Elise MacGregor Ferrell
Highland Cathedral
Scotland The Brave
Be Thou My Vision
Skye Boat Song Bagpipes
Sleep Dearie Sleep
Charmas Band Irish Polkas into Tell Me Ma Song
Mhag Seola Irish Whistle/Fiddle/Standup Bass Demo
Margaret Cromar Solo Fiddle
Memorial Service in Richmond
Parade Marching in Canada
Phantom Piper in Canada
Christmas Parade Santa Cruz
Winery Concert in Santa Cruz
Memorial in Chowchilla
St. Pat's at Rosie McCann's Irish Pub
Overview
Dress up your wedding, surprise someone special on their birthday, or create the perfect ambiance for a heartfelt farewell.
Clients praise bagpiper Elise MacGregor Ferrell for her professionalism, thoughtful guidance in selecting music, lively performances, and expressive playing. She performs seasonally with Canada's 100-year-old Kincardine Scottish Pipe Band and competes with California's Silicon Valley Pipe Band.
Elise also performs with Bay Area band CHARMAS, providing full-event music for weddings, corporate events, birthdays, and memorial services. Choose the high-energy electric dance band or Celtic folk lineup for your ceremony, cocktail hour, and dance party.
Reviews
66 reviews
Raina H.
June 20, 2026Exactly what was wanted!
Elise was the bagpiper for my mother's memorial service and I could not have wished for a better Piper or a better program. I wasn't really sure what I wanted and she had several options, which was very helpful. I highly recommend Elise, she gives a thoughtful and invested performance
Hired as: Bagpiper
Stephanie H.
April 25, 2026Professional, punctual, creative, well prepared
Elise contacted us immediately and walked us through various scenarios for how she could support us and perform pieces that matched the mood of the ceremony. She checked in before the event to get a good sense of our preferences, arrived early, was extremely flexible, listened to our needs the day of and supported each request with clarity and professionalism. Highly recommend her… she is a class act
Hired as: Bagpiper, Celtic Music
Alycia M.
March 18, 2026Bagpiper Elise - Wonderful
Highly recommend.
Hired as: Bagpiper
Alane G.
February 10, 2026Perfect and Exactly what we imagined for our event
Elise MacGregor Ferrell really delivered a perfect performance and exactly what we wanted for our event. She played the National Anthem, which was amazing on the bagpipes. Her pre-event music was fantastic and added to the excitement of our event.
Hired as: Bagpiper
Sandy M.
January 30, 2026Elise MacGregor Ferrell - 2 thumbs up!
Elise MacGregor Ferrell was a wonderful addition to a celebration of life service in our local church. She worked well with the organizers around specific issues associated with the church venue. She was patient and understanding regarding the widow's requests and, of course, played wonderfully inside a small church. She and her bagpipes made this gathering of old friends a truly memorable experience. Thank you, Elise, for sharing your talent with us.
Hired as: Bagpiper
Booking information
Price range: $220-600
Gig length: 15 - 240 minutes
Insurance: $1,000,000 - I do not carry special insurance for gigs, but I am able to purchase Event Insurance for specific events, and the price varies depending upon the nature of the event (whether alcohol is involved, etc.)
What to expect
Many people hire Elise for bagpiping because she is friendly and professional - able to be entertaining when it's called for, and likewise able to blend in with the wallpaper when there should not be any focus on where the music is coming from. In terms of repertoire, Elise's areas of specialization are "Songs of Glory," Ceremonial Tunes, adaptation of unusual requests (such as clients' favorite rock songs) to bagpipes, and being able to play a great variety of tunes during long performances (e.g. tunes from Ireland, England and Brittany, as well as Scotland, and a nice mixture of reels, jigs, hornpipes, slow airs, strathspeys, various kinds of marches, tunes enjoyed by children, and nostalgic favorites.
