1 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:13,920 (TRADITIONAL BAGPIPE MUSIC) 2 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:15,800 The Highland bagpipes, 3 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:17,840 an iconic instrument. 4 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:23,280 Its distinctive call has been used in warfare for hundreds of years. 5 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:32,479 But now, modern pipe bands go to battle in a different way. 6 00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:34,520 (DRAMATIC MUSIC) 7 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:42,240 In August, bands from across the globe gather in Scotland 8 00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:45,600 for three internationally renowned competitions. 9 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:47,440 Just keep it calm! 10 00:00:47,480 --> 00:00:49,240 Piping Live, 11 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:51,400 the North Berwick Highland Games 12 00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:54,840 and the ultimate clash of the piping clans... 13 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:59,080 Getting a bit real now...the World Pipe Band Championships... 14 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:01,520 Come on! (BLEEP) sake, guys! 15 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:04,440 ..where civilian bands compete against each other... 16 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:08,520 There's a rivalry between a lot of bands...blow by blow... 17 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:14,480 My one dying wish... I wish you all keep that tempo just for once. 18 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:18,280 ...for the ultimate honour... Listen in! Concentrate! 19 00:01:18,320 --> 00:01:20,640 ..to be crowned... Let's go. 20 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:23,320 ..the World Pipe Band Champions. 21 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:26,480 (BANDS CHEERING) 22 00:01:28,039 --> 00:01:32,479 Coming up... The UK's piping competition season is in full swing. 23 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:35,080 Let's just try and get the energy back into it, straight away. 24 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:40,720 We follow three civilian Grade 1 pipe bands on their quest for victory. 25 00:01:40,759 --> 00:01:44,320 Right, again!And the city of Glasgow is transformed, 26 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:47,240 as pipers from all over the planet descend upon its streets. 27 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:50,560 This is all about celebration. 28 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:53,680 And we join the Army's piping school trainees, 29 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:55,479 as they also go head to head... 30 00:01:55,520 --> 00:01:56,720 Halt! 31 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:05,800 By the right, quick, march! 32 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:07,920 (DRUMROLL) 33 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:10,639 Pipe bands are split into two types: 34 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:13,520 civilian and military. 35 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:16,360 We know that pipers were playing in a military capacity 36 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:18,880 definitely by the late 1700s. 37 00:02:18,920 --> 00:02:22,800 The history of civilian pipe bands goes back to the late 1800s. 38 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:24,680 And it's around that time that we start 39 00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:28,040 to see pipe band competitions come onto the scene as well. 40 00:02:28,079 --> 00:02:32,800 And both have their own series of hotly contested competitions. 41 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:36,160 Pipe band season is very competitive. 42 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:40,400 Everybody goes to the competition to try and win. 43 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:43,000 At the top level it's getting tighter every year, 44 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:44,880 and the bands are getting better every year, 45 00:02:44,920 --> 00:02:50,120 and it is very fine margins between getting 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th. 46 00:02:50,160 --> 00:02:52,560 Pipe bands, it is serious. 47 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:54,960 You take it completely seriously. 48 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:57,360 It's a huge part of your life. 49 00:02:57,400 --> 00:02:59,680 Yeah. I mean, it's a way of life, for sure. 50 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:03,280 (BAGPIPES PLAY JOVIAL MUSIC) 51 00:03:07,920 --> 00:03:12,000 I think that pipe band contests are as popular as they are 52 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:16,360 for a variety of reasons. First of all, the music is powerful. 