Summerside, PEI residents with an interest in local history and live music can mark October 17, 2026 on their calendars. That evening, the Scott MacAulay Performing Arts Centre will host a unique presentation called Canadian Pipers and Pipe Tunes: On the Western Front.
The show combines a lecture and live music to tell the stories of Canadian pipers who served during the First World War. Siblings Sarah and Ryan Simpson will lead the performance, which explores how bagpipes were used to encourage troops as they marched into battle. Admission is $20 at the door.
The venue at 619 Water St East is operated by the College of Piping and Celtic Performing Arts of Canada, which has been preserving Celtic music and culture since 1990. The centre, which opened in 2018, seats 294 people and is fully accessible.
During the war, Canadian battalions such as the 16th Battalion (Canadian Scottish) employed pipers from across the country. Their role was to play for soldiers as they advanced, intended to give troops courage in the face of the enemy. The performance will likely touch on one famous example: James Cleland Richardson, the only Canadian piper awarded the Victoria Cross. Richardson died in action at Regina Trench on October 8, 1916, during the Battle of the Somme, and was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross in 1918.
The October performance arrives as communities begin preparing for Remembrance Day commemorations. The show offers an educational and entertaining evening for anyone curious about the stories behind the music.
