Sheran Hancock (49) has a passion that is no casual highland fling.
“I have a true passion for playing the bagpipes. I even met my husband Jason when I joined the local pipe band in Feilding. I was 14 years old when we met and we’ve been married for 23 years.
You can say that my entire life has been dedicated to playing the bagpipes. My parents played the instrument, as did three of my four siblings. I’ve always loved the sound.
Jason and I have two sons, Brogan (20) and Jared (18). Our eldest plays in the band too.
My great-great-grandmother came from Scotland and my father’s family are from Ireland, so the Celtic tradition – the music and the culture – is in my blood.
I started to learn when I was 10 and moved quickly to the Feilding Pipe Band. At the age of 17, I was promoted to pipe major [director] of the band, a position I held for 25 years.
Sheran recently became a life member of the Wellington Hawke’s Bay Pipe Band Centre.
There were many successes over this time, with the band attending over 120 contests over a 12-year period and always placing in the top three. At the age of 49, I have become a life member of the Wellington Hawke’s Bay Pipe Band Centre.
I am currently pipe sergeant, secondary only to the pipe major. My responsibilities are shared with the pipe major in tune selection, compilation and arrangement. I’m also in charge of tuning up the band before a performance.
We’ve enjoyed some recent successes, which saw us winning both the New Zealand and Australian National Championships in 2010.
The bagpipes are a very divisive instrument. People either like them or they hate them. There’s no in between. People who love them often say that the music makes them cry, whether it is a happy or a sad occasion. People who don’t like the sound say it’s a loud racket.
It’s a family affair – son Brogan, husband Jason and Sheran share this Celtic connection.
I regularly play at funerals, weddings, conventions and parties. The most rewarding event we play at is the ANZAC commemoration services.
It feels great to be able to give something back to the community every year and pay tribute to the hundreds of people who lost their lives during the various wars. It’s become an important event on the calendar.
For the past 14 years, I’ve been a music teacher at Palmerston North Boys’ High School. I’ve taught students how to play the bagpipes, developed successful teaching programmes for the youth and created an awareness of our art form. I’m proud that we have a lot of teenagers involved. We boast more than 100 pipers and drummers and around 70% of our membership are under 20 years of age. It’s rewarding, in this technological day and age, to find many teenagers enjoy playing the bagpipes.
I’m starting to look back and see how much I have achieved. We have made a difference in people’s lives, especially the young, and that makes everything worthwhile.”
Quick fire:
My favourite holiday was… when my family went to Scotland. I had a connection to the music and the land.
My most prized possession is… my precious bagpipes, of course.
My favourite memory is… my sons being born, because it was a very special moment.
