Scottish Bagpipes can reach deep into your soul when the instrument is tuned perfectly and the performer has clean fingering and good rhythm. Anything less can cause this finicky instrument to issue a terrible noise. So if you are seeking music for a wedding, funeral, or other special ceremony, please listen carefully to each player's demos, consider where each of your bidders live, and if you get unequal price quotes, please ask yourself what might account for the differences.
Generally people hire me for putting soulful expression into slow music, giving fun variety concerts, and knowing lots of peppy Irish and Scots-Canadian songs. I also lead one of the Bay Area's busiest Celtic bands.
Absolutely outstanding! Elise brought an unforgettable energy and charm to our birthday celebration. From the moment she arrived, dressed impeccably in traditional attire, to the final note of her performance, every detail was perfect. Elise's skill and passion for the bagpipes truly set the mood and added a unique and magical touch to the event. Guests were mesmerized by the music, and it created such a memorable and special atmosphere. Thank you for making the day extraordinary.
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Wow Anastasiia thank you so much!
I enjoyed meeting you and I hope you will have a terrific trip to Scotland.
Best Wishes,
piper Elise
Hired Elise for an hour for a Christmas Birthday celebration, she was a real hit! Everyone loved her. She was fantastic.
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you Veronica!
I enjoyed meeting all of you and I'm so glad we had perfect weather.
Best Wishes to you and your husband for a dreamy retirement in Scotland.
piper Elise
Elise, we can't thank you enough. Brought a wonderful gift of your musical talent to our home. Like a breath of fresh air. Tim n Fikerte.🎃
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you very much Tim! I enjoyed meeting all of you and chatting and playing and the whole afternoon. It's lucky you picked yesterday for the party and not today, because phew, I bet today is getting super hot in Palo Alto.
Anyhow, it was my pleasure and I hope our paths will cross again soon...
Best Wishes,
piper Elise
Photos from this event
I hired Elise to play at my sister's celebration of life. She was prompting her arrival and played one song that we had chosen at the beginning and the other to end the ceremony. She is very professional and a joy to interact with.
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you very much, Pamela.
It was a beautiful sendoff and I'm glad so much of your family was able to attend and share their experiences.
Best wishes to all of you for the summer and beyond...
piper Elise
Nearing the end of my husband’s memorial I wanted to honor him with the traditional send off for a much loved and respected golfer. Showing all the love and honor for a life well lived in my husband Dr Frank Potts. Elise MacGregaer Farrell did not disappoint.
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you Rhonda. It was a lovely sendoff and, yes, I could feel the love everyone was sharing in remembrance of your husband.
Best wishes to you and your family,
piper Elise
Photos from this event
We hired Elise to surprise my Irish mother on her 90th birthday. She came in a blew everyone away!
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Haha, no pun intended?
Thank you very much, Pete.
I'll look forward to seeing you again at your Irish mom's 100th!
Best Wishes,
piper Elise
Thank you for being a part of our tribute to our mom!
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you Sara! It was a lovely afternoon. I enjoyed meeting you and your sisters, and I could relate to some of those camping stories. Your mom must have been quite a lady. I read her obituary yesterday - it seems like she did enough living for two lifetimes.
Best Wishes to all of you for the coming year.
piper Elise
Elise performed at our wedding a couple weeks back and was remarkable - I definitely cried happy tears! Everyone was floored by her performance. She worked so well with our officiant and even led our guests from the ceremony site to the cocktail area while she played. It made the day extra special!
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you very much, Ariana.
You looked so beautiful coming down those steps.
I enjoyed your presence and the beautiful setting.
Best Wishes to both of you for a wonderful life and future together.
piper Elise
Elise came in full regalia and played for our festival. She was truly fantastic!
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you very much Marcello. What a great event! The room was packed. Fantastic food (especially the mango pudding, rice balls, and little mushroom buns. I tasted the Wallace whiskey and I am going to grab a bottle when we drive through Colorado this summer. Thank you for including me in your party.
piper Elise
Elise’s performance was brilliant and helped to make the memorial very special.
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you, June.
It was my pleasure meeting you and playing for the ceremony.
Best Wishes to all of you for 2024.
piper Elise
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you very much, Sophie!
