By Cindy Martin
Correspondent

As a young boy Bill Dearborn, 47, of Epsom, spent time at the Hopkinton Fair. But unlike his friends, he was not drawn to the midway so much as the bagpipe and drums that played throughout the grounds.

"At the fair, when my friends spent their time on the midway, I followed the piper and drummer around," he said. "My friends thought I was crazy, but I preferred the band over the midway."

Bill Dearborn of Epsom marches with other bagpipers down Concord's Main Street on Sept. 22 as the kickoff of the Highland Games in Hopkinton. The instrument has held a fascination for him since childhood. (Cindy Martin Photo)

The seed had been planted, but many years would pass before he would realize the dream of playing bagpipes himself.

"I acquired Scottish music. I got albums and tapes and played them," said Dearborn. "I got seriously interested when a friend of mine was dying and asked me to find a bagpipe player to play at his funeral. When I contacted the bagpipe player, I told him how much I admired the pipes and he asked me why I didn't play? I made all sorts of excuses, too old, not enough time, but I realized I really had no barriers to keep me from playing."

With bagpipes in hand, he spent weeks taking lessons at the College of Piping at Prince Edward Island in Canada during the summer. Locally, he took lessons from Gordon and Lezlie Webster, who run the New Hampshire School for the Scottish Arts.

Dearborn's dream was only half fulfilled by learning to play. He has been a volunteer at the Highland Games for years and always felt a calling when the bands took to the field.

"My love is in the bagpipes, and I wanted to be part of a band and be one of the nearly 300 pipers playing the same tune at the same time," said Dearborn.

That dream finally came true at this year's Highland Games. "Playing with the mass bands was exhilarating. It was great to realize a goal I have had for so many years, being part of the band and the heritage I have so much respect for," said Dearborn.

The bagpipes are more than just an instrument; they emit a sound which moves people. "The pipes evoke a lot of different emotions, depending on the song. They range from sadness to triumph to joy," he said.

To keep motivated, he enjoys seeing world-class players such as Alasdair Gillies play at the games. Gillies is a professor of the bagpipes at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania and a longtime featured artist at the Highland Games. Bagpipe players are graded from 1 to 5 with a 1 being the best while a 5 is considered a novice.

"I envy Lezlie and Gordon Webster's son, Campbell, who is 9 and has learned to play at such a young age. He will go on to be a world-class competitor," said Dearborn. "Part of my joy each year is to attend the games and hear the world-class musicians. There is such a variety of artists - the pipes, drums, harp and the athletics - there is truly something there for everyone."

He shares the love of the Scottish heritage with his two stepdaughters, Jessica Willis, 18, and Audrey Willis, 15, of Allenstown. Because of his love of the pipes and being exposed to the music, they both got involved and became Scottish dancers. Jessica has gone into the military and was out of town for this year's games but Dearborn called her so she could listen to the pipes playing for her sister while she danced. What comes next?

"A lot of practice," said Dearborn. "I got to where I am, at a respectable level, but I am not done yet!"