53 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:20,560 It's a special feeling to stand in a pipe band 54 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:22,840 and be surrounded by so many other pipers 55 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:24,960 and drummers and feel that music and, you know, 56 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:27,760 contribute to producing such a big sound. 57 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:31,320 It's very much a sports sort of angle 58 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:33,600 that you think about with the competitions. 59 00:03:33,640 --> 00:03:39,200 I mean, you're taking an art form and turning it into a sport. 60 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:42,079 There's a rivalry between a lot of bands and a lot of respect as well. 61 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:45,480 Absolutely. But everyone's there to try and win. 62 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:47,640 It's super competitive, 63 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:50,720 and the rivalries are great. And that's what spurs everyone on. 64 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:56,720 The basic makeup of a band consists of the pipe corps and the drum corps. 65 00:03:56,760 --> 00:03:59,480 The drums and the pipes are equally important. 66 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:01,320 You can't have a good band 67 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:04,640 if you don't have good drum corps and a good pipe corps. 68 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:08,360 (TRADITIONAL BAGPIPE MUSIC) 69 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:20,399 The grading system in pipe bands ranges from 1 down to 4, 70 00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:24,520 with Grade 1 being the highest level for the elite musicians. 71 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:27,120 There is a huge commitment to being a Grade 1 band, yeah. 72 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:30,960 But ultimately, if you want to play at that level, 73 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:33,640 that's just the hours that are required to do that. 74 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:36,440 (TRADITIONAL MUSIC CONTINUES) 75 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:44,080 Just give your pipes a wee blow there, 76 00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:45,840 and we'll get a blow together in a moment. 77 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:50,800 (TRADITIONAL BAGPIPE MUSIC) 78 00:04:52,159 --> 00:04:56,800 As the bands head into the final furlong of the competitive season... 79 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:01,560 ..there are three Grade 1 pipe bands to watch. 80 00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:03,400 (BAND CHEERS) 81 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:05,920 Reigning world champions Field Marshal Montgomery, 82 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:09,120 led by Pipe Major Richard Parkes... 83 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:13,560 The World Championships are the most important competition of the year. 84 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:16,920 If you don't win it again, then it's gonna be disappointing for you. 85 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:20,840 ..Inverary & District, led by Stuart Liddell... 86 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:24,040 Of course we're gunning for it, but you know, 87 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:26,440 there are other great bands out there that will... 88 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:29,160 ..say something about that, I'm sure. 89 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:31,560 Just the last part. Keep the thing going. 90 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:35,720 And this year, there's an underdog hot on their tails. 91 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:40,080 Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate, with Ross Harvey at the helm. 92 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:42,760 To win the World Championships, it would be huge. 93 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:45,960 I mean, ultimately, that is the absolute pinnacle. 94 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:56,240 In the week preceding the Worlds 95 00:05:56,280 --> 00:05:59,360 is the prestigious Piping Live! festival. 96 00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:03,360 The very best of the best descend onto the streets of Glasgow, 97 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:07,160 to warm up for the pipe battles that lie ahead. 98 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:12,280 Piping Live! is the Glasgow International Piping Festival, 99 00:06:12,320 --> 00:06:16,440 and we celebrate and promote piping of all forms. 