It was your careful-but-relaxed planning that made everything come out just right.
Best Wishes,
piper Elise
The three performances exceeded expectation.
The solo bagpipe before the memorial service was perfect as was the two songs sung during the service. Afterwards, the trio provided wonderful Irish music during the buffet dinner.
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you very much, Dave. We feel honored to have been there, experiencing all the gratitude people were sharing, and we all enjoyed working with you. Thanks for being flexible. Have a wonderful holiday and best wishes to you for the coming year...
Elise and Charmas
Elise was prompt, provided a nice selection of Irish tunes for the procession to gravesite, and closed out the service with Amazing Grace. All wonderful and a lively tribute to my Mom. Thank you Elise!
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Hello Frances,
Thank you!
It was a pleasure meeting you and your family.
Best wishes to all you going into the new year...
piper Elise
Miss Elise was a gem, a pleasure to work with and certainly extremely talented. Accommodating and provides a superior level of care. A true professional, from the music to the coordination.
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you very much, Dan.
The church staff looked mildly surprised, but I think we achieved a proper Scottish sendoff, and I enjoyed examining Karen's collection of knick-knacks.
You have a nice group of friends. Thank you for inviting me to join your gathering.
Best Wishes,
piper Elise
The guests comments can be summed up in one word: Awesome
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you very much, Joseph.
It was a lovely celebration. I enjoyed meeting everyone, and came home telling my family about "the lunch lady" and her surprise cake.
Best Wishes to all of you.
piper Elise
Elise started our golf tournament with excellent bagpiping to set the mood and remind us of the birthplace of the game of golf.
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you, Diane! I enjoyed meeting you and what a lovely morning. Seeing this photo I feel like I'm right back on the green, playing for you again. Have a great rest of your summer.
Best Wishes,
piper Elise
Photos from this event
Hire Elise and Phil! They are wonderful people and fantastic musicians!
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you Rob!
I hope we'll get to see you again next year.
Best Wishes,
Elise and Phil
Wonderful! An excellent musician, adding wonderful tale telling, and we had a group of drummers with no sense of a beat and Piper Elise was patient with us and marshaled forward. The pipes were soulful and excellently framed by a foggy Pacific Ocean. Piper Elise was helpful with her knowledge of Santa Cruz and how to navigate the logistics of parking on a busy Santa Cruz weekend.
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you very much, Jason.
Don't undersell your beat-keeping. You all kept it spot-on once we got locked in together :)
I hope you had a great rest of your day. The weather was perfect. I think we can thank CT for that.
Best Wishes,
piper Elise
Elise was amazing the joy of the party
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you very much Caroline! With all your rich Scottish history, it's an honor for me to have been your piper. I hope you all had a wonderful dinner at Cafe Cruz. Keep up the dancing and I'll look forward to playing for your 100th birthday party :)
Best Wishes,
piper Elise
I had Elise to play for a mini highland games party I had for my son's graduation. The music was perfect and very beautiful. Definitely going to be booking again!
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you very much, April!
It was a lovely evening. Thank you for including me.
Best of luck and a bright future to your mighty young Scotsman, and your family. :)
piper Elise
Everyone enjoyed your presence and music.
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Hi Toni,
Thank you for saying so. It was a pleasure meeting your mom.
The crew looked raring to go, with mulligans in their pockets.
Best wishes to you and thank you for including me.
piper Elise
Elise was fabulous, professional , helpful ,I would recommend her for any event ! My brother passed away unexpectedly and she played and my mom was moved to tears and insisted on hugging her at the end and she was so gracious . I would hire her again for any event !!
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Many thanks, Xapuri. I wanted to hug you when I saw you. You and your family were all being so brave. Clearly your brother left a lot of good in the world, to be carried on by the next generation. Thank you for including me in his celebration.
Best Wishes,
piper Elise
Elise was amazing, her piping was so beautiful and entertaining. Her timing was perfect agha my husband was gratefully surprised. I highly recommend Elise!
