CELEBRATING 26 YEARS 1980 - 2006

In the 1960's and 70's there was only one pipe band in all of southern Florida. It was the Miami Scottish Bagpipe Band. Ray Cordovez (our Drum Sergeant) was a member. When he moved north to West Palm Beach, the commute to Miami for regular band practice was too far to drive each week. So, in 1979 Ray, Harold Jones and some men from Juno Beach got together and formed what is now the Palm Beach Pipes and Drums.

John McGrath served as the first Pipe Major and Ray took on the responsibility of Drum Sergeant, a position he's held ever since. A priest from Bethesda-by-the-Sea church in Palm Beach, John Macort, joined the band. With Father Macort's connections, the band was invited to play at the Bethesda-by-the-Sea Boar's Head Festival on January 6, 1980. It was the band's first big gig. What a classy beginning!

The band was popular from the start and the founders knew they had a good thing going. Incorporation was in order. They based their constitution and by-laws on the Miami band's, including provisions for an initiation fee, annual dues and fines. These provisions eventually were dropped. The mission of the band, however, has remained unchanged.

"THE PALM BEACH PIPES AND DRUMS HAS BEEN FORMED AS AN ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO THE PLAYING OF BAGPIPE MUSIC AND TO PERPETUATE THE CONTINUANCE OF SCOTTISH HERITAGE AND CULTURE. ITS MEMBERS ARE COMPOSED OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO SEEK TO FORM A FELLOWSHIP THAT SHARES THIS COMMON INTEREST AND TO BECOME MORE PROFICIENT IN THE PLAYING OF SCOTTISH PIPES AND DRUMS."

The band marches in the Lake Worth St. Patrick's Day parade, March 15, 1988.
Photo by Jan Rosenberg from the State Library archives.

Palm Beach Pipes and Drums at the Key Biscayne Scottish games, March 2, 1991.
Photo by Riki Saltzman from the State Library archives.

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For more information, email the Webmaster at webmaster@palmbeachpipes.com. Site last updated 03/24/2008.