100 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:20,120 And we take it to the people of Glasgow and beyond. 101 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:47,880 For organiser musician Finlay MacDonald, 102 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:50,320 piping is a way of life. 103 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:54,520 You know, pipes have been a huge part of my life since I was born. 104 00:06:54,560 --> 00:06:57,760 There's a connection for me, my family, 105 00:06:57,800 --> 00:07:01,440 my place, home. So pipes, for me, 106 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:03,800 aren't just an instrument, they're way more than that. 107 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:10,760 The National Piping Centre is the centre of excellence for the tuition 108 00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:13,440 and development of piping. 109 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:16,840 And that's from absolute grassroots level, 110 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:18,760 right up to degree level... 111 00:07:18,800 --> 00:07:22,000 How ya doing, pal, alright? Piping Live! is the jewel 112 00:07:22,040 --> 00:07:25,360 in the National Piping Centre's summer programme of events. 113 00:07:25,400 --> 00:07:27,360 It's always been important for us 114 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:29,680 that we nurture the traditional music, 115 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:33,280 but we're also looking at bringing in beginners, come-and-try sessions. 116 00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:37,400 It's a celebration. Piping Live!'s always been designed that it happens 117 00:07:37,440 --> 00:07:40,159 the week leading up to the World Pipe Band Championships. 118 00:07:40,200 --> 00:07:44,040 It's become, like, an integral part of the whole piping calendar. 119 00:07:44,080 --> 00:07:46,400 (TRADITIONAL BAGPIPE MUSIC) 120 00:07:57,120 --> 00:08:01,040 With over 100 performances across the city, 121 00:08:01,080 --> 00:08:04,400 it's one of Glasgow's biggest events of the year. 122 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:06,520 We've got bands parading down Buchanan Street, 123 00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:08,440 which is our main city-centre street. 124 00:08:08,480 --> 00:08:10,800 Take over the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, 125 00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:13,440 about seven or eight different venues around the city. 126 00:08:13,480 --> 00:08:15,520 There's definitely more pipers here this week 127 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:18,120 than anywhere in the world at any time. 128 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:35,600 (CROWD APPLAUDS) 129 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:38,200 So, this is the Piping Live! Big Band, 130 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:41,360 and it's a chance for anyone who plays pipes 131 00:08:41,400 --> 00:08:45,400 or drums to come together and celebrate the start of the festival. 132 00:08:45,440 --> 00:08:47,840 We've got 130 pipers and drummers here today, 133 00:08:47,880 --> 00:08:52,080 ranging from 8 years old to 80. 134 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:17,080 For any musicians that enjoy getting together 135 00:09:17,120 --> 00:09:18,880 and playing music, this is the week to do it. 136 00:09:18,920 --> 00:09:21,240 It's hugely important, not just for pipers and drummers, 137 00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:24,320 but you know, the whole traditional music community 138 00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:27,000 really kind of come together this week in Glasgow. 139 00:09:27,040 --> 00:09:29,160 ("Scotland the Brave" CONTINUES) 140 00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:51,800 (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) 141 00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:57,240 It was wonderful. I always feel quite emotional at this point. 142 00:09:57,280 --> 00:09:59,560 All the year of hard work comes together 143 00:09:59,600 --> 00:10:02,080 and this is the kind of first big event that we have 144 00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:05,440 and playing through the streets of Glasgow's always an honour. 145 00:10:13,480 --> 00:10:15,400 (RHYTHMIC MUSIC) 146 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:25,840 While the civilian pipe band season is underway, 147 00:10:25,880 --> 00:10:29,440 the military pipers are preparing for their own competitions. 148 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:33,240 At Redford Barracks, on the outskirts of Edinburgh, 149 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:37,320 is home of the Army's School of Bagpipe Music and Highland Drumming. 150 00:10:37,360 --> 00:10:41,080 Afternoon, boys. Welcome back to the class again. 