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you, Lesa! I'm so glad we managed to keep it a surprise :) I got there way early, and I was joking with your wedding coordinator that I might tune in the bathroom to make sure I could not be heard. Well, as it happened, I did tune in the other wedding ran over, so I did tune in the bathroom. It seemed pretty secure in there. Nice thick walls as far as I could tell. But after no more than five minutes, a gal poked her head into the bathroom and said wow, that's beautiful. I said, what? You can hear me out there? She said, oh yeah, we can hear you all through the bar and upstairs too. Argh. well, there was absolutely no other place for me to go, so I just got it done and then let the pipes sit from 4:45 onward, nice and quiet. I kept worrying your guests would peek in through the windows and see my costume but nope, everybody went right to the seats. Yay! I loved your theme - the sparkles and pink/champagne colors matching the cake were really classy. Thank you for including me in your special day. Best of life together and luck to both of you!
piper Elise
Elise was fantastic, highly recommend. She took our playlist, suggested her ideas, and spent time practicing. She arrived early, and had great communication throughout being super responsive to messages. She played incredibly well, looked fantastic in the Scottish regalia, and made our event so special.
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Much appreciated, Jennifer!
I had fun playing for you all, and better yet, now I have a new song under my belt.
Thank you for including me in your celebration of the Tartans :)
Best Wishes,
piper Elise
Elise was reliable and arrived well in advance. We did not have to stress if she was there or worry about anything. She was patient while waiting for us to depart and for her to play another beautiful song while we exited the burial site. Her musical ability was incredible, and she was super helpful in choosing song. I highly recommend her.
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you very much, Anne. I'm so glad you had lovely weather. You gave your dad a beautiful sendoff.
Best Wishes to all of you in this coming year.
piper Elise
Seriously words simply can't do it. Elise is phenomenal. She asks before the event what tunes can she play to make it meaningful, arrives early to tune and prepare, answers guests questions graciously about her instruments. I can't help but feel I left her in the lurch as to what to play....she just does her all and put together great tunes from her bagpipes, violin, fiddle and even stayed to play a couple tunes with a didgeridoo performer that came to our party after her scheduled performance. Thank you, thank you, thank you Elise !! You checked off a couple of bucket lists items for me and my dad !! I always wanted to have a special birthday for him and he always wanted bagpipes at an event just for him, I didn't even know that ! He sang and danced ! SOOO SPECIAL. Diligent, timely, accommodating, simply perfect ! Words really can't express, what a fantastic day with Elise as our performer !!!! THANK YOU ELISE :-) !!! Ten stars are not enough !! You are lucky if you can book her !! We certainly were !!!!!!
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Wow, Lisa. My deep appreciation for your kind words!
I am so glad your dad enjoyed himself. You have a great family. Relaxed and easygoing but they are all sharp cookies. Their questions kept me on my toes!
I bet you had fun with the digeridoo gal. She was a great player and very personable. That was a treat for me.
Thank you very much for adding me to your dad's celebration.
Have a wonderful 2022 and beyond!
Best Wishes,
piper Elise
Elise piped perfectly! She is a charming lady, so glad to have her for our service.
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you very much, Elaine!
All your guests I met beforehand were wonderful.
I was glad to join in this beautiful sendoff.
Best Wishes,
piper Elise
Elise was wonderful! Professional, punctual, great communication and so talented! She looked absolutely handsome in her kilt!♡ The little bits of information she gave between songs helped the uninitiated.🙂Best of all, our request for a Rock Medley was met so beautifully~ I knew she was our piper when she said,"In the Light by Led Zepplin?"😁 One little niece attending was so captivated, she danced like Isadora Duncan on the grass behind Elise the entire performance. Elise's part in our memorial was the highlight of the day~Thank you!
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you very much, Casey!
And, wait, I had a dancer? I never even saw her!
Oh my, there she is in the photo. How precious :)
It was a lovely celebration for your husband.
Thank you for including me.
I hope our paths will cross again some day...
Best Wishes,
piper Elise
Photos from this event
Thank you , Elise, for coming and offering your beautiful playing for my son's burial. Having you there was so meaningful to my family & friends which added a beautiful element that my son would have so appreciated.
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you very much, Tina.
It was a beautiful ceremony, and so heartfelt. I could see both you and your mom loved that young man of yours like crazy (and you still do).
It was an honor to play for him, and for you.
Best Wishes,
piper Elise
Excellent piping! I will ask for her again at the next opportunity.
