Carols & Kilts 2024 at DLI Hall

The Durban Caledonian Society Pipe Band, or "Durban Callies PB" for short, consists entirely of volunteers who do it for the love of music and camaraderie. The band competes in the premier grade at the South African Pipe Band Championships, consisting of 3 Highland Gatherings held throughout the year - one in KZN and the other two in Gauteng. Traveling, uniforms, and instruments are not cheap to obtain and maintain, and the band is not sponsored or externally funded, so our annual concerts are a way to raise funds on top of having a great time playing good music and entertaining you, our beloved fans.

Josh Suttie first picked up a guitar as a teenager, and has spent almost 20 years in the Durban music scene as a Neoclassical and Metal guitarist. He currently plays lead guitar for Type-7, and Songbird & Savage.

Josh's love for guitars led him into the field of luthiery, guided by Kerry Callaghan. Josh is the sole proprietor of Audeo Guitars, where he makes beautiful, hand-built guitars, and provides professional luthiery services.

Garth has been playing the guitar for over 20 years, after only picking up the instrument during his first year of study at university.  While playing in his church band, a friend and bass guitarist there roped him into performing with the pipe band in the mid-2000s.  Garth's affinity for the blues and folk music made the fit a good one, and the band has greatly benefitted over the years from his keen musical ear and ability to almost instantly throw some chords together and harmonise with the pipes.

In his other life Garth is a professional independent financial advisor, and he is married with 3 children.

Vicky says her fate was sealed in music since the age of 5 when she found a piano, and continued that trend with a passion for learning new things, picking up or stumbling onto new instruments from flute to mouth organ to cello to the squashbox. A trainee piper now on top of all that, she has recently been let loose on a set of bagpipes so perhaps next year we'll have her standing on a different part of the stage. This year she'll be taking charge of the keyboard, a vital component to many of our arrangements.

 

Vicky had her own little music school by the age of 11, teaching piano to younger children in the village. She went on to study music at Rhodes and acquired her B.Mus Honours at Tuks, then spent a decade abroad in Britain and Asia teaching English and forming informal musical groups along the way. She is currently a music teacher at Our Lady of Fatima, Durban North, and in her spare time teaches her 73 year-old mum to play piano.

 

She drinks tea, and enjoys a good single malt whisky (Glenmorangie or Laphroaig if you're considering a gift).

Cassie Rae is a local singer-songwriter, pianist and music teacher. She has been singing since age 12 and has performed on many of the major Durban stages. It was very early on that she knew she wanted to do music full time. She now holds her BAHons in Music and her Grade 8 Trinity Classical Piano certificate, and is a qualified teacher. She is passionate about bringing music to the hearts of the youth.

 

A career highlight for Cassie Rae was being chosen to represent South Africa in a singing competition held in New York, where she placed 2nd in her category, but she is passionate about continuing her career right here in Durban, South Africa. Cassie Rae can most often be seen playing and singing at weddings and parties, with plans for her own music being made in the background. She loves knowing that her music can bring joy to the hearts of her listeners.

Melissa and Samantha have competed with great success at the highest level in both Irish and Highland dancing. They both hold an international Irish dance teaching qualification. Dancing together as Celtic Heartbeat, they have performed in many productions, including Last Night of the Proms in Durban, Pietermaritzburg and Johannesburg, and the well-known proudly-Durban show Shall We Dance.

The twins have performed together with the pipe band at concerts, ceilidhs, highland gatherings and even weddings, but a highlight we look forward to each year is their regular feature at Carols & Kilts.