Flute band leading Belfast St Patrick's Day parade 'opens door to greater involvement of unionist culture' in massive festival
A flute band’s debut at the head of the St Patrick’s Day parade in Belfast could open the door to much greater involvement of unionist culture in celebrations of Ireland’s patron saint.
That’s the hope of the city’s lord mayor, Tracy Kelly, who told the News Letter she was delighted to walk the parade route to the accompaniment of melodies from the Imperial Guards band.
And they went down a treat with the enormous crowd too, the mayor stating: “We weren’t sure exactly what reaction we were going to get, but every time the parade slowed to allow dancers and performers to catch up, everyone applauded the band.
“We got a great reception. The crowd was amazing – very supportive locals and a huge number of tourists who were able to see what the band was all about.”
The DUP politician admits it’s unusual for a unionist to lead the parade, but says for her the decision was “a no-brainer”, adding: “As soon as I became lord mayor, I knew I wanted to do it.”
Keen to see her culture represented in the day’s popular events, she says she brought the idea of recruiting a flute band to the Belfast Bands Forum,. “There was a bit of to-ing and fro-ing at first,” she says, “then Imperial Guards stepped forward and said they’d do it.
“They were wonderful. The council’s been working hard to make St Patrick’s Day an inclusive festival; all of the city’s culture should be reflected in it, and I was happy to play a part in that.”
The lord mayor believes it’s the first time a flute band has headed up the capital city’s March 17 parade, though she’s keen to make sure it won’t be the last time unionist culture is on the march at St Patrick’s Day.
“I’m very hopeful it will continue,” she says. “Bands want to be involved in festivals like this in Belfast, not just the Twelfth, and it’s important for that to happen.”
Also taking part were children’s cheerleading group the Sandy Row Falcons, putting on a high-flying gymnastic display that was personally close to Ms Kelly’s heart. “My grandkids are in that,” she beams. “They had a great time.”
Maurice Brown, who plays with Imperial Guards, said there was extra pressure on the band ahead of Tuesday’s display.
“There was a real nervousness in the room before we went off,” he told BBC Radio’s Good Morning Ulster. “It’s not the type of parade we would normally take part in.
“But the way I see it, we’re just traditional musicians; the B-flat flute and the side drum, it’s a very historic, very traditional form of music.
“Music, identity and culture, it should be an enemy of no-one.”
He added that “things are changing” in Northern Ireland, suggesting that while fife and drum performances are found all over Europe and America, they are “quite often over-politicised, particularly in Belfast, when there’s no need for it”.
“Hopefully what we did [on Tuesday] is the marker laid down for other bands coming from unionist backgrounds to take part in years to come,” he said.