The Queen's Bands...

It was over 100 years ago that a group of enthusiastic freshmen, fans of the Queen's Golden Gaels football team, formed to support the Gaels wherever they would play. The tradition holds today, making a football game at Queen's unlike any other college game in Canada. Since their establishment 102 years ago, the Bands have gone through numerous changes while staying true to tradition. Starting with only 12 members in 1905, the Bands have grown to over 120 members and now include a brass band a pipe band, highland dancers, and a troupe of male and female cheerleaders (hence the pluralization of "bands"). The uniform has also had its share of transitions, but today (and for the past 50 years) the Bands are outfitted in Traditional Scottish Uniforms. Through the years, the Bands have lived up to one primary underlying purpose: to represent and share the spirit of Queen's University.


The Bands developed their own uniforms in 1920: white duck trousers, tricolour sweaters, and Queen's tams. The current uniforms, with the Royal Stewart Tartan kilt, were adopted only after the Second World War. A pipe band was added to the troupe in 1925, but did not become a permanent fixture until 1938, at which time highland dancers also appeared. It is unclear when cheerleaders first joined the Bands. "Rooters clubs" were formed early this century to lead students in cheers at Queen's games and appear to have gradually become informally, and then formally, linked with the Bands. There are now about 120 students in the Bands.

The Uniform of the Queen's Bands
"The best known of all Scottish tartans, the Royal Stewart is the tartan of the Royal House of Stewart and the personal tartan of Her Majesty The Queen. In the same way that clansmen wear the tartan of their chief, it is appropriate for all subjects of the Queen to wear the Royal Stewart tartan. The pattern was first published by James Logan in his book, 'The Scottish Gael' in 1831, but references indicate that the sett was known at the end of the 18th century."

- source: Tartans of Scotland


The Queen's Bands' Uniform is traditional full Scottish regalia. This has been the official dress of The Bands for over 50 years and for all fifty of those years the official tartan has been the Royal Stewart. The uniforms are complete with kilts, tunics (both red and green), half and full plaids, glengarries, hoses and spats, and are always worn according to Regiment customs. This traditional Scottish Uniform saw many variations in the early history of The Bands before coming to rest with the Royal Stewart tartan. Bands recently purchased new uniforms for $250,000 with the gracious financial assistance of many donors, most notably the Alma Mater Society (AMS) and former Principal Bill Leggett.

From 1905 to 1948, the Bands wore everything from white duck pants, to tricolour sweaters and tams, to red jackets with blue cuffs, blue hats with gold lining, gold braid and yellow belts, to the military uniforms of the Canadian Army shortly before and after World War II.


In the 1940s, fundraising was lead by The Bands and the Alma Mater Society (AMS)to purchase kilts for the Brass and Pipe bands. The AMS approved a $5,500 expenditure, at the risk of mortgaging income for years to come. At this time, AMS President G. F. Bruce reported to the Principal that:

"When [The Band] makes its appearance in the fall, it should be the smartest appearing college band in the country."

And as former AMS secretary Herb Hamilton wrote in his book Queen's, Queen's, Queen's:

"From poor relations, The Bands overnight became the pride of the University."
Text is from Queen's Bands official site.

The Bands will be participating in Boston's St. Patrick's Day parade this year.


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