100 laments: Bagpipers complete commemoration of WWI's last days

Members of the Fredericton Society of St. Andrew Pipe Band played every evening for 99 days leading up to the anniversary of the end of the First World War.

Kyle MacGregor came to watch on Saturday with his father.

"I love the sound of bagpipes, and … I thought it was a really good honouring thing for the 100th year of World War One finishing," he said.

Peter McDougall is a piper in the band. It was his idea to have someone piping everyday for 100 days leading up to the anniversary of the end of the First World War.

"Everybody who played in the course of the 99 performances that we did found it to be a very moving experience. They're all grateful for the opportunity to do it."

McDougall was inspired by a vigil held in Ontario and by the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres, Belgium — where a lament is played in remembrance every evening.

"I had the good fortune to go one evening and I thought we could do something like that in Fredericton, not as big a scale," he said.

Pipers took turns playing each evening.

On the last evening, several attended. They played Amazing Grace.

Emotional experience

"The people that came by over the course … to listen were very thankful for the opportunity. We had some players that came only once or twice over the course of the 99 performances, but we had some that did multiple evenings.

McDougall said one member even came out to watch on the evenings she wasn't playing.

"She attended 85 of the 99 evenings that we played and so that was, that's particularly special," he said.

McDougall said this experience has been emotional for him and other pipers involved.