Delin Watmough of Sedgewick, Alta. auditioned in March 2023 to join the Massed Pipes and Drums band in the 135th Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2024.
Only 120 pipes and drummers of 300 auditions were selected to participate in the parade, along with bagpipers from Scotland, Ireland, Australia, Canada, and 24 states in the US.
“Being accepted was unreal,” Delin said. “I could not believe that I was going to be able to play in one of the largest parades in the world.
Delin Watmough seen in center during the Rose Bowl Parade on Jan.1 2024 in Pasadena, Calif. ECA Review/Submitted
“To play with some of the world’s best pipers, drummers and dancers was the equivalent of playing in the Superbowl or Stanley Cup,” said Watmough. “Sixteen Highland dancers also performed with the band, adding to the band’s mass visual appeal.
While in California, the band also played at something called Bandfest at Pasadena City College and had their own parade at Disneyland on New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, 2023.
“This was a really big deal to do all of this,” remarked Stephanie Crouse, Delin’s wife.
“We had to raise money and scrimp and save to be able to go do this. But it was life-changing. Like a bucket list thing you never knew should have been on your bucket list.”
Delin Watmough. ECA Review/Submtted
Delin plays for the Battle River Pipes and Drums band in Sedgewick, Alta. They do many local events, parades, funerals, and Remembrance Day ceremonies. They host the Robbie Burns dinner, play at a Tartan Day and a Scottish festival in August.
The Battle River Pipes and Drums band is part of the Flagstaff Scottish Club also based out of Sedgewick, Alta.
“The one thing that truly stands out,” recalled Watmough, reminiscing about his time in the Rose Bowl parade, “we were standing in formation waiting for the parade to start when a stealth bomber flew overhead, and it came to me that I was taking part of a tradition that went back 135 years, setting the tone for a new year in front of thousands of people in attendance, and millions in their homes on TV. It was a very sobering thought, and to be a part of that is something I will never forget.”
Lane Koster
ECA Review
