Stormy Weather

My friend Dr. Henry Spangler, champion of all things bagpipey, has let me know that Winter Storm 2009 – The Pipes & Drums Concert is returning to Kansas City on January 17th. It's the culmination of a whole weekend of highland music and culture and it's a great way to get the blood flowing on a cold winter night.

“This concert is the must-see event of the year”
Jim Kilpatrick, MBE - 16 time World Champion Scottish Snare Drummer

Winter Storm 2009 - The Pipes & Drums Concert features an international, all Gold-Medal line-up of twenty of the World’s Best Highland Bagpipers and Scottish Drummers, from Scotland, Canada, and the United States. The world-class concert showcases renowned bagpipers Chris Armstrong, John Cairns, Mike Cusack, Alastair Dunn, Jack Lee, Stuart Liddell, Angus MacColl, Colin MacLellan, and Fred Morrison. Champion Scottish snare drummers Drew Duthart, John Fisher, J. Reid Maxwell, Steven McWhirter, and Barry Wilson will be highlighted, along with champion bass drummers Mike Cole and Johnny Rowe. Featured are champion flourishing tenor drummers Michael O’Neil, “Haggis” MacLeod, and Emily McLeod, and Drum Major Kevin MacHeffner.

Special Guest performers will be The Kansas City Highland Dancers, and the winners of the 2009 Gold and Silver Medal Piping and Drumming Championships.

The concert’s Master of Ceremonies, “The Captain” Ken Eller, is Piping’s Ambassador to the World. Former Pipe Major of Clan MacFarlane Pipe Band, and piper with Ontario’s 78th Fraser Highlanders, Ken’s wit, charm, and piping knowledge perfectly fit the Winter Storm Concert.

The concert is Saturday, January 17, 2009, 7:15 p.m. at the beautiful and acoustically ideal Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Community Christian Church, 4601 Main Street, Kansas City, Missouri. Admission is $30.00 for adults, $15.00 for children under twelve, and free for children under five; tickets available at the door, or online at http://winterstorm.net/ .

Winter Storm 2009 - The Pipes & Drums Concert is presented by Midwest Highland Arts Fund. Incorporated as a 501c3 non profit in 2001, MHAF promotes the Scottish Highland performing arts through workshops, concerts, and competitions. The Fund is a national leader in Highland Arts instruction.

For more information, please visit the MHAF website at http://winterstorm.net/, or contact the Winter Storm toll-free ‘pipeline’ at 785-224-8224.

For a taste of what to expect, here's video of last year's concert opening. Crank it up.