Thank you Elsie for your beautiful performance. Everyone loved the music 🎶 🎼 you played. Your timing was perfect and you knew what songs to play for my Mother’s graveside service.
Booking was easy and communication was perfect. You answered all my questions and booking with you was such an easy process. Thank you Elsie. You will be forever a beautiful memory and I would recommend you 100%, no doubts whatsoever.
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you so much, Becki.
Likewise, I appreciated that you were both receptive to my suggestions and decisive with laying out a plan when you put it all together, which made my job easy.
There's lots of love in your family. I enjoyed your stories. And, I'm so happy you were all able to come together and give your parents a beautiful sendoff.
Best Wishes,
piper Elise
It was great having Elise play for us, I would definitely recommend hiring her.
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Many thanks, Leonard.
Your family and your house have a great vibe. I enjoyed meeting and spending time with you.
Note that after quarantine ends, you might want to invest in a beard trimmer :)
I hope our paths will cross again some day. Keep on with that DJing. The world needs what you're sharing.
Best Wishes,
piper Elise
Elise was good to work with. On time. Pleasant. Did a great job playing the songs we picked. Outfit was perfect bagpiper. Would hire her again.
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you very much, Edward!
I hope by now you've all made it home safely and that everyone involved was able to connect by Zoom and enjoy the meaningful stories shared by your family.
The young boy and girl came up to me afterward, saying they had never heard live pipes before and seeming enchanted. I told them they are at just the right age to learn... :)
Best Wishes,
piper Elise
Elise was wonderful, having her at our event made it so much more special.
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you, Taylor! You were brave for getting up there and freely sharing what people were feeling but could not put into words. It was a beautiful sendoff for Michael.
Best Wishes,
piper Elise
Elise playing her bagpipes is something you’ll never forget. Our entire family sends a BIG thank you for adding so much to our mothers Celebration of life. Elise even played a request “ Danny Boy “ from an attendee after the ceremony. Elise is a professional, punctual and a very talented Piper with a huge catalog of music to choose from. We could’ve went with a less expensive pipers but her personal touch and talent was well WORTH the extra. I’d book her again and if your looking for a bagpiper for your event no need to scroll any further. Book Elise you’ll be as happy as we are with our choice. Best wishes to you Elise, Thanks again
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Wow, Bruce. Thank you so much!
I am glad your family enjoyed the music, especially since this was the kind of ceremony where everything organically mingled together - words people shared, words people kept inside, music I played, your mom's favorite recording, the wind and everything. Altogether, it was a beautiful sendoff for your mom. I really think she cleared-away the smoke and brought out the blue sky for all of you to enjoy.
Best Wishes,
piper Elise
From the moment we got connected with Elise she immediately came up with a list of favorite songs that my dad had. Elise communicated multiple times. She accommodated the Covid needs and guests wearing masks. My dad had a stroke and is in a wheelchair, she interacted with him and talked about his love for all things Scottish! :)
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you very much, Jean!
It's true about Covid changing how these performances feel for both parties. I'm accustomed to bonding with clients personally, from the first handshake to having some close conversation either during, or at least momentarily after the performance, but now that we are all keeping a good distance between one another, it creates a strong feeling of "I wish..." At the same time, though, people everywhere are experiencing more joy in response to live music, and it's wonderful that you went out of. your way to give your dad a proper Scottish celebration.
Your whole family has a great vibe of togetherness, which I'm sure your dad deeply appreciates :)
Best Wishes,
piper Elise
Photos from this event
Elise was great, arrived on time, very professional and we had a blast... would highly recommend
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you very much, Shane. I had great fun playing for your group :)
Please let your mom know that I felt startled when I marched into sight of the house and spotted her, because I was expecting a much older looking woman!
Best Wishes,
piper Elise
Elise MacGregor Ferrell gave my mother the most splendid combo Mother’s Day/Birthday gift by piping in front of the house. From the bid to acceptance Elise could not have been more professional, kind and accommodating. Understanding the occasions, she went out of her way to deliver a song that isn’t meant for a single piper and then ended the performance with a joyful Happy Birthday.
