We realized that we don't really have an appropriate genre to put this under; the Calgary Highlanders (we'll use their short name instead of writing out the full thing, although we realize that this little aside has already cost us more words than their full name but hey, we're sticking to our original plan) are, of course, a miliary pipe band. We're going to put this under folk for lack of anything better - we've already had to suppress the urge to flag this tape as experimental and non-music... [i]From the liner notes:[/i] THE HISTORY OF THE CALGARY HIGHLANDERS The Calgary Highlanders proudly celebrated its 80th Anniversary in 1990. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the Regiment's Colonel-in-Chief, presented a new Queen's Colour to the Regiment on 30 June 1990, when the Colour was trooped in her honour. Close to 40,000 spectators joined the soldiers and veterans of the Regiment for this historic occasion. In the Great War, the 10th, 56th and 82nd Battalions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force were largely recruited from the 103rd Regiment, Calgary Rifles, formed in 1910. These units are perpetuated by The Calgary Highlanders today. The Fighting Tenth' achieved fame for their gallant participation in the Battle of St Julien Wood on 22 April 1915. Marshal Foch, the Allied Commander-in-Chief, said of this action: I think the finest act of the war was the counter attack of the 10th and 16th Battalions of the Canadians after their Divisions had been frightfully punished by the German gas. This counter attack so amazed that enemy-who counted on the gas demoralising or killing the Canadians - that they slowed down their advances to the coast and Calais was saved'. The 10th Battalion was awarded twenty-two Battle Honours for World War I. In 1919 the 10th Battalion was formally disbanded and shortly afterwards the Calgary Regiment came into being. The First Battalion of this Regiment was renamed The Calgary Highlanders in 1921. That was the year of the formation of the Pipes and Drums of the Regiment. Five years later, in 1926, The Calgary Highlanders became formally allied to the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, (Princess Louise's) headquartered at Stirling Castle, Stirling, Scotland. The Highlanders mobilized again in 1939, embarked for Britain in 1940, and landed in Normandy in July 1944. By the end of October that year, they were in the Scheldt Estuary in the Low Countries, by the Sloedam - the heavily fortified Causeway to Walcheren Island. There they earned their most significant battle honour of World War II on Hallowe'en 31 October. The Calgary Highlanders returned home with an impressive list of twenty-two Battle Honours for their World War II participation in France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. Demobilized in 1945, the Regiment returned to its Militia, or Territorial status, since which time it has maintained its strength and its traditions, sending many members on peacekeeping duties to Cyprus and the Golan Heights. Canadian Soldiers returning from the Battle of the Somme, September 1916. His Majesty King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visiting The Calgary Highlanders, Hornley Common, Kingley Vale, England, March 27, 1941. As the Reserve Army in 1990, the Regiment's commitment is to provide operational support to the First Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. The soldiers of The Calgary Highlanders today revere the history and traditions to which they are the heirs. They carry their colours proudly, in acknowledgement of the eighty years of glory that have preceded them.