About
Elise’s musical family started teaching her piano and music theory ate age 5. She played flute in her middle school’s marching band, and fell in love with folk music at Yosemite’s first Strawberry Music Festival. A whimsical decision to take up fiddling doomed her to misspend countless early motherhood evenings learning hundreds of traditional Irish and Scottish tunes at Santa Cruz’s drop-in Celtic sessions. Her inspiration for founding Celtic band Charmas came from seeing live performances by The Old Blind Dogs and Molly’s Revenge. Whereas, her inspiration to learn bagpiping came from a lifetime of having marched behind weekly summertime bagpipe parades in Kincardine, Canada. Nowadays, she competes with the Monterey Bay Pipe Band, marches each summer with the Kincardine Scottish Pipe Band, performs solo as a “Phantom Piper” for a historic lighthouse in Canada, and performs year-round in California as a solo bagpiper for weddings, memorials, concerts, and private events, as well as playing bagpipes and fiddle with Charmas.
Additional booking notes
Bagpipes don't require anything except a place for warmup/tuning in similar climatic conditions to the event (which Elise does offsite if a surprise will be involved, or if the tuning would interrupt a ceremony). For ceremonial events, it's great to have an enclosed room out of earshot of the guests, but this only works if the room does not have air-conditioning or other conditions that differ significantly from where the performance will happen.
Past booked events
June 2026
06
Saturday
House Party
2:30pm - 3:30pm
•
San Anselmo, CA
03
Wednesday
Graduation
9:30am - 12:00pm
•
San Francisco, CA
May 2026
30
Saturday
Funeral/Memorial Service
11:30am - 1:30pm
•
Benicia, CA
17
Sunday
Funeral/Memorial Service
3:30pm - 3:45pm
•
Acampo, CA
02
Saturday
Wedding Ceremony
2:00pm - 3:30pm
•
Stockton, CA
April 2026
29
Wednesday
Funeral/Memorial Service
12:00pm - 12:15pm
•
Santa Cruz, CA
18
Saturday
Funeral/Memorial Service
12:30pm - 1:00pm
•
San Jose, CA
March 2026
28
Saturday
Funeral/Memorial Service
6:00pm - 6:30pm
•
San Jose, CA
17
Tuesday
Sporting Event
7:30am - 9:00am
•
Stanford, CA
February 2026
06
Friday
Corporate Event
12:00pm - 12:15pm
•
Half Moon Bay, CA
January 2026
09
Friday
Funeral/Memorial Service
2:00pm - 3:00pm
•
Pinole, CA
November 2025
01
Saturday
Funeral/Memorial Service
3:30pm - 4:00pm
•
Sunnyvale, CA
October 2025
25
Saturday
Funeral/Memorial Service
11:30am - 12:00pm
•
San Jose, CA
June 2025
04
Wednesday
Graduation
9:30am - 12:00pm
•
San Francisco, CA
May 2025
04
Sunday
Birthday Party
2:00pm - 2:30pm
•
San Jose, CA
April 2025
04
Friday
Funeral/Memorial Service
7:30pm - 8:00pm
•
Campbell, CA
March 2025
22
Saturday
Funeral/Memorial Service
12:00pm - 12:15pm
•
San Francisco, CA
01
Saturday
Funeral/Memorial Service
2:00pm - 3:30pm
•
Redwood City, CA
February 2025
11
Tuesday
Funeral/Memorial Service
4:00pm - 4:30pm
•
Los Gatos, CA
January 2025
26
Sunday
Funeral/Memorial Service
2:00pm - 3:00pm
•
Union City, CA
12
Sunday
Birthday Party
6:00pm - 6:15pm
•
Santa Clara, CA