Elise, you made my mother’s day and I am more grateful than you will ever know. Thank you from a grateful daughter and family for bringing her a great gift. Your piping is beautiful, it’s clear that this is a passion, add that to your professionalism and kindness, and it makes you a no brainer choice if needed again. Thank you!
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Many thanks, Cathy. I was channeling your enthusiasm from the get-go. Your mom is truly lucky to have a daughter who feels so much love for her, and desire to make her happy.
Best Wishes,
piper Elise
Elise is a great bagpiper. She arranged music specifically for us. The event was held at a church with organ and organist, and the date was Saturday after Thanksgiving. Elise coordinated with the organist over the holidays. She really extended herself to make our event outstanding. When she walked up the aisle playing Amazing Grace, I broke into tears, as did the entire audience. So moving.
Best wishes to Elise,
Richard Barrett
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Many thanks, Richard!
It was an honor to play for you and your family (and of course Grace, Grace, and Grace).
I spent the dinner hour telling my family wild stories about your mom's amazing life.
And now I have two more church hymns in my quiver, which I'll play next week after I run out of Xmas carols.
Thank you for a lovely afternoon.
Best Wishes,
piper Elise
Elise was wonderful! Her music was so moving. It was everything we had hoped for and everyone at the event complimented Elise's music and sweet personality. Thank you Elise!
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you very much, Nancy.
I hope you all got to Half Moon Bay in good time, and enjoyed your meal together. And hopefully by now all the Truckee folks have made it home safely, or else decided to lie low until it stops snowing.
Your mom sounds like someone I would have greatly enjoyed knowing, and I suspect some of my friends who've worked for and attended UCSC actually knew her. It was an honor to play for her passing, and for all of your lovely family.
Best Wishes,
piper Elise
Piper Elise was outstanding. I was very occupied with the choir, and she seamlessly managed her part of the memorial with elan. I know the family was delighted by her music, and I, as a Brit. loved her final "Skye Boat Song" which I used to sing in school.
Thank you, Elise, for your professionalism and your talent.
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you very much Patricia! I had no idea you were listening when I played Skye Boat Song :)
Your choir was lovely. Hallelujah chorus is ambitious, and they carried it off not only cleanly, but also well enough for the music to be enjoyable and inspiring, which I'm sure was a result of your directing skill and hard work.
Best Wishes,
piper Elise
Elise played beautifully. Presentation immaculate. Very pleasant manner. We’re so thankful she was part of our event.
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you very much, Lindsey.
It was a lovely afternoon all around. I'm so glad you got perfect weather, and relatively smooth water.
I enjoyed conversing with some of your relatives, and also I really appreciated some of the poems that were recited (they are generally always good, but yours were exceptionally good).
Have a safe journey home, and more good times with your beautiful family.
Best Wishes,
piper Elise
Elise was great for a school assembly, taking some time to explain to young kids about the instrument and the history of the songs she played. Highly recommended!
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you very much, Kirsten.
You were a great event host, and I appreciate all the preparation you put into making sure I knew where to park and tune-up.
I thought afterwards to mention that if ever you want to involve any of my bandmates in another performance, possibly the best genre might be sea music. We lead "chantey sings" (old traditional sailor songs) and Aaron is very experienced with teaching them to children, including explaining what type of work the sailors were doing while they sang.
But, of course, I love playing bagpipes and I will be happy to do that again for your school any time.
Best Wishes,
piper Elise
Elise played for my father’s memorial service. I really enjoyed working with her. She answered my questions promptly, gave helpful suggestions, and really helped my planning. On the day of the event she arrived on time, well prepared and ready to play. Highly recommended!
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you very much Kristin. You were a great organizer, and I appreciate all the preparation you put into making sure that when I met the organist and singers we could all polish our arrangement quickly. And your dad, wow, thank you for sending me his obituary ahead of time. I feel honored to have played for him (and you). Best Wishes, piper Elise
Thank you Elise. You truly made my Dad's mass service special.
Elise was great from the start. Communicating with me, finding out what I envisioned and making it happen. Meeting with the choir director to make my dad’s celebration of life service/mass so special. Thanks!!!
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you, Shawnna. Your radiance is inspiring, and from what I heard in the eulogy I think you gave exactly the kind of celebration your dad was hoping for.
Best Wishes,
piper Elise
Wonderful piper, would recomend her highly.