151 00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:43,280 One, two... 152 00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:54,040 The school trains British soldiers from all over the country 153 00:10:54,080 --> 00:10:58,360 to play this ancient instrument in British Army pageantry. 154 00:10:59,840 --> 00:11:02,840 Twenty-year-old student Ryan Smart is on secondment 155 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:06,000 from the Royal Tank Regiment, based in Wiltshire. 156 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:09,160 The reason why I joined the Royal Tank Regiment 157 00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:11,520 is because I like tanks. 158 00:11:11,560 --> 00:11:14,360 I... There's not much more I could say about that. 159 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:16,120 I just like tanks. 160 00:11:16,160 --> 00:11:18,640 And 24-year-old Kevin Gunn 161 00:11:18,680 --> 00:11:22,280 is from the 4th Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. 162 00:11:23,440 --> 00:11:25,840 I've been in the Army coming up for three years now. 163 00:11:25,880 --> 00:11:27,600 To be honest, I... 164 00:11:27,640 --> 00:11:31,720 I needed a bit of discipline about me. I was a wee bit of a nutcase. 165 00:11:31,760 --> 00:11:34,320 Needed a bit of purpose, I think. 166 00:11:34,360 --> 00:11:37,360 ("The Brown Haired Maiden" CONTINUES) 167 00:11:43,120 --> 00:11:45,800 Yeah, I learnt when I was a child. 168 00:11:45,840 --> 00:11:49,600 My dad played, so I was always quite influenced by that. 169 00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:52,160 You know, him practicing with his band. 170 00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:55,720 ("The Brown Haired Maiden" CONTINUES) 171 00:11:55,760 --> 00:11:58,920 I was never musical. Never thought I'd be able to learn the bagpipes... 172 00:11:59,800 --> 00:12:02,000 ..but I'm halfway through the course now. 173 00:12:02,040 --> 00:12:03,800 I'm seeing progress, and it feels good. 174 00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:12,800 Sergeant Roland Ray is from 10, The Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment. 175 00:12:13,800 --> 00:12:17,120 Make sure you go through, OK, on your own times. 176 00:12:17,160 --> 00:12:20,200 You don't get much time in this school and only in the class. 177 00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:22,240 Don't depend only on the class. OK? 178 00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:26,480 I was deployed in Afghanistan, September 2009. 179 00:12:26,520 --> 00:12:30,720 During that time, whenever we used to go out on a patrol, 180 00:12:30,760 --> 00:12:34,360 there is always a bagpipe playing outside the gate 181 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:37,200 saying a goodbye to us and giving us good luck. 182 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:41,520 And hearing those music from that time 183 00:12:41,560 --> 00:12:44,680 is something always touch my heart. 184 00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:52,120 The military have used the bagpipes for hundreds of years, 185 00:12:52,160 --> 00:12:55,760 but the instruments origins are ancient. 186 00:12:55,800 --> 00:12:59,320 We know that the earliest depiction of the bagpipes 187 00:12:59,360 --> 00:13:02,640 is actually on a clay tablet from Samaria, from Mari, 188 00:13:02,680 --> 00:13:05,760 which is on the Syrian/Iraqi border. 189 00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:08,240 And that's about 3000 BC. 190 00:13:08,280 --> 00:13:11,880 Some people believe bagpipes weren't found in Scotland 191 00:13:11,920 --> 00:13:13,680 until the late Middle Ages, 192 00:13:13,720 --> 00:13:17,240 when they were using during battles between warring clans. 193 00:13:17,280 --> 00:13:21,600 The bagpipes from the start were always an instrument of war. 194 00:13:21,640 --> 00:13:24,240 Their sheer volume speaks to that, 195 00:13:24,280 --> 00:13:28,040 but it is no coincidence that we see their rise 196 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:30,800 come at a time of political instability 197 00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:34,640 and increasing conflict amongst clans. 198 00:13:34,680 --> 00:13:39,320 Over time, the instrument gained prominence in Scotland. 199 00:13:39,360 --> 00:13:41,240 The bagpipes are synonymous with Scotland, 200 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:44,600 and I think Scotland's synonymous with the bagpipes as well. 201 00:13:44,640 --> 00:13:46,560 It's such a rich instrument 202 00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:51,320 and has genuinely played a hugely important part of Scottish history. 203 00:13:51,360 --> 00:13:54,680 The Scottish one has come through to dominate. 204 00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:57,760 Some people might say because it's the loudest. (LAUGHS) 205 00:13:57,800 --> 00:13:59,960 But it's the most sophisticated 206 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:03,560 because it was taken up by the Scottish aristocracy 207 00:14:03,600 --> 00:14:06,360 in 14th/15th century. 