December 2024
25
Wednesday
Birthday Party
5:00pm - 6:00pm
•
Scotts Valley, CA
October 2024
05
Saturday
Birthday Party
3:00pm - 5:00pm
•
Palo Alto, CA
June 2024
29
Saturday
Funeral/Memorial Service
1:00pm - 2:00pm
•
Milpitas, CA
02
Sunday
Funeral/Memorial Service
5:30pm - 6:00pm
•
Santa Cruz, CA
May 2024
19
Sunday
Birthday Party
6:00pm - 6:15pm
•
Mountain View, CA
19
Sunday
Personal Occasion
2:30pm - 4:30pm
•
Half Moon Bay, CA
April 2024
26
Friday
Funeral/Memorial Service
11:30am - 12:30pm
•
Watsonville, CA
24
Wednesday
Fundraiser
7:00pm - 8:00pm
•
San Jose, CA
13
Saturday
Festival
4:30pm - 6:00pm
•
San Francisco, CA
06
Saturday
Wedding Reception
3:30pm - 4:30pm
•
Ben Lomond, CA
March 2024
22
Friday
Funeral/Memorial Service
10:30am - 10:45am
•
Cupertino, CA
17
Sunday
Worship Service
10:30am - 12:00pm
•
Palo Alto, CA
15
Friday
Campus Event
4:00pm - 4:15pm
•
Saratoga, CA
15
Friday
Corporate Event
1:30pm - 2:15pm
•
Santa Cruz, CA
05
Tuesday
Funeral/Memorial Service
3:30pm - 3:45pm
•
Campbell, CA
February 2024
17
Saturday
Funeral/Memorial Service
3:00pm - 3:15pm
•
Cupertino, CA
03
Saturday
Funeral/Memorial Service
2:00pm - 2:15pm
•
Daly City, CA
January 2024
27
Saturday
Funeral/Memorial Service
10:30am - 11:30am
•
Hayward, CA
20
Saturday
Dinner Party
6:30pm - 7:30pm
•
Santa Clara, CA
16
Tuesday
Funeral/Memorial Service
11:30am - 1:00pm
•
San Jose, CA
12
Friday
Funeral/Memorial Service
10:00am - 10:30am
•
San Juan Bautista, CA
November 2023
11
Saturday
Funeral/Memorial Service
2:00pm - 3:00pm
•
Palo Alto, CA
05
Sunday
Funeral/Memorial Service
2:00pm - 2:15pm
•
San Francisco, CA
October 2023
28
Saturday
Funeral/Memorial Service
5:00pm - 7:00pm
•
Tracy, CA
20
Friday
Funeral/Memorial Service
12:30pm - 1:00pm
•
South San Francisco, CA
14
Saturday
Personal Occasion
2:00pm - 2:30pm
•
Fremont, CA
August 2023
27
Sunday
Personal Occasion
4:30pm - 5:15pm
•
Pacifica, CA
June 2023
20
Tuesday
Sporting Event
8:30am - 8:45am
•
Palo Alto, CA
May 2023
11
Thursday
Funeral/Memorial Service
1:00pm - 1:30pm
•
Los Gatos, CA
April 2023
29
Saturday
Birthday Party
6:00pm - 6:45pm
•
Seaside, CA
22
Saturday
Funeral/Memorial Service
2:00pm - 3:00pm
•
Saratoga, CA
20
Thursday
Nonprofit Event
6:30pm - 8:30pm
•
San Jose, CA
January 2023
21
Saturday
Funeral/Memorial Service
4:00pm - 4:30pm
•
Oakland, CA
November 2022
02
Wednesday
School Assembly
12:00pm - 1:00pm
•
Seaside, CA
September 2022
09
Friday
Funeral/Memorial Service
2:00pm - 2:15pm
•
Gilroy, CA
August 2022
27
Saturday
Personal Occasion
2:00pm - 2:30pm
•
Santa Cruz, CA
July 2022
14
Thursday
Birthday Party
5:30pm - 6:00pm
•
Soquel, CA
June 2022
04
Saturday
Graduation
6:00pm - 7:30pm
•
Watsonville, CA
May 2022
21
Saturday
Fundraiser
5:30pm - 6:30pm
•
Aptos, CA
20
Friday
Personal Occasion
1:30pm - 2:00pm
•
Stockton, CA
15
Sunday
Funeral/Memorial Service
2:00pm - 2:15pm
•
Kenwood, CA
April 2022
23
Saturday
Wedding Ceremony
5:30pm - 7:00pm
•
Santa Cruz, CA
08
Friday
Holiday Party
6:30pm - 7:00pm
•
Stanford, CA
February 2022
20
Sunday
Birthday Party
2:00pm - 2:30pm
•
San Jose, CA
08
Tuesday
