William P. Nisbet (far right) with three of his children ca. 1910.
FROM PIPE DREAM TO UTAH TRADITION
Amid the Great Depression, Salt Lake City resident William P. Nisbet envisioned a pipe band that would honor Utah’s Scottish immigrants while representing the state both locally and across the country. Nisbet, who had come to the United States from Scotland at the age of 19, imagined something ambitious: the Western United States' premier pipe-and-drum ensemble, featuring at least 20 pipers, six drummers, and a troupe of Highland dancers, all dressed in full regalia. In 1937, he joined with other Scottish immigrants and community members to finally establish the Utah Pipe Band (UPB), also called the "Utah Scottish Bagpipe Band" in its early days.
"The organization is to be State-wide, neither religious, political, or have any social discrimination," the UPB organizers stated in an early band document, "and its primary objective is the welfare of our City and State, with its splendid citizenship, regardless of whether they be Mormons, Catholics, Jews, Presbyterians, etc. or affiliated with any fraternal organization . . . ."
The band quickly became a fixture at community gatherings, performing at Scottish reunions, Lagoon Amusement Park, and other local events. One of its
most significant roles, however, was its participation in Covered Wagon Days (now known as Pioneer Day), highlighted by the annual parade in Salt Lake City. This official Utah holiday commemorates the arrival of the Latter-day Saint or “Mormon” pioneers to the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847. To this day, celebrations along the Wasatch Front rival those of Independence Day. Since its founding, the UPB has marched in every Pioneer Day parade, a cherished Utah tradition and one of the oldest parades in the U.S.
BUILDING THE BAND
From the outset, the founders of the UPB began preparing for an important upcoming milestone for Utahns: the 1947 Pioneer Day centennial. The band set its sights on delivering an impactful performance with 10 short years to prepare. They had members to recruit, instruments to obtain, full Highland gear to acquire, and musicians and dancers to train. Some of these supplies—such as kilts and other regalia—were painstakingly made at home while others were shipped to Utah by band members' relatives in Scotland.
The band’s progress was detailed in a document from a UPB meeting in 1939:
At the present time, we have a group of twelve young boys and girls with several young men, who are already proficient in the playing of the pipes, practicing regularly on the Chanter, that is, the mouthpiece of the bagpipes. However, it takes about $50.00 to $75.00 for a complete set of pipes, and the Highland costumes would take another $30.00 to $50.00 so that to fully equip the band, it will run around $100.00 per member.
To raise funds for this, it is proposed to hold a concert in Salt Lake City sometime during March or early April, also sell tickets and solicit small donations throughout the City and State, as that it will become a Community Enterpirse [sic.], and not be confined to just a few people or to any one organization.
The Utah Pipe Band at the Scottish Missionary Society Reunion, April 1938.
L–R, top: (1) Joseph "Joe" Marshall McPhie, (2) Charles "Stuart" Donaldson, Jr., (3) Afton Mary Erskine, (4) George Thompson, (5) David Darrel Barclay, (6) Ralph Marshall on bass drum, (7) Harry Erskine, (8) Vernon Anderson, (9) James Douglas "Doug" Nisbet, (10) Glenn Irvine, (11) Robert "Bob" Andrew Barclay. Bottom: (12) Mary Afton Barclay, (13) Ruth Erskine, (14) Margaret McPhie
"ACT WELL THY PART"
Among the UPB’s most enthusiastic supporters was David O. McKay, president of the Salt Lake City–based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1951 to 1970. Born in Utah to a Scottish father and Welsh mother, McKay spent part of his early adulthood as a missionary in Scotland. While in the city of Stirling, he spotted an inscription above the doorway of a building, which read, “What e’er thou art, act well thy part.” This phrase resonated with McKay, and he referenced it often throughout the rest of his life.
In keeping with tradition, McKay regularly participated in Salt Lake City’s annual Pioneer Day parade and consistently arranged for the UPB to follow directly behind him. His ongoing connection with the band contributed to the UPB’s identity at the time, and McKay was named Honorary President of the Utah Pipe Band as early as 1939. “Act well thy part” later became the band’s motto.
SNAPSHOTS OF A LEGACY
 The Utah Pipe Band ca. 1937 |  Members of the Utah Pipe Band pose for the camera ca. 1940 |  The UPB greets Gracie Fields |
|---|---|---|
 The UPB plays for Orson Welles |  The UPB ca. 1978 |  The UPB ca. 1980 |
 The UPB ca. 1978 |  The UPB ca. 1980 |  UPB members meet Governor Matheson |
 The UPB ca. 1990 |  The UPB ca. 1990 |  Highland dancers perform with the UPB |
 The UPB ca. 2012 |  The UPB competes in Pleasanton, California ca. 2018 |  The UPB plays at the USS Missouri in Hawaii |
 UPB tenor drummers prepare for a performance in Salt Lake City |  The UPB performs in Normany, France |  The UPB practicing for their annual concert in 2025 |
 The UPB and Highland dancers perform in 2026 |  UPB Pipe Major Andrew Barclay warms up before performing in concert |  The UPB performs at the Salt Lake Tabernacle in 2026 |