Dunedin High School
Scottish Highlander
Band(updated 4.23.06)
(At Stirling Castle, Scotland July 2001)
History
In 1957 a new Junior High School was built near Highland Avenue in Dunedin. Officials in charge named it Dunedin Highland Junior High (now Dunedin Middle), in honor of James Sumerville and J.O.Douglas, Scottish founders of Dunedin, Florida in 1899. Attending the opening ceremonies as a reporter, Bob Longstreet, later mayor of Dunedin, had an idea. His newspaper's owner was a Scottish Lord, Roy Thompson. Soon a gift set of bagpipes was on its way from Scotland, which was accepted by students Ann Catoe and Patricia Cornwell. Matt Forsythe, a piper extraordinaire who just moved here from Scotland, offered his services and the Highlanders were on their way! The students moved up to the newly built Dunedin High School a few years later and now there were two piper bands! Soon after, the City formed its own band formed of mostly Dunedin High graduates. (Patricia Cornwell McMullen recently [Sept 2004] wrote in to state that she still plays her pipes for USN functions, memorial services and chapel services in her role as music director at NAS Jacksonville Chapel! Unfortunately she passed on early this year (2006).
Many honors have been showered upon the Pipers of Dunedin! They have been invited to play all over the world, including Scotland, Prince Edward Island, Washington, D.C., and Ireland. Very competitive, Dunedin's Pipe Bands have won many awards.
Through their continued efforts and devotion, they have added sparkle to our small city and strengthened the bonds between our town and the ancestral home of many of Dunedin's people: Scotland.
Bagpipes are intrinsically woven into the fabric of Dunedin, as intimately as the wool in the tartan plaids worn by the pipers themselves! Citizens (whether children, teens, adults, or seniors) all love the pipe music regardless of the venue it is played in by our bands. Any function in Dunedin is not complete without a piper!
Din Aedann gradhaich ag dean piobaireachd!
(At Downtown Dunedin)
The Dunedin High School
Scottish Highlander Band
is comprised of
the Marching Band,
The Pipe Band,
and the Highland Dancers.
James
E. Dykes
Director of Bands and Instrumental Studies
Mr. Dykes is the director of all instrumental music ensembles at Dunedin High
School. He conducts the Concert Band, Symphonic Band, directs and instructs the
Marching Band, and leads the Jazz Band. Mr. Dykes is a graduate for Florida
Southern College with a Bachelors in Music Education and currently completing a
Masters in Music Performance from the University of North Texas. Mr. Dykes has
recorded numerous CD's under the GIA and Klavier label with the University of
North Texas Wind Symphony, under the direction of Eugene Migliaro Corporon. Mr.
Dykes currently holds memberships in the following professional music
organizations; International Trombone Association, Music Educators National
Conference, Florida Bandmasters Association, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
Fraternity of America.
The Pipe Band is directed by Sandy Keith, an Open Class piper and can field two competitive bands, one in Grade 4 and one in Grade 5. In 2004 and 2005 the Grade 4 band won Champion Supreme of the Southeastern Pipe Band Association (SUSPBA)!!! This band has won many awards and is competitive at Highland Games throughout the Southeast.
Margaret
Howard
Scottish Dance
Ms. Howard is one of the finest Scottish Highland Dance instructors and
performers in the United States. She teaches and clinicians throughout Florida
at many of the Scottish programs. Her students are always noticed by their
determination and direction for perfection in their dancing. She is a life
member of the BATD and a judge with the SOBHD.
Also see the WebPages for the Highlander Band at the DHS website
(At Dunedin Military Tattoo)
The band performs with ten bagpipers, seven drummers and are accompanied by over fifty brass and woodwinds enabling a sound as unique as Olde Alba herself.
(At Stirling Scotland)
The full band, inclusive of the brass and woodwind , wear the Dress Stewart tartan kilt with red military jacket.
(At Dunedin Tattoo)
Also featured are highland dancers who perform traditional dances such as the Highland Fling, the Sean Truibhas, and the Sword Dance.
(At Southeast Florida Highland Games)
(At Ocala Highland Games)
The Scottish Highlanders have received superior ratings in concert, marching and jazz evaluation festivals of the Florida Bandmasters Association and have been called upon to open many Highland Games in the USA. At Highland Games the Pipe Band has earned numerous first place awards in Grades 5 and 4 competitions, including:
International Competitions at Prince Edward Island, Canada in 1999
the Loch Lomond Highland Games in Balloch, Scotland in 2001.
and many others
(At Sarasota Highland Festival)
Alba Gu Brath!
Other Dunedin Highlanders
Dunedin Highland Rifle Volunteers, New Zealand
The Dunedin Highlanders formed in 1865 and took to the Black Watch tartan. They did not muster to full strength and were disbanded (possibly the fate of many of these NZ corps. Ed) later that year. Reformed in 1866 as No.1 Company, Dunedin Highland Rifle Volunteers and moved back to battalion when they amalgamated with the Dunedin Highland Brigade of Volunteers. This unit was amalgamated into the Otago Rifles as "E" Company in 1898 and then known as "C" Company in 1904.
Dunedin's Otago Highlanders, a New Zealand Rugby team