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you very much, Sean. :)
Best Wishes,
piper Elise
Elise MacGregor Ferrell is a great bagpiper and a true professional. We asked her to lead a protest march opposing any new offshore oil or gas exploration leases and having her made all the difference. It added pomp and gravitas to our event and increased turnout.
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you very much, Katherine. It was an honor to be included, and our community greatly appreciates all the effort you put into making our community aware of this issue. I shared both your event invitation and resulting news article, plus some insight I later got from a friend about what's been done in the past, on Facebook, and I've gotten a lot of interaction from people sharing the links and appreciating being told about it.
Best Wishes,
piper Elise
Elise was amazing!! Her compassion and her love comes through her music!!! Very happy and would book her again in a heartbeat!!!
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you very much, Therese. Likewise, I would hire you if ever I need someone to sing Amazing Grace :)
Best Wishes,
piper Elise
Elise showed up to my husband's memorial early and knew exactly what to do. I put it in her hands and she made the whole experience worry free for me. Everyone enjoyed the experience. I highly recommend her!
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you very much Jean.
It's quite common for family members who are hosting funerals to get to the event and realize "Hey, I don't want to be a coordinator during this event, or sing anything, I just want to fully share this moment with all the people who came to say goodbye with me." You were a shining hostess!
Best Wishes,
piper Elise
Excellent
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you very much, Susan. I will look forward to seeing you wherever our paths cross again...
Best Wishes,
piper Elise
We hired Elise MacGregor to play at my brother's burial. I could not have asked for a better piper...she played the songs I requested, and also others she chose.
She was very professional, and everyone commented on how much it made the service perfect.
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Many thanks, Laurie. You did a splendid job of keeping the ceremony flowing smoothly while you were also wishing to just experience your own feelings. I think everyone came away feeling satisfied that it was a beautiful farewell.
Best Wishes,
piper Elise
Photos from this event
Our Survivor Group (comprised of retired Child Protective Services staff
from Contra Costa County) were very impressed by the friendliness and
excellent music performed by Elise MacGregor Ferrell at the Buttercup
Restaurant in Walnut Creek, on Sept. 25th, 2017. Her excellent bagpiper
skills; and, her special clothing of the green MacGregor tartan, made her
performance " a fantastic experience for our Book Club group." ( *****Highest rating) Sincerely, Alyn Goldsmith (e-mail address: adgoldsmith@frontiernet.net )
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you very much, Alyn! I have to say, I came out of that gig remembering one of your members' nice definition of religion versus spirituality, so that you also for that. I'll contact you by regular e-mail to arrange getting my book to you soon. I am quite excited to hear what your readers have to say, because they sounded like a very astute group...you are in good company!
Best Wishes,
piper Elise
Bagpiper Elise was an excellent choice for our Fire Academy Graduation. Elise was a great addition to our program and will be highly considered for future ceremonies.
Response from Elise MacGregor Ferrell:
Thank you very much, Tom. Your crew looked very dapper, and they were so polite - definitely gentlemen I'd want to have come to our house if it catches on fire. You must have a good staff doing your academy training!
Best Wishes,
piper Elise
Hire her for your next event. She is really, really great.
It was our Grandaughtera 16th. Birthday and her guests were multi-cultural and all ages they all enjoyed the pipes.
Price Range: $220-600
Gig Length: 15 - 240 minutes
Insurance: $1,000,000 - I do not carry special insurance for gigs, but I am able to purchase Event Insurance for specific events, and the price varies depending upon the nature of the event (whether alcohol is involved, etc.)
Many people hire Elise for bagpiping because she is friendly and professional - able to be entertaining when it's called for, and likewise able to blend in with the wallpaper when there should not be any focus on where the music is coming from. In terms of repertoire, Elise's areas of specialization are "Songs of Glory," Ceremonial Tunes, adaptation of unusual requests (such as clients' favorite rock songs) to bagpipes, and being able to play a great variety of tunes during long performances (e.g. tunes from Ireland, England and Brittany, as well as Scotland, and a nice mixture of reels, jigs, hornpipes, slow airs, strathspeys, various kinds of marches, tunes enjoyed by children, and nostalgic favorites.
