Everything To Know About...Saturday Night Live Aurora

Bill Allison has left a new comment on your post "Time Out At The Legion....Burns Night":

Hi Evelyn,

Glad you enjoyed the show! Here is a bit about each of the acts that you mention.

The White Heather Pipes & Drums is a community pipe band here in Aurora. Started in the early '90s, the initial Pipe Major was Bob Dunsmore, who also addressed the Haggis on Saturday night. He was followed by myself for a few years, and the current Pipe Major is David Veitch. Lead Drummer is Kathleen Daly. The band plays in local parades and concerts and in competitions on the Ontario circuit. Burns' night is the bands biggest event of the year. They practice on Thursday nights in Aurora, are always looking for new members, both young and old, and provide group instruction for free. One on one piping instruction is also available through the Pipe Major or Ellen Mole, drumming instruction by Andy Luck. You can visit their website here http://whiteheather.fateback.com/.


Amanda Jones is a Newmarket resident who, as you might expect, performs as a professional opera singer in Toronto as often as she can, and she also sings Jazz and Soul with various bands, including that of her father. She began performing with the White Heather three years ago, and she was so interested in the pipe band music that she learned to play the tenor drum. Amanda is an immensely talented musician, as you found out on Saturday. I have heard her sing many time in practice and in performances, and she blows me away every time. She was accompanied on piano by Andy Luck, who is an elementary school music teacher, and a very talented multi-instrument musician in his own rite.

The dance band is called Hadrian's Wall, and they do indeed come from Glengarry county in eastern Ontario, a hotbed of Candian/Scottish culture, home of the North American Championship awarding Glengarry Highland Games, and my home county! The band is led and managed by Neil Emberg, and his/their website is here http://neilemberg.com/.

Thanks for the great review Evelyn. The pipe band will be playing at the Legion on St. Patrick's day (March 17, 2012), and Amanda may just sing one or two Irish songs on that night!!

Bill Allison