Pipe & Drum Bands

Pipe and Drum Units

Lt. Patrict Hood is the POINT OF CONTACT:

patrick.w.hood@maine.gov

Any pipe or drum unit is invited to play. The host band is Maine State Police Pipe and Drum Unit. Please coordinate with Lt. Hood at the contact information above for specific questions and details.

Individual Pipers and Drummers should wear tunics/doublets for the performance. Please bring appropriate rain gear as needed.

The tentative tune list includes Scotland the Brave/Wings/Minstrel Boy, Green Hills / Battle's O'er and Amazing Grace.

PARKING and ARRIVAL

30 parking spaces have been reserved at the intersection of Spring Street and High Street. This is across the street from the Little Taphouse Restaurant which is located at 106 Spring Street in Portland (for GPS purposes). A gold unmarked Maine State Police cruiser will be parked in the parking lot, with blue lights on, to identify the area. Parking is first come, first served starting at 7AM. This is approximately a five minute walk to the venue.

After arrival at the venue, please proceed up the stairs to the "Hall of Fame Room."

Try and arrive between 7AM and 8AM. Arrival after 8am may be difficult due to street closures and parking. A room has been secured inside the venue for staging of instruments and tuning. This room is the “Hall of Fame” Room in the Spring Street Corridor of the Cross Insurance Arena. We have also secured the entire length of the hallway for pipe tuning and rehearsal.

Tuning begins at 8AM

Please be sure to use the RSVP button on the home page and indicate Pipe and Drum in the Special Detail box.

Please check back frequently on this site for updates.

TENTATIVE PERFORMANCE DETAILS

We expect that pipers will assemble in the Spring Street hallway under the direction of Lt. Pat Hood at 9:50 AM. The Massed Band will move outdoors and assemble in formation on the Spring Street side of the Cross Insurance Arena. The Massed Band will march toward the intersection of High Street and Spring Street and counter column to face back toward the arena. The vehicle carrying Det. Benjamin Campbell will fall in behind our formation and we will escort him with tune to the Spring Street side of the building. Scotland the Brave/Wings will be the likely tune to lead the outside procession down the street toward the venue.

Once the vehicle is in position, the Massed Band will play another tune to transition Detective Benjamin J. Campbell from the vehicle into the venue. Minstrel Boy will be the likely tune to lead Det. Campbell from the vehicle into the venue.

The Massed Bands will then assemble in the Spring Street corridor and stairwell to the performance level and prepare to play Detective Benjamin J. Campbell into the arena. We are likely to split and semi circle at the stage and play Minstrel Boy until the casket bearers finish turning the casket. Once finally positioned we will end playing. Upon signal and under the direction of Lt. Pat Hood, silently march out of the venue in reverse order back to the Spring Street corridor.

Seats have been secured off the Spring Street corridor to view the ceremony while being able to discreetly exit 20 minutes before the end of the event.

We are likely to play Detective Benjamin J. Campbell out of the venue. The Massed Band should assemble in the Spring Street corridor and stairwell to the performance level approximately 20 minutes before the end of the ceremony. With coordination from Lt. Hood, the Massed Band will march into the venue and assemble in the same split formation that had been done at the end of piping the casket into place. Upon signal, the Massed Band is expected to pipe Det. Benjamin J. Campbell out of the venue playing Green Hills/Battle's O'er. The casket will likely be coming down the middle of the arena while we march down the sides.

We will exit the venue and assemble outdoors next to the vehicle after the troops and uniformed officers have assembled in formation. As the casket is placed back into the vehicle, the Flag is presented to the widow and an aerial formation is expected to pass overhead. This is when we will play Amazing Grace. The band will be dismissed after the tune has been completed.

We will determine the best position for this in the coming days.

Many of these performance details are subject to change. PLEASE BE FLEXIBLE.

Please check back frequently for updates.