Elise’s musical family started teaching her piano and music theory ate age 5. She played flute in her middle school’s marching band, and fell in love with folk music at Yosemite’s first Strawberry Music Festival. A whimsical decision to take up fiddling doomed her to misspend countless early motherhood evenings learning hundreds of traditional Irish and Scottish tunes at Santa Cruz’s drop-in Celtic sessions. Her inspiration for founding Celtic band Charmas came from seeing live performances by The Old Blind Dogs and Molly’s Revenge. Whereas, her inspiration to learn bagpiping came from a lifetime of having marched behind weekly summertime bagpipe parades in Kincardine, Canada. Nowadays, she competes with the Monterey Bay Pipe Band, marches each summer with the Kincardine Scottish Pipe Band, performs solo as a “Phantom Piper” for a historic lighthouse in Canada, and performs year-round in California as a solo bagpiper for weddings, memorials, concerts, and private events, as well as playing bagpipes and fiddle with Charmas.
Bagpipes don't require anything except a place for warmup/tuning in similar climatic conditions to the event (which Elise does offsite if a surprise will be involved, or if the tuning would interrupt a ceremony). For ceremonial events, it's great to have an enclosed room out of earshot of the guests, but this only works if the room does not have air-conditioning or other conditions that differ significantly from where the performance will happen.
| March 01, 2025 • 2:00pm - 3:30pm | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| January 26, 2025 • 2:00pm - 3:00pm | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| January 12, 2025 • 6:00pm - 6:15pm | Birthday Party |
| December 25, 2024 • 5:00pm - 6:00pm | Birthday Party |
| October 05, 2024 • 3:00pm - 5:00pm | Birthday Party |
| June 29, 2024 • 1:00pm - 2:00pm | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| June 02, 2024 • 5:30pm - 6:00pm | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| May 19, 2024 • 6:00pm - 6:15pm | Birthday Party |
| May 19, 2024 • 2:30pm - 4:30pm | Personal Occasion |
| April 26, 2024 • 11:30am - 12:30pm | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| April 24, 2024 • 7:00pm - 8:00pm | Fundraiser |
| April 13, 2024 • 4:30pm - 6:00pm | Festival |
| April 06, 2024 • 3:30pm - 4:30pm | Wedding Reception |
| March 22, 2024 • 10:30am - 10:45am | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| March 17, 2024 • 10:30am - 12:00pm | Worship Service |
| March 15, 2024 • 4:00pm - 4:15pm | Campus Event |
| March 15, 2024 • 1:30pm - 2:15pm | Corporate Event |
| March 05, 2024 • 3:30pm - 3:45pm | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| February 17, 2024 • 3:00pm - 3:15pm | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| February 03, 2024 • 2:00pm - 2:15pm | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| January 27, 2024 • 10:30am - 11:30am | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| January 20, 2024 • 6:30pm - 7:30pm | Dinner Party |
| January 16, 2024 • 11:30am - 1:00pm | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| January 12, 2024 • 10:00am - 10:30am | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| November 11, 2023 • 2:00pm - 3:00pm | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| November 05, 2023 • 2:00pm - 2:15pm | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| October 28, 2023 • 5:00pm - 7:00pm | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| October 20, 2023 • 12:30pm - 1:00pm | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| October 14, 2023 • 2:00pm - 2:30pm | Personal Occasion |
| August 27, 2023 • 4:30pm - 5:15pm | Personal Occasion |
| June 20, 2023 • 8:30am - 8:45am | Sporting Event |
| May 11, 2023 • 1:00pm - 1:30pm | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| April 29, 2023 • 6:00pm - 6:45pm | Birthday Party |
| April 22, 2023 • 2:00pm - 3:00pm | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| April 20, 2023 • 6:30pm - 8:30pm | Nonprofit Event |
| January 21, 2023 • 4:00pm - 4:30pm | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| November 02, 2022 • 12:00pm - 1:00pm | School Assembly |
| September 09, 2022 • 2:00pm - 2:15pm | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| August 27, 2022 • 2:00pm - 2:30pm | Personal Occasion |
