The band had a full day Friday in the city of Lisburn, a few minutes south down an M road from Belfast.
Blessed again by cloudy but dry weather, band members piled off a bus in the city centre, beside the Irish Linen Centre, to play a planned performance in the town square that served both as a promotional vehicle for the concert that night, but also a chance to run through the tunes.
The band drew a good, curious crowd of high street shoppers and were well received.
Some of the parents scattered and found a local pub — the Linfield Bar — and chatted up the locals, while the kids did some exploring.
The mayor of the city held a reception for the band, as well as the College of Piping band from PEI, at the shiny new civic centre built on an island on the main river. The city put on food for the mob and were again well received.
Pipe Major Peter Aumonier split off to do an interview and play a tune live on the local BBC radio affiliate, and then caught up with the band at the concert venue.
The Ulster branch of the Royal Society of Pipe Band Association organized the concert at a local Methodist church, and event managed to sell out.
The concert featured the Summersicde, PEI band, Field Marshall Montgomery piper Ryan Canning, local highland dancers and then Hamilton.
Everyone got a great reception and the band played well, with the tenor drummers managing to play for roughly an hour teetering on tables and stools at the rear of the raised pulpit/stage.
It was a great welcome to Ulster and Peter made a special effort to thank organizer Lindsey Ellis and the RSPBA-NI’s George Usher.
