Kilted funeral anecdotes

**aonghas** · 24th November 13, 05:37 PM

When my father passed, a friend piped him away. First at the church, then at the grave site where he (the piper) was discreetly away on a knoll wrapped in fog. I knew where the piper was but only a faint outline was visible (if you knew where to look). The effect on those present was riveting, as the lament wafted in the mist even more intense by it.
It was a good day to die, YOH

**Father Bill** · 24th November 13, 06:12 PM

Pipes in the fog are particularly eerie and beautiful. A fitting ceremonial use.

**TJ Kelley** · 25th November 13, 12:05 PM

My brother inlaw's, brother recently lost his step daughter "Alexandria" to a drug addiction battle.
Alex was always fond of my kilt wearing and filled with questions.

I found it rather odd her mother would tell me not to wear a "dam" kilt to her funeral/service.

I did take a lil' offense for about 3 seconds, until I thought about it.
Surly she was hurting, and I was just a outlet for her pain.
Thats OK, I cant imagine loosing one of my children.

I on the other hand have deep respect for the kilted and pipers at services.
Something about them, make you feel warm inside.

**orionpyoung** · 25th November 13, 12:35 PM

I'm not terribley surprised by her dissmisal of the kilt. As they say, the funeral is for the family not the deceased. Being a spirtual person I don't enireley agree with that semtiment. To buddhists the funeral is very much for the deceased, so anything you would do for the decesed is seen as very approperiate and important.

**OC Richard** · 26th November 13, 05:44 AM

Just went to a Church memorial service last night for Paul Blandford, founder of Blandford & Son Scottish Imports, a local Highland Dress outfitter and kilt hire shop.

The service was lovely, with many traditional hymns being played by a half-dozen pipers in perfect tune with the impressive loud 100 year old pipe organ.

There were many kilties in attendance... I daresay they outnumbered the men in trousers.

**Macman** · 26th November 13, 11:23 AM

Originally Posted by Blupiper

The first time I played my pipes in public was for a funeral of a gentleman from our church. He had requested "Amazing Grace" before he died and the family contacted me. I expected a small crowd and the immediate family. Well, the church was packed--not a seat empty. My knees were shaking, but I struck in solidly, played through the tune and finished well. After the ceremony, there were 'thank you's' all around and the widow came up to me, grabbed my cheeks in her hands, placed her forehead to mine and held me like that for a full thirty seconds. She thanked me and began to tear up. I think I will always remember her gesture to me.

JMB

That's a beautiful story. Thanks for sharing it.

**andycwb** · 26th November 13, 02:33 PM

Originally Posted by aonghas

When my father passed, a friend piped him away. First at the church, then at the grave site where he (the piper) was discreetly away on a knoll wrapped in fog. I knew where the piper was but only a faint outline was visible (if you knew where to look). The effect on those present was riveting, as the lament wafted in the mist even more intense by it.
It was a good day to die, YOH

Some might claim this is a bit too melodramtic. I love it. Really.

I have to confess, I don't much like the sound of bagpipes. But the drones add an appropriately mournful note to a funeral.

Andy

**McMurdo** · 27th November 13, 09:25 AM

A few years ago now I was at the funeral of a co-workers wife. She was from Glasgow, I wore the kilt with an Argyll jacket and tie. Well some of the family flew over to for the funeral and their luggage was lost by Air Canada. They were all very impressed to see that someone cared enough to wear the kilt, and thanked me profusely for it. I was very happy to do so as I was wearing the kilt daily at the time.

**Piper** · 27th November 13, 08:17 PM

Every Sept. 11th, for the last several years, I've played at a Law Enforcement and EMS memorial service at a local church. Three years ago, the day before the event, I happened to notice an obituary in the paper for one of my late father's cousins. I thought the proper thing to do was attend the service to represent my branch of the family. After the memorial service, I put my pipes in the car, and went to my relative's funeral service. When I arrived, I was directed by someone from the funeral home to go see "Linda" for instructions. Linda is another cousin who was handling the arrangements. We hadn't seen each other in years (and I'd grown a beard in the interim), so she didn't recognize me at first. She started explaining where and when the family wanted the pipes played. I told her that I had my pipes with me, and would be glad to do the honors, but had really only come to pay final respects to my cousin. Recognition finally set in. They had hired a piper for the funeral, and the first guy that showed up in a kilt was automatically assumed to be him.
There was also a moment of concern when the hired piper showed up, and asked me "Who screwed up and hired two of us?".

**piperdown** · 28th November 13, 03:33 PM

I played at my fathers service a few years back. The church was packed. It was probably the hardest thing I have ever done. He wanted "flowers of the forest" and "mist covered mountains".
I played the first while my instructor played the latter.
I will never forget it and am so glad I had the gumption to do it for him. I owed him a lot!!