By MONICA MELTON

Every Tuesday, the whining sounds of bagpipes can be heard in a basement at St. Margaret’s Church on Delafield Avenue. It’s the sound hearkening back to Old Sod, where bagpipe music symbolized revelry and in many instances a warning to the enemy.

And behind the music is a sense of fraternity, a reason why Ken Corrigan of Norwood created the New York City Volunteer Firefighters Bagpipe Band, one of the few remaining Irish bagpipe bands in the Bronx that practices year round in the northwest Bronx.

Corrigan, a former police officer, volunteer at the Hartsdale Fire Company and instructor for the Department of Homeland Security, formed the band in 2011 alongside several musicians from Norwood. Corrigan is proud to add the title of drum major to his repertoire.

“The original concept of forming this band was to honor the fire service, both paid and volunteer, to honor the heritage and traditions and those who laid down their lives while in the performance of duty protecting the City of New York and abroad since 1648,” said Corrigan.

That is exactly what the band has done since forming. Corrigan said the history around the songs his band plays comes from Scottish, Irish, Welsh, British, Japanese, Spanish and even Jordanian roots.

The group certainly keeps with tradition, wearing the familiar plaid kilt at various parades and other functions. “When you put that kilt on, you’re stepping into not only a worldwide fraternal organization, but you’re stepping back into history,” Corrigan said.

A history intermingled with music, service and defense. All sorts of songs are played on the bagpipes–“rebellion song, drinking songs,” according to Corrigan. Early Irish, and British bagpipe songs were made as a call of war to scare the enemy. Corrigan said that fire departments, police departments and military organizations have adopted the tradition.

But with Norwood now a mix of minorities, the band reflects just a tinge of residents’ heritage these days. Corrigan, for instance, grew up on Bainbridge Avenue, once the epicenter for Irish culture, with bars lining the strip during the 1970s. Not many remain, and Irish culture is seldom seen in Norwood, making bagpipers a Norwood rarity.

“It’s been difficult to recruit,” said Corrigan. “We put in ads on different websites and Facebook to get more members from Fordham to Connecticut.”

And yet, the appeal to join the band goes beyond sharpening skills. Many band members said they’ve joined to honor members of defense services skills. Each of the men in the eight-member band has volunteered their service either as an emergency medical technician, firefighter, or law enforcement officer. But many go beyond the stereotypical man of service.

Daniel Fink, the band’s bagpipe major and instructor is a holistic physician who’s been playing the pipes for more than 30 years. One of his students, the youngest member of band, Ciaran O’Rourke, 20, is a gourmet chef and is training to be a pilot. “I love this group,” said O’Rourke. “It’s a tight knit band of brothers and it’s great.”

“Big Joe” Gearity, the band’s snare drummer and former electrical engineer expressed that the music is enjoyed by all. “My wife is from the Philippines and loves the music. She always comes out to see us play. She says the music is really bouncy.”

The band which practices year round, will be playing in the March 15 St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Throggs Neck and the Tartan Day Parade on April 11 starting on Sixth Avenue in Manhattan.

There is an open call for pipers and drummers to join the band, which is looking to expand.  Musicians looking to join can visit the band’s Facebook page. And yes, wearing the kilt is mandatory to events.

“It takes a real man to put on a kilt and walk the streets, you know,” said Corrigan.