208 00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:08,560 Pipers for the first time were given salaries. 209 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:11,520 They were given space in their lives to develop the technology 210 00:14:11,560 --> 00:14:13,320 and develop the art music. 211 00:14:18,120 --> 00:14:20,720 As curator of modern & military history 212 00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:23,920 at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, 213 00:14:23,960 --> 00:14:28,120 Calum Robertson has access to some of the oldest bagpipe exhibits 214 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:30,360 that exist today. 215 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:34,560 We think that this chanter dates to probably the end of the 17th 216 00:14:34,600 --> 00:14:36,720 or the early 18th century. 217 00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:40,000 We know this because of the objects' provenance. 218 00:14:40,880 --> 00:14:45,360 It was the chanter of Iain Dall MacKay, the piper of Gare Loch. 219 00:14:46,240 --> 00:14:49,840 He was born in the mid-17th century 220 00:14:49,880 --> 00:14:51,880 and died in the mid-18th century. 221 00:14:51,920 --> 00:14:53,960 This chanter is hugely important 222 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:57,440 because bagpipes generally don't survive particularly well. 223 00:14:57,480 --> 00:15:00,120 They're made of many constituent parts 224 00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:02,240 and those parts are all organic. 225 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:05,560 So they're made of wood, they're made of bone and horn. 226 00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:09,840 Their survival in the material record is relatively poor. 227 00:15:09,880 --> 00:15:12,360 It's incredible to hold an object like this. 228 00:15:12,400 --> 00:15:15,280 You get a sense of how it would have felt in the hands 229 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:18,280 of a great piper like Iain Dall MacKay. 230 00:15:18,320 --> 00:15:20,480 During the Empire, 231 00:15:20,520 --> 00:15:24,840 the British military introduced the Highland bagpipes across the globe. 232 00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:30,000 This is a truly remarkable set of great Highland bagpipes. 233 00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:33,680 Made around 1860 by Thomas Glenn, 234 00:15:33,720 --> 00:15:35,960 they are, by reputation, 235 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:39,320 one of three sets of great Highland bagpipes 236 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:41,600 commissioned by an Indian maharaja. 237 00:15:41,640 --> 00:15:45,600 They look very different to a standard set 238 00:15:45,640 --> 00:15:49,040 of great Highland bagpipes because they're made entirely of brass. 239 00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:52,360 So, they've been made of brass so that they are resistant 240 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:55,760 to tropical insects that like to eat wood. 241 00:15:55,800 --> 00:15:58,120 By the 19th century, 242 00:15:58,160 --> 00:16:01,480 military pipe bands started to emerge. 243 00:16:01,520 --> 00:16:03,960 The history of pipe bands is rooted in the British military. 244 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:05,720 And to my mind, 245 00:16:05,760 --> 00:16:08,960 the official start of pipe bands could be seen as 1854, 246 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:12,240 when the UK War Office officially recognised pipers 247 00:16:12,280 --> 00:16:14,000 as a part of the British military, 248 00:16:14,040 --> 00:16:18,000 with each battalion being allocated five pipers and one pipe major. 249 00:16:18,920 --> 00:16:21,240 ROBERTSON: They can be used to rouse your own forces, 250 00:16:21,280 --> 00:16:23,440 to intimidate the enemy 251 00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:27,240 and also to give direction on the field of battle. 252 00:16:27,280 --> 00:16:29,120 The development of civilian bands, 253 00:16:29,160 --> 00:16:31,480 a lot of it has to do with people in the military 254 00:16:31,520 --> 00:16:33,960 often want what they had in the military in civilian life. 255 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:36,600 And so, it's after people start retiring from the military 256 00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:39,120 that you see these pipe bands popping up. 257 00:16:39,160 --> 00:16:42,160 Pipe bands have historically played a large role 258 00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:44,160 in communities in Scotland. 259 00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:47,240 Used to be that you would join your local town pipe band. 260 00:16:55,120 --> 00:16:59,160 These local pipe bands can now have more than 50 members, 261 00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:00,920 and during competitions, 262 00:17:00,960 --> 00:17:04,680 they perform a series of different pieces of music. 