Durant McCurley
- East Haven, CT
- Bagpiper
- 71 Verified Bookings
Nancy W. said “Durant was wonderful and so fun. Just what we wanted for our event.”
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Terry gave an outstanding performance for our St. Patrick’s Day party, where he was absolutely the highlight! His performance was excellent, he gave great details about his performance and associated history, and our guests were thrilled. He was also generous with his time. Highly recommend!
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Terry played during a wake and funeral on a chilly March morning last weekend. The meloncholy sound of the bagpipes coming from the hillside was exactly what the family requested. Many folks commented how moving it was and such a fitting tribute to the man who in life had loved the sound of the pipes. Terry looked splendid and his musical selections were exactly what was needed for the solemn occasion. I especially liked “ Going Home “ that he played while Ed’s eight grandsons placed the coffin in the hearse. Not a dry eye in sight!
Response from Terry Manning:
Thank you for the nice review Paula!!
Terry was terrific! We had a family party and he played outside for a time with loud pipes, then switched to the “indoor pipes” to a second round of applause!
Congenial and gentlemanly, dressing the part, it was all money well spent.
Terry played at out daughter's wedding last Saturday and it was wonderful. Since Terry also plays the Scottish Small Pipes (which are quieter for indoors) and those were our back up plan in case of rain during the ceremony, which it did and the sound was just beautiful. Terry was early, impeccably dressed and lovely to work with. We can't wait for another occasion to have him play.
Response from Terry Manning:
Thank you for the nice review Lynette. Terry
We recently had the pleasure of having Terry play for us at our daughter's wedding ceremony. He was so patient and kind as we worked out a song list that my Scottish mother would appreciate. He was personable, professional, and skilled. When I inadvertently called him while he was enjoying vacation, he even graciously accepted a call from the beach! Terry's bag piping was a beautiful addition to a truly perfect day. I would highly recommend him to others.
Response from Terry Manning:
Thank you for your feedback! Terry
The entire booking process was so easy! Working with Terry was a great experience!! He knew exactly how to handle our event and put us at ease. His personality and professionalism were beyond compare. His playing was inspirational!! I would recommend Terry very highly and hope to use his talent for future family events. Thank you Terry Manning again for making my Dad's party a more memorable event! Sincerely..... Lisa Keiffer
Response from Terry Manning:
Thank you Lisa for the nice review. Terry
Terry was an accessible, agreeable partner in the development and delivery of my mother's outdoor memorial program. He gladly listened to my desires, providing informed recommendations in terms of lyrics, musical mood of the piece, the public's familiarity with a piece, cultural context.
Despite the blankets of snow across the cemetery, Terry's beautiful renditions of Water is Wide, Scotland the Brave, and Meeting of the Waters, resonated restorative refrains through our aching hearts. He provided a joyous and much-appreciated bagpipe led sing-a-long rendition of, Take me Out to the Ballgame--a first-time request for him.
Terry Manning is a classy gentleman who plays classical and whimsical songs on the bagpipe with great aplomb.
Response from Terry Manning:
Thank you Rebecca for the very nice review. Much appreciated!
Terry Manning
Terry played beautifully for our Mother's burial at sea/Funeral service. He was flexible, on time (early), and withstood the brisk wind on the boat deck with good humor. He and his music were a wonderful addition to our event. Thank you again, Terry!
Response from Terry Manning:
Thank you Moira. Terry
We're thrilled to say that Terry delivered a phenomenal performance at our wedding ceremony on October 12th in Essex CT.
Terry's piping is simply beautiful. He wore a badass celtic uniform and created the exact experience we were looking for. He played the melodic mini-pipes for my processional and the more powerful highland pipes for my walk down the aisle and recessional. Everyone commented on how cool the bagpiper was and how much they enjoyed it.
Terry is professional and easy to work with. He gave us guidance regarding which songs work well in weddings and helped us plan the ceremony. He also noted that he could learn just about anything if given enough time to prepare. He showed up early as promised which gave us to time to fine tune the ceremony we had planned.
We highly recommend Terry and if you want to add some celtic magic to your event, book him!
Response from Terry Manning:
Thank you for the nice review Colleen!
