MAKAWAO - A Canadian piper, described as "one of the world's best all-around players," will perform at Makawao Union Church on Friday as a benefit for the Isle of Maui Pipe Band.
Bruce Gandy of Halifax, Nova Scotia, will make his only Hawaii appearance at 7:30 p.m. as part of the Isle of Maui Pipe Band's "World Masters of Piping Series."
Born in Victoria, British Columbia, the 46-year-old Gandy teaches piping at the Halifax Citadel, where he established a series of lectures, workshops and lessons to train pipers in the Piobaireachd art form. He is also the pipe sergeant for the 78th Highlanders, a famous Scottish unit in the British Army, whose members were stationed at the Citadel from 1869 to 1871.
He was a longtime member of the 78th Fraser Highlanders, who won the world championship in 1987 and were the North American champions 13 times.
His individual decorations as a piper include gold medals from the Oban, Inverness and Bratach Gorm competitions and New York's Metro Cup five times. Gandy is also a noted composer and released his fourth book of pipe music in 2006.
Piping runs in the Gandy family. He is the son of a piper, and his wife and son also play the pipes.
Gandy is the latest of a series of top pipers to perform on Maui in the isle band's World Masters of Piping Series. Former Maui resident Michael Riedel, a piper living in Washington state, has arranged for the guest performers on Maui.
"As one of the founding members of the Isle of Maui Pipe Band, I have always wanted to promote expanding the knowledge, exposure and education of Scottish music on Maui," he said in a news release. "Therefore, bringing the world's best to Maui is my gift back to my friends and patrons of Highland music on the island, kind of like getting Tiger Woods to play golf with you for the week."
Concert tickets at $15 for adults and $7 children 12 and younger are available from band members, at the band Web site www.IsleOfMauiPipeBand.com and at the door.
Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.
The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m., with refreshments available at 6:30 p.m. and during intermission.
Concert proceeds will go toward the Isle of Maui Pipe Band's uniform-and-equip-ment fund.
For more information, call 573-1130.
