of the notable historical performances of the Stewart Tartan Pipes and Drums include performing at the SF Giants 9/11 Pre-game memorial service, the Louise Davies Symphony Hall,  the Grace Cathedral, the Carmel Outdoor Theater Summer Festival.  The band has been on television several times including a local program on piping history and technique. The band has performed in many parades, fairs, art shows, corporate promotions, conventions, parties, weddings, receptions, graduations, funerals, and other similar events.		French Hospital, S.F. 1980
Our Tunes:   Our repertoire includes quick marches, slow marches, strathspeys, and reels. We emphasize the traditional pipe music and try to include some interesting, less well-known tunes together with the popular standards.  Tunes currently include:  Scotland the Brave, Battle of Waterloo, 1976 Police Tattoo, Water is Wide, Flett from Flotta, Caber Feidh, The Pipers Cave, Greenwood Side, Keel Row, Piper of Drummond, Granny MacLeod, Victoria Harbour, and many others.    We include a brass ensemble for our holiday concerts and have our band dancers available for select performances.		NIKE Marathon, S.F., 2006

Our Uniform:
Summer Uniform	The band utilizes two different uniforms depending on the occasion and the weather.   One of the many notable features of our band is that uniforms (except shoes) are provided.  This is remarkable since a Full Dress uniform will cost in the neighborhood of $2,500.   The Stewart Tartan Pipes and Drums is one of the few pipe bands that performs in Scottish Military Full Dress.   Full Dress is comprised of a feather bonnet, military doublet, full plaid (pronounced "played") for pipers, belted plaid for drummers, waist and cross belts, horse hair sporran, diced hose and spats.  The pipers accoutrement includes hunter green pipe bag, hunter green cords and Royal Stewart/Hunting Stewart pipe ribbons.  The drummers wear dress cords. The band also has a summer uniform consisting of a navy blue military style shirt combined with headgear comprised the Glengarry. The band badge is the rampant lion superimposed on the St. Andrews Cross.						Full Dress
The Leadership:
Pipe Majors:		Catherine Young Doug Snodgrass Jim McElroy	2011 - Present 1983 - 2010 1980 - 1982	Drum Majors:	Paul Olson (Sr DM)     Nick Perrando     Andrew Manning     Mel Gaba     Marco Mellone     Lyman Howard John Wyatt Jack Gerhardt	1994 - Present 2011 - Present 2011 - Present 2008 - Present 2008 2002 - 2006 1990 - 1993 1980 - 1985
Pipe Sergeants:		Dan Durller Jasmine Taylor Mike Adamson Tom Hattam Doug Snodgrass	2013 - Present 2010 - 2013 1995 - 2011 1983 - 1995 1980 - 1982	Drum Sergeants:	Jeff Gordon Shirley Plank Rick Coffee	2012 - Present 2005 - 2011 1980 - 2005
Pipe Corporals:		Jasmine Taylor Dave Kelly	2013 - Present 2013 - Present	Drum Corporals:	Dick Gunn	1990 - 2005

The Tartans:
	Pipers wear the Royal Stewart tartan.  In addition  to the kilt, pipers wear black military doublets with silver braid and hunter green piping, full plaids  and feather bonnets.		Drummers wear the Hunting Stewart tartan.  In addition  to the kilt, drummers wear black military doublets with silver braid and hunter green piping, They also wear the drummer's (or belted) plaid and feather bonnets

Our Drill:

We are one of the few bands that works on drill and deportment on a regular basis.  Our drill is slightly modified from British military techniques and is practiced nearly every week.  Often we use specially choreographed street drill in the larger parades.  Our band has never placed lower than first place in all the parades attended since 1993 including two S.F. St. Patrick's Day Parades (1st place pipe band), two Los Gatos Christmas Parades (1st place pipe band), and several others.  We routinely receive compliments on our bearing and professionalism.

Piedmont 4th of July, 1999

Page Maintained by: Paul Olson