On September 6th Terry performed at my son's wedding at the Pavilion on Crystal Lake in Middletown, Connecticut. I contacted Terry through Gig Salad and though I live in Florida, I found it very easy to comminucate with him. He was helpful in making suggestions for music, but was always eager to play any music we might choose. I hired Terry to perform during seating and during the processional and recession march along with performing during the receiving line. I was so very pleased with his performance and my son and his new wife loved his performance also. Terry took the time to learn new songs that my son requested and did a beautiful job at performing them. His performance was a surprise to all the guests at the wedding and they all complimented us on our choice of music and his performance. I would highly recommend Terry. He was a pleaseure to work with!!!
We hired Terry to play at my fathers funeral service on 7/14/12, and have nothing but praise for him. He arrived in plenty of time, plays beautifully, and his timing for when to play and when not to play was perfect. He couldn't have done it any better.
Mr. Manning showed enthusiasm and demonstrated professionalism to all that were privilaged to hear him perform on the bagpipes. He not only shared his talents but offered hands on education sharing details that were impressive and tangible.
We hired Terry for our wedding service in Glastonbury, CT. He arrived on time, and played as our guests arrived. He also piped during our procession and recessional. Very professional! So many great comments from our guests. Highly recommended.
Price Range: Contact for rates
Gig Length: 30 - 120 minutes
Languages: English
Unions: Not A Union Member
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March 16, 2024 • 3:00pm - 3:30pm | House Party |
January 27, 2024 • 6:00pm - 8:00pm | Dinner Party |
November 16, 2019 • 6:00pm - 7:00pm | Birthday Party |
June 15, 2019 • 1:30pm - 4:00pm | Wedding Ceremony |
March 09, 2019 • 4:30pm - 5:15pm | House Party |
March 24, 2018 • 8:00am - 10:00am | Funeral/Memorial Service |
March 10, 2018 • 3:00pm - 3:30pm | Holiday Party |
March 17, 2016 • 4:30pm - 6:30pm | Holiday Party (Other) |
January 06, 2016 • 2:00pm - 10:00pm | Funeral/Memorial Service |
November 07, 2015 • 3:00pm - 4:00pm | Wedding Ceremony |
October 04, 2014 • 11:30am - 12:00pm | Wedding Ceremony |
July 26, 2014 • 1:30pm - 3:30pm | Wedding Ceremony |
June 27, 2014 • 10:00am - 11:30am | Funeral Service |
April 05, 2014 • 2:00pm - 6:00pm | Birthday Party |
March 01, 2014 • 3:00pm - 3:45pm | Funeral Service |
November 09, 2013 • 3:00pm - 6:00pm | Funeral Service |
October 12, 2013 • 5:30pm - 6:30pm | Wedding Ceremony |
September 06, 2013 • 5:30pm - 7:00pm | Wedding Ceremony |
April 27, 2013 • 5:30pm - 6:15pm | Wedding Ceremony |
March 16, 2013 • 6:00pm - 7:00pm | Fundraiser |
March 15, 2013 • 2:00pm - 2:45pm | Private Party |
I play many traditional and contemporary Scottish, Irish, Canadian and American bagpipe tunes. The band I compete with travels to several Scottish games in North America. My bagpipe, therefore, is in excellent playing shape for your engagements. My bagpipe was made by James Robertson in 1955 and is made from African Blackwood with elephant ivory ferrules and mounts.
Scottish Small Pipes is also an option for your smaller engagements.
Lastly, I also play an electric bagpipe made by Redpipes, a German company. Great when playing with my Celtic band.
I have been greatly influenced by The Chieftains. I love the music and try express tunes with the same feeling. I realize that this breaks from the traditional Scottish Bagpiping discipline, so when appropriate, I take full license to bend notes.
No set up requirements required.
Nancy W. said “Durant was wonderful and so fun. Just what we wanted for our event.”
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Bruce C. said “Rick was absolutely great at my mother's Celebration of Life and burial. I contacted him on short notice. His experienced, professional and beautiful…”
Douglas K. said “Ian was willing to work with us and provided exactly what we needed for our church service. He accompanied the choir, played with the organ, and added…”