263 00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:08,160 A March, Strathspey and Reel set, also known as an MSR, 264 00:17:08,200 --> 00:17:10,640 is a set of three different types of tunes. 265 00:17:10,680 --> 00:17:14,920 We start with a march, and we use that to march into the arena. 266 00:17:14,960 --> 00:17:17,599 After that we play a strathspey, which is a type of dance, 267 00:17:17,640 --> 00:17:21,000 and we round that out with a reel, which is another type of dance. 268 00:17:21,040 --> 00:17:24,040 After they've played their MSR, 269 00:17:24,079 --> 00:17:26,640 the band can get more creative. 270 00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:30,040 A medley is a much more freeform musical genre. 271 00:17:30,080 --> 00:17:32,320 So, we have between five and seven minutes 272 00:17:32,360 --> 00:17:34,880 to play really whatever we like. 273 00:17:34,920 --> 00:17:37,400 So, it's not just about the tunes themselves, 274 00:17:37,440 --> 00:17:40,920 but it's about the overall, almost orchestral arrangement 275 00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:42,680 of how we put those tunes together. 276 00:17:43,680 --> 00:17:47,040 Pipe band teams will play the MSR and medley 277 00:17:47,080 --> 00:17:50,560 over two days in the famous World Championships in Glasgow, 278 00:17:50,600 --> 00:17:54,320 so rehearsing to be pitch perfect is key. 279 00:17:55,360 --> 00:17:57,520 (DUCKS QUACK) 280 00:18:04,160 --> 00:18:07,760 Over in Northern Ireland are the current holders of the crown, 281 00:18:07,800 --> 00:18:10,240 Field Marshall Montgomery. 282 00:18:10,280 --> 00:18:13,200 By the right, quick, march. 283 00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:25,240 They're a dual country band with Scottish and Northern Irish members, 284 00:18:25,280 --> 00:18:28,640 and today, they're rehearsing in Lisburn, outside Belfast. 285 00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:34,080 Led by Richard Parkes, their pipe major. 286 00:18:34,120 --> 00:18:38,160 The role of the pipe major is to lead the band, first and foremost. 287 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:40,720 Basically to be the conductor of the band. 288 00:18:40,760 --> 00:18:43,040 The pipe major is the key, 289 00:18:43,080 --> 00:18:45,360 and if it doesn't go well, the buck stops with him. 290 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:48,960 After being in the band for over 50 years, 291 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:53,080 mastering the bagpipes has been Richard's life work. 292 00:18:53,120 --> 00:18:55,200 The sound of the pipes is like nothing else. 293 00:18:55,240 --> 00:18:57,560 You either like it or you don't like it, but I liked it, 294 00:18:57,600 --> 00:19:00,040 and it's a very subtle instrument, 295 00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:02,680 and it needs to be well tuned to sound good. 296 00:19:02,720 --> 00:19:05,040 I started when I was nine years old. 297 00:19:05,080 --> 00:19:08,760 It's a long process of learning all the chanter work, 298 00:19:08,800 --> 00:19:12,040 the embellishments, the technique. It takes a long time. 299 00:19:12,080 --> 00:19:14,640 OK, guys, I want us to relax the tempo back a wee bit. 300 00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:17,120 I just think it went a bit fast on Saturday, 301 00:19:17,160 --> 00:19:18,880 so let's just relax it back a wee bit. 302 00:19:28,960 --> 00:19:31,800 Field Marshal Montgomery have won the World Championship 303 00:19:31,840 --> 00:19:33,560 on 13 occasions. 304 00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:37,120 And I've been there the whole time, so that makes me 305 00:19:37,160 --> 00:19:40,240 the most successful pipe major ever to win the World Championship. 306 00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:42,200 The D's not right. Do you hear it going off there? 307 00:19:42,240 --> 00:19:44,360 You need to listen to that as I've tuned your chanter. 308 00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:46,800 You need to listen to that and try and blow. 309 00:19:46,840 --> 00:19:50,040 In order to be the best, people need to show...dedication, 310 00:19:50,080 --> 00:19:53,280 hard practice. They must have good ability as well. 311 00:19:53,320 --> 00:19:55,600 It's like a good football team. 312 00:19:55,640 --> 00:19:58,360 You need to have the best players to have the best band, 313 00:19:58,400 --> 00:20:00,920 and you need to have a good leader as well or good leadership. 314 00:20:00,960 --> 00:20:02,760 The problem is not that it's sharp. 315 00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:05,200 You need to listen and try and adjust your blowing 316 00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:06,960 to find out what it is. 317 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:08,760 I'm a very competitive person. 