Let me start off by saying it’s a long time since I’ve been to Astoria. I absolutely adore the quaint little town. It reminds me of the movie “Goonies”, which was filmed there. The town is set on a hill and overlooks the mouth of the Columbia River Gorge, just before it empties out into the Pacific Ocean. It is filled with antique shops, cafes and one of my new favorites – Fort George Brewery.
Initially I was contacted by the family of the lovely young couple I was going to bagpipe in Astoria for. This would be my first Astoria Bagpiper gig. But hopefully not my last. The family inquired about availability and cost. I told them I was available and quoted them a competitive rate. After listening to my bagpipe music samples on my website, they were more than ecstatic to have me come perform.
Because the bride and groom were located in Astoria, we weren’t able to meet and select bagpipe wedding tunes in person. Instead, they selected from my website, choosing “Scotland the Brave” for the bridesmaids/groomsmen, “Skye Boat Song” for the the processional and finally, “Sgt. James Barclay” for the processional. All very lovely choices.
Both families and all the guests were very complimentary of my piping and I even joined them in several photo shoots afterward. Thanks again to the bride and groom and thank you Astoria for hosting me for the afternoon.