Dunlap Highland Band

Duncan Alexander MacEachern, Jr.

November 16, 1960 - January 22nd, 2009

"Duncan was a proud Scot, a man dedicated to the band, his heritage, and to his profession as a teacher. "

-George Pulkkinen

"My Hope Is Constant In Thee"

In honor of our long-time Quartermaster, Duncan MacEachern, who was lost to us on January 22nd, 2009, the band wears the kilt pin of his clan, Clan MacDonald of Clanranald, a Scottish clan (Clann Raghnaill, in Scots Gaelic), with a long, storied history worth reading about.
The clan motto is: "My Hope Is Constant In Thee", which reflects the unwavering faith and resilience of the Clanranald clan, a steadfast reliance on a higher power and an enduring hope that guides through all adversities.
Duncan was a husband, father, son, brother, uncle, friend, coach, teacher, Cape Bretoner, carpenter, gardener, bagpiper, brewer, Quartermaster, and a proud Scotsman through and through.

"Duncan, by way of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, was a true Scotsman. He was very proud of his heritage and loved the traditions and sounds of Scotland. He, his family and friends annually went to the Scottish Highland Games at Thomas Point, camping out there for the weekend.

He joined the Dunlap Highland Band, eventually becoming their Quartermaster. A teaching band, they played all over the state, and Duncan was especially proud to have marched with them in the St. Patrick's Day Parade in New York City in 2002, just months after the 9/11 attacks. The trip included a moving visit to Ground Zero. " - Excerpt from Duncan's obituary.

The Parting Glass

Of all the money that e'er I hadI've spent it in good companyAnd all the harm that e'er I didAlas it was to none but me
And all I've done for want of witTo memory now I can't recallSo fill to me the parting glassGood night and joy be to you all
Oh, all the comrades that e'er I hadThey're sorry for my going awayAnd all the sweethearts that e'er I hadThey'd wish me one more day to stay
But since it falls unto my lotThat I should rise and you should notI'll gently rise and softly callGood night and joy be to you all...

*'The Parting Glass' is a ballad that was the most popular parting song in 1700's Scotland and Ireland, with the earliest version of the lyrics known to be in the year 1605.

Eventually, 'Auld Lang Syne' would overtake it in popularity, but before then it was often sung at funerals, gravesides, and at wakes.

Don't grieve for me, for now I'm free.I followed the plan life laid for me.
I could not stay another day,To love, to laugh, to work or play;Tasks left undone must stay that way.
And if my parting has left a void,Then fill it with remembered joy.
A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss...Ah yes, these things I, too, shall miss.
My life's been full, I've savored much: Good times, good friends, a loved-ones touch.
Perhaps my time seemed all too brief-Don't shorten yours with undue grief.
Be not burdened with tears of sorrow,Enjoy the sunshine of the morrow.
-Celtic Prayer - Author Unknown

(Duncan MacEachern is on the upper left in the photo above.)