78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band

The 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band, is a pipe band from Campbellville, Ontario, Canada.

78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band
Established1982
LocationToronto, Ontario
Grade1
Pipe majorDoug MacRae
Drum sergeantDrew Duthart
Tartan78th Fraser Highlanders
Notable honoursWinner, World Pipe Band Championships: 1987. Winner, World Drum Corps Champions 1987, 2007, World Bass Section Champions 2007
Websitewww.78thfrasers.net

History

The band was formed in 1982 with support from a 78th Fraser Highlanders re-enactment group, but the band was allowed to keep the name after support from the group ceased.[1]

The 78th Frasers became the first non-Scottish band to win the World Pipe Band Championships, in the summer of 1987, breaking Strathclyde Police Pipe Band's (now Greater Glasgow Police Scotland Pipe Band) run of six consecutive wins.[2][3]

Founding pipe major Bill Livingstone stepped down from the role in 2010 after 29 years.[4]

The band is currently led by pipe major Doug MacRae and drum sergeant Drew Duthart.[2] The band has won both the North American Pipe Band Championships (held in Maxville, Ontario) and the Canadian Pipe Band Championships (held in Cambridge, Ontario) a total of twelve times each.[2] The Frasers travel to Scotland each summer to compete at the World's, and have finished in the prize list eleven times.

The band wears the 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band tartan, designed for the band in 1998.[5]

Pipe Majors
  • Bill Livingstone (1982-2010)
  • Doug MacRae (2010-present)

Leading Drummers
  • J Reid Maxwell (1982-1992)
  • Harvey Dawson (1992-1996)
  • Michael Hunter (1996-2002)
  • John Fisher (2002-2004)
  • Drew Duthart (2004- )

In September 2017, Sean Allan was made the new bass drummer, replacing long-time member Johnny Rowe, who was dismissed without notice on August 28th after 14 competitive seasons.

Allan joined his brother-in-law, Lead-Drummer Drew Duthart. Allan followed in the footsteps of his late father, Luke Allan, who played with the band during its most successful years in the 1980s and, coincidentally, left the 78th Frasers to play with the Toronto Police with his son-in-law, Drew Duthart, who was then the lead-drummer.

As of January 2018, the band made another change at bass drum, with Sean Allan leaving before playing in a competition. Pipe-Major Doug MacRae confirmed that Allan had left and that Christina Hanks is the band’s new bass drummer. Following the 2019 World Championships, as of August 26th, there is no bass drummer listed in the roster on their website. 6

in 2018, a Go Fund Me campaign was created for new uniforms; it is unclear if the goal was met, however the band was able to purchase new uniforms for the 2018 season.

Discography
  • 78th Fraser Highlanders (Faces album) (1984)
  • Up to the Line (1985)
  • Live In Ireland (1987)
  • The Immigrant's Suite (1989)
  • Live in Canada - The Megantic Outlaw Concert (1991)
  • Live in Scotland (1993)
  • Flame of Wrath (1998)
  • Cascade (2003)

References
  1. "78th Fraser Highlanders gain five-year sponsorship". pipesdrums.com. 28 February 2006. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  2. "About". 78thfrasers.net. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  3. "One Great Day: Bill Livingstone recounts the day of the 1987 World Pipe Band Championships". pipesdrums.com. 31 January 2013. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  4. "Bill Livingstone steps down as 78th Frasers' Pipe-Major". pipesdrums.com. 31 August 2010. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  5. "Scotweb targets pipe bands for self-designed tartan". pipesdrums.com. 30 November 2009. Retrieved 5 February 2015.

6. https://www.pipesdrums.com/article/78th-frasers-make-a-bass-change/


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