SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Many things come to mind when one thinks of celebrating Robert Burns night; poetry, haggis, dancing, whisky and of course bagpipes. This year the celebration at the Elk's club on Saturday marked the 34th year the NWT pipe band played the event, celebrating the famed Scottish poet.

Floyd Adlem playing the bagpipes on Robert Burns night at Elk' Club on Saturday. - Adrian Lysenko/NNSL photo

"People tend to think of it as a large kazoo," said Brad Heath, major piper for the NWT pipe band of his bagpipes.

Heath said the unique instrument has a high learning curve and it's not often people decide to pick it up and try to learn it on their own.

"Most people started when they were young," said Heath.

Piper Lorie Crawford who has been playing the bagpipes for 46 years said she is glad she started at a young age. "Everyone knows what a bad bagpiper sounds like, so you can't hide it."

And as for what makes the instrument unique, "we're really loud," said Crawford.

"They don't have a volume control," said Ron Kent, bass drum player for the pipe band. "So I just hit harder."

The bellowing sound of bagpipes worked well in the days when Scotland waged battles against the English. The instrument could be heard over the noise of cannons and from distances over 10 km. During the Highland uprisings of the 18th century the bagpipes were considered instruments of war by the Loyalist Government and in 1745 bagpipes were outlawed.

Like the old Scottish proverb says, "twelve highlanders and a bagpipe make a rebellion."

The NWT pipe band originally formed in 1976 as the Yellowknife pipe band. The group is Canada's most northernly highland band and have had the distinction of playing for the Queen of Denmark in 1976 and Queen Elizabeth II in 1994.

"You play music to move the soul," said Kent. "We try and do the same."

In Scotland the instrument is associated with strength and the pride of the clan but also having the ability the sooth the soul.

"When I was younger back in Muskoka area in Ontario, there was a bagpiper and he would stand on top of the fjord and every night he piped the sun down," said Kent. "And to hear that music ring off those rock walls was very strong."