| July 14, 2022 • 5:30pm - 6:00pm | Birthday Party |
| June 04, 2022 • 6:00pm - 7:30pm | Graduation |
| May 21, 2022 • 5:30pm - 6:30pm | Fundraiser |
| May 20, 2022 • 1:30pm - 2:00pm | Personal Occasion |
| May 15, 2022 • 2:00pm - 2:15pm | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| April 23, 2022 • 5:30pm - 7:00pm | Wedding Ceremony |
| April 08, 2022 • 6:30pm - 7:00pm | Holiday Party |
| February 20, 2022 • 2:00pm - 2:30pm | Birthday Party |
| February 08, 2022 • 2:00pm - 2:15pm | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| September 25, 2021 • 1:30pm - 1:45pm | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| August 16, 2021 • 7:00pm - 7:15pm | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| July 31, 2021 • 10:30am - 11:00am | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| July 24, 2021 • 2:00pm - 3:30pm | Cocktail Party |
| May 22, 2021 • 12:30pm - 1:00pm | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| May 14, 2021 • 1:30pm - 3:00pm | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| April 29, 2021 • 2:00pm - 2:15pm | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| March 17, 2021 • 7:00pm - 8:00pm | House Party |
| March 10, 2021 • 12:00pm - 1:00pm | Product Promotion |
| October 10, 2020 • 11:00am - 11:30am | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| October 03, 2020 • 1:30pm - 1:45pm | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| September 18, 2020 • 10:00am - 11:00am | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| June 21, 2020 • 11:00am - 11:30am | Personal Occasion |
| May 10, 2020 • 1:00pm - 1:30pm | Personal Occasion |
| May 08, 2020 • 6:00pm - 6:30pm | Birthday Party |
| November 30, 2019 • 10:30am - 12:30pm | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| November 29, 2019 • 1:00pm - 1:15pm | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| October 19, 2019 • 4:00pm - 5:30pm | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| June 08, 2019 • 9:30pm - 11:30pm | Nonprofit Event |
| May 11, 2019 • 8:00pm - 10:00pm | House Party |
| May 11, 2019 • 3:30pm - 5:00pm | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| May 02, 2019 • 1:00pm - 1:15pm | School Assembly |
| March 12, 2019 • 4:00pm - 4:15pm | Corporate Event |
| January 12, 2019 • 1:00pm - 3:30pm | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| October 05, 2018 • 10:00am - 10:15am | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| September 29, 2018 • 3:00pm - 7:00pm | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| August 18, 2018 • 1:00pm - 1:15pm | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| May 19, 2018 • 7:30pm - 8:00pm | Birthday Party |
| February 11, 2018 • 1:00pm - 4:00pm | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| February 03, 2018 • 9:30pm - 11:30pm | Nonprofit Event |
| January 13, 2018 • 3:00pm - 4:00pm | Personal Occasion |
| January 06, 2018 • 2:00pm - 2:15pm | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| November 24, 2017 • 3:00pm - 3:30pm | Birthday Party |
| October 07, 2017 • 10:00am - 10:30am | Funeral/Memorial Service |
| September 25, 2017 • 11:30pm - 11:45pm | Personal Occasion |
| September 22, 2017 • 3:00pm - 4:30pm | Graduation |
| September 09, 2017 • 4:00pm - 5:30pm | Birthday (Teen) |
repertoire from the Kincardine Scottish Pipe Band (long list of marches and Songs of Glory)
repertoire from Monterey Bay Pipe Band (competition sets)
tunes learned by request for my private clients
tunes learned from various teachers in Canada and U.S.
tunes learned for Celtic band Charmas
San Bernardino, CA 
Bagpiper
137 Verified Bookings Karen J. said “There was nothing like a bagpiper to compliment our annual Culture Day event at Valley Preparatory School. From the procession in, education about the…”
Lodi, CA
Bagpiper
35 Verified Bookings Andrew B. said “Raphael is a scholar, a gentleman, and a gifted bagpiper. He was pleasure to spend an evening with enjoying a traditional Burns Supper.”
Berkeley, CA
Bagpiper
79 Verified Bookings James D. said “Enjoyed hearing David and meeting him”
Fresno, CA
Bagpiper
157 Verified Bookings James A. C. said “He is great to work with. Everyone at the Celebration of Life for my late wife enjoyed the rendition of "DANNY BOY" on the Bagpipe.”
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