No one could ever question Peter’s dedication to Kirkie Band. If you were in Kirkie Band, you felt that dedication personally…

Peter Fraser MBE – our President, our friend, our mentor, and our leader in so many ways. How do you ever begin to sum up a man like Peter? How do you put into words the quiet, steady, immeasurable impact of someone who has shaped not only Kirkie band but generations of people within it?

The truth is, you can’t. No set of words can fully contain who Peter was. But the essence of Peter really does come down to a few simple, but powerful words:

Dedication.
Loyalty.
Selflessness.
Pride.

No one could ever question Peter’s dedication to Kirkie Band. If you were in Kirkie Band, you felt that dedication personally. There was nothing – absolutely nothing – he wouldn’t do for us. He organised us and managed us – and goodness knows we sometimes need a lot of organising and managing. He handled the endless administrative tasks that come with running a busy band - booked our planes, buses and hotels for far-flung contests, loaded and unloaded percussion from the van, often late at night after concerts, stood in freezing weather at Regent Gardens shaking a collecting tin while we played Christmas carols – and he even turned up with homemade soup to keep us warm.

And all of that is just scratching the surface. Every invisible task that keeps a band running – the things most of us never see – ran through Peter.

His dedication didn’t stop at Kirkie Band. His many roles within the Scottish Brass Band Association, where he was honorary vice-president, were handled with the same tireless commitment. His work bringing the European Brass Band Championships to Scotland in 2004 and 2014 was pivotal. As SBBA President Carrie Boax said in her tribute, it cannot be overstated how much Peter helped to shape Scottish and European banding – and how deeply he believed in the power of community music to change lives. That belief is one of his greatest legacies.

His influence spread far beyond Scotland. Messages of condolence have poured in from all over the UK and Europe – a testament to the reach of his impact.

And his dedication endured right to the very end. Only days before his passing, Peter was still organising our annual concert. Even from his hospital bed, he was sending messages to Allan, our band manager, about things he wanted done. That is who Peter was – to his last breath, he was thinking of the band.

That deep dedication came from the second word that defines Peter: loyalty.

Peter’s loyalty to Kirkie Band was woven into the fabric of his life. Peter first joined the band as a learner in 1949, starting on tenor horn, moving to cornet, and then flugel horn, taught by his brother Robert, who was principal cornet at the time. Over decades, he experienced contest wins, travels across Britain and Europe, and a lifetime of music.

He retired from playing in the 1980s – but of course that didn’t stop him. Along with his great friend Willie Tennant, Peter poured his time and energy into the management and administration of the band. He could have stepped away and enjoyed a quieter life, but Peter was never one to do “the easy thing.” Kirkie Band was in his blood. His involvement – more than seventy years of continuous service – is surely unmatched in Scottish banding.

That leads me to the third word: selflessness.

Peter would do anything for the good of the band. One story shows this better than anything.

It was 1985, and we were preparing for the Scottish Championships. We had won the previous year for the first time and were working hard to defend our title under Professor Walter Hargreaves. Peter was playing on the back row. After weeks of rehearsing, and with just a few days till the contest, the wee Prof (a demanding conductor at the best of times) was not entirely happy with the way things were going, and felt we needed to strengthen the cornet team.

Peter contacted Steve Stewart and arranged for him to play with us at the contest. But bringing Steve in put us over the player limit. Without hesitation or regret – after all those weeks of rehearsal and personal effort – Peter immediately stepped down. Not a thought for himself. Only for what was best for the band. I can’t really think of anyone else who would do something like that.

We won the contest. We retained the Scottish Championship title. And no one was prouder than Peter.

Which brings me to the final word: pride.

Peter’s pride in Kirkie Band was immense. When we came off stage after a strong performance, we always looked for Peter. “How was that?” we’d ask. And he would reply with a single word: “Magnificent.” Or “Wonderful.” (And yes – very occasionally, when things weren’t quite as good, that other single word, the one that rhymed with “white”, made an appearance too.)

But we always knew he was proud of us. And that pride went both ways. We were – we are – profoundly, fiercely proud of him: of everything he did, of the way he carried himself, and of how he represented Kirkie Band across the world for so many years. We are lucky, and we owe Peter more than we can ever say.

Since his passing, we’ve seen an outpouring of love and grief from all corners of the banding world. It shows what we already knew: that Peter, though small in stature, was a giant of a man. A giant in integrity, in generosity, in character. He will remain an inspiration to me, to this band, and to everyone who had the privilege of knowing him and calling him a friend.

Peter, you were the beating heart of Kirkie Band, and while we say goodbye to you today, it is a hard parting. Unbearably hard. You will be sorely missed, and we will never see your like again.