General News
5 January, 2023
Father and son duo band together for Gathering
Banding together, a father-son duo redefined familial traditions at the Highland Gathering on Sunday — in the same band for 20 years, the music won’t be stopping anytime soon for the Fraser men. Between drums and bagpipes, Richard Fraser and his...
Banding together, a father-son duo redefined familial traditions at the Highland Gathering on Sunday — in the same band for 20 years, the music won’t be stopping anytime soon for the Fraser men.
Between drums and bagpipes,Richard Fraser and his son Alex have been on a journey to preserve their Scottish heritage and as members of the Geelong Highland Pipe Band, their voyage led them to Maryborough’s Gathering for the first time on January 1.
While most parents take up a sport with their children, Richard says the Fraser family is more about the humanities.
“I’m not really a sports person. We know more about politics and art. And being in a pipeband also helps us in connecting with our roots,” he said.
“It’s something we’ve taken up since Alex was in primary school. He started learning to play pipes and then I became a drum major and now I’m adjudicator of Pipe Bands Australia so I do competitions as well.
“But much like a sport, playing the bagpipes is very strenuous and playing for a long time, it’s very hard. Being a drum major though, you look really good, a bit like a bonnet mount on a car but you don’t do a lot.”
The Fraser family is Scottish through and through, going back to Richard’s grandfather who helped re-establish the Geelong Highland Gathering in Queens Park around 50 years ago.
“My grandfather migrated from Scotland and so there’s been a family involvement with Gatherings and piping. As Alex got old enough, we’d been to the events and he decided he wanted to learn pipes so he started his journey and I’ve met him halfway,” Richard said.
“I’m glad I joined Alex because it’s a great way to spend New Year’s Day. We enjoy our time together and I love him all the worlds.”
Come January 1, 2024, Alex will again pick up his bagpipe and ring in the new year, knowing his father will be leading him.
“I’ve spent a lot of new year day’s playing the pipes. Usually I’ll ring it in by playing pipes at one in the morning and wake everyone up,” Alex said.
“I think my dad’s got something to do with it because it’s a tradition we can do together, we enjoy it and we’re also knowledgeable in it.
“The bagpipe is also a really emotional instrument to play, if I play Amazing Grace I know half the people are going to cry.
“It’s just one of those kinds of instruments that are really powerful.”