Funeral/Memorial Service
2:00pm - 2:15pm
•
Santa Clara, CA
September 2021
25
Saturday
Funeral/Memorial Service
1:30pm - 1:45pm
•
Martinez, CA
August 2021
16
Monday
Funeral/Memorial Service
7:00pm - 7:15pm
•
Martinez, CA
July 2021
31
Saturday
Funeral/Memorial Service
10:30am - 11:00am
•
Los Gatos, CA
24
Saturday
Cocktail Party
2:00pm - 3:30pm
•
San Francisco, CA
May 2021
22
Saturday
Funeral/Memorial Service
12:30pm - 1:00pm
•
Hayward, CA
14
Friday
Funeral/Memorial Service
1:30pm - 3:00pm
•
San Jose, CA
April 2021
29
Thursday
Funeral/Memorial Service
2:00pm - 2:15pm
•
Santa Cruz, CA
March 2021
17
Wednesday
House Party
7:00pm - 8:00pm
•
Fremont, CA
10
Wednesday
Product Promotion
12:00pm - 1:00pm
•
San Francisco, CA
October 2020
10
Saturday
Funeral/Memorial Service
11:00am - 11:30am
•
Monterey, CA
03
Saturday
Funeral/Memorial Service
1:30pm - 1:45pm
•
Vallejo, CA
September 2020
18
Friday
Funeral/Memorial Service
10:00am - 11:00am
•
Coalinga, CA
June 2020
21
Sunday
Personal Occasion
11:00am - 11:30am
•
Danville, CA
May 2020
10
Sunday
Personal Occasion
1:00pm - 1:30pm
•
San Francisco, CA
08
Friday
Birthday Party
6:00pm - 6:30pm
•
San Jose, CA
November 2019
30
Saturday
Funeral/Memorial Service
10:30am - 12:30pm
•
Pleasanton, CA
29
Friday
Funeral/Memorial Service
1:00pm - 1:15pm
•
San Mateo, CA
October 2019
19
Saturday
Funeral/Memorial Service
4:00pm - 5:30pm
•
Sunnyvale, CA
June 2019
08
Saturday
Nonprofit Event
9:30pm - 11:30pm
•
Santa Cruz, CA
May 2019
11
Saturday
House Party
8:00pm - 10:00pm
•
Redwood City, CA
11
Saturday
Funeral/Memorial Service
3:30pm - 5:00pm
•
Santa Cruz, CA
02
Thursday
School Assembly
1:00pm - 1:15pm
•
Mountain View, CA
March 2019
12
Tuesday
Corporate Event
4:00pm - 4:15pm
•
San Francisco, CA
January 2019
12
Saturday
Funeral/Memorial Service
1:00pm - 3:30pm
•
Sacramento, CA
October 2018
05
Friday
Funeral/Memorial Service
10:00am - 10:15am
•
Concord, CA
September 2018
29
Saturday
Funeral/Memorial Service
3:00pm - 7:00pm
•
Hollister, CA
August 2018
18
Saturday
Funeral/Memorial Service
1:00pm - 1:15pm
•
Santa Cruz, CA
May 2018
19
Saturday
Birthday Party
7:30pm - 8:00pm
•
Hayward, CA
February 2018
11
Sunday
Funeral/Memorial Service
1:00pm - 4:00pm
•
Palo Alto, CA
03
Saturday
Nonprofit Event
9:30pm - 11:30pm
•
Santa Cruz, CA
January 2018
13
Saturday
Personal Occasion
3:00pm - 4:00pm
•
Modesto, CA
06
Saturday
Funeral/Memorial Service
2:00pm - 2:15pm
•
San Jose, CA
November 2017
24
Friday
Birthday Party
3:00pm - 3:30pm
•
Salinas, CA
October 2017
07
Saturday
Funeral/Memorial Service
10:00am - 10:30am
•
Hayward, CA
September 2017
25
Monday
Personal Occasion
11:30pm - 11:45pm
•
Walnut Creek, CA
22
Friday
Graduation
3:00pm - 4:30pm
•
Aptos, CA
09
Saturday
Birthday (Teen)
4:00pm - 5:30pm
•
Stockton, CA
Influences and inspiration
repertoire from the Kincardine Scottish Pipe Band (long list of marches and Songs of Glory)
repertoire from Monterey Bay Pipe Band (competition sets)
tunes learned by request for my private clients
tunes learned from various teachers in Canada and U.S.
tunes learned for Celtic band Charmas