A unique sound is filling the air across Long Island. It happens at the same time every evening at sundown, and it's aimed at lifting spirits amid the pandemic.
Right when the sun calls it a day and begins setting on the Great South Bay, Long Islanders say they start hearing ancient melodies.

As the coronavirus pandemic upends life, Ed McCoy's nightly sunset serenades on the shores of Blue Point offer the perfect antidote for an imperfect time.

“The music soothes both your mind and soul, especially in a tough time. It allows you to focus on something other than the task at hand or the troubles at hand,” says McCoy.

From a pier in Northport Village, to a park in Cold Spring Harbor and a grassy knoll in Sayville — fellow members of the Northport Pipe and Drum Band play every evening at dusk as part of a worldwide movement called "Sunset Solidarity."

Tens of thousands of soloists playing around the globe together, but miles apart.

“We're playing in solidarity with the nurses, the doctors, firefighters, policemen, all the first responders, the people in the forefront of this pandemic, that are in the trenches doing the hardest job,” says Brad Davidson, of Huntington.

Centuries ago, bagpipers routinely played Scottish troops into battle as a way to boost confidence and signify unity. The pipes sang prayerful inspiration to continue the fight.

The Northport Band revived the age-old tradition as a rallying cry for today's war against COVID-19.

The message of the ancient tunes sail high and wide is connecting all who hear it.

In addition to the nightly serenades, the band members have also performed for doctors and nurses at Huntington Hospital during the shift change.