Carols & Kilts 2026 at D.L.I. 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 (usually the last weekend of April, at Hutchison Park in Amanzimtoti - we can recommend it as a great day out for the family) 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.

Pipe Major Rohann Ludick has been our fearless leader for almost as long as we've been putting on Carols & Kilts. He learned to play the bagpipes serving in the South African Military Health Services Pipe Band, and has competition experience with successful bands in the UK, as well as extensive life experience, giving him the wisdom and patience to deal with the rest of us.

Aka "Jimmy the Stick", "Jimbo", or "the other Penberthy", James took over the reigns as Drum Sergeant (or colloquially "Lead Tip") in 2025, leading our drum corps from strength to strength. With his siblings, and fellow side-drummer Trevor, James helps bring the average age of the band down to a more reasonable level.

Andy Turrel is a professional guitarist and an incredibly skilled and experienced musician.  He is kept fairly busy with his teaching, but can also often be heard performing at various venues around Durban.  The keen observer might spot him in a kilt occasionally, tapping a mean snare drum on the march, but it is his guitar skills that will be on display at Carols & Kilts, adding a whole other dimension to the pipes & drums.

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.

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.