318 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:11,520 Everything I do, I'm competitive, 319 00:20:11,560 --> 00:20:13,760 and it's just part of the way I am. 320 00:20:25,600 --> 00:20:29,480 It's a big part of my life. It's almost like a second job, 321 00:20:29,520 --> 00:20:31,600 and it's something that I've enjoyed doing, 322 00:20:31,640 --> 00:20:34,880 and I've been very grateful to have been involved 323 00:20:34,920 --> 00:20:36,640 in pipe bands for all these years. 324 00:20:37,840 --> 00:20:41,080 Richard received an MBE for his work in piping 325 00:20:41,120 --> 00:20:44,320 and is highly respected by his proteges. 326 00:20:44,360 --> 00:20:47,200 He's a magician of the pipe band world, like. 327 00:20:47,240 --> 00:20:51,000 He knows what he wants, and he knows how to get it too. 328 00:20:51,040 --> 00:20:52,760 You need the leadership of him, and... 329 00:20:54,280 --> 00:20:57,160 I think you have to be strict. People gain your respect, 330 00:20:57,200 --> 00:20:59,600 you know, and they know that if I'm saying something, 331 00:20:59,640 --> 00:21:02,720 they know the reason behind it, that it's not anything personal 332 00:21:02,760 --> 00:21:05,280 towards them, it's about getting things right for the band. 333 00:21:05,320 --> 00:21:07,440 Not that much... And Richard is grateful still 334 00:21:07,480 --> 00:21:09,360 to be able to play the pipes at all. 335 00:21:09,400 --> 00:21:13,000 In 2004, he had a serious stroke. 336 00:21:14,040 --> 00:21:17,920 After the stroke, I wasn't sure whether I'd be able to play again. 337 00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:24,040 Strangely enough, my whole playing experience is different now 338 00:21:24,080 --> 00:21:25,800 than it was before. 339 00:21:25,840 --> 00:21:30,520 Before the stroke, I very, very rarely ever made any mistakes. 340 00:21:30,560 --> 00:21:32,280 But since that, 341 00:21:32,320 --> 00:21:35,000 I have to now totally focus on my own performance, 342 00:21:35,040 --> 00:21:37,920 instead of thinking about other sides of the band. 343 00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:41,040 But I'm very lucky to have had the recovery that I've had. 344 00:21:41,080 --> 00:21:43,240 Somebody did go early the first time, 345 00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:45,640 it didn't happen there, so just be careful of that. OK. 346 00:21:45,680 --> 00:21:47,480 There's two beats, one, two... 347 00:21:47,520 --> 00:21:50,440 Don't hit the D until that beat exactly. 348 00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:01,480 I think it's getting harder to win every year. 349 00:22:01,520 --> 00:22:04,400 A number of things have to go with you on the day 350 00:22:04,440 --> 00:22:07,160 to ensure that you can actually get your best performances 351 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:09,240 to actually try and win the World Championship. 352 00:22:09,280 --> 00:22:11,880 We've got a bit to go to get back to where we were last year, 353 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:14,640 but I think the potential's there to get there. 354 00:22:14,680 --> 00:22:17,320 We've just gotta eliminate any errors that we've had. 355 00:22:17,360 --> 00:22:19,840 We've had a few errors in the first couple of competitions, 356 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:22,640 which really shouldn't be happening. We'll need to sort that out. 357 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:39,560 That's good. 358 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:54,400 Civilian bagpipe teams are preparing 359 00:22:54,440 --> 00:22:56,760 for the biggest competition of the year, 360 00:22:56,800 --> 00:22:59,760 the World Pipe Band Championships. 361 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:04,680 Tucked away on the picturesque west coast of Scotland 362 00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:06,880 is the town of Inverary, 363 00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:12,000 famous for its castle and the inspiration for our next pipe band. 364 00:23:12,040 --> 00:23:15,200 Band ready!And they're one of the main challengers... 365 00:23:15,240 --> 00:23:17,520 By the right, quick, march! 366 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:19,600 ..for the title this season. 367 00:23:40,680 --> 00:23:44,960 Led by Pipe Major Stuart Liddell since 2005, 368 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:48,760 Inverary & District are multiple competition winners. 369 00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:52,680 We won the Worlds for the first time in 2017. 370 00:23:53,680 --> 00:23:57,320 We were 2nd in 2018. We won again in 2019. 371 00:23:57,360 --> 00:24:01,840 And of course, we're gunning for it this year as well. 372 00:24:01,880 --> 00:24:04,840 It is good, but the joining B... 373 00:24:04,880 --> 00:24:08,160 # Baah, ba-da, da, ba-da. # 374 00:24:08,200 --> 00:24:11,080 Just watch it doesn't go... # Aah, ba-da... # 375 00:24:11,120 --> 00:24:13,840 What attracts me to pipe bands is the sound 376 00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:16,360 and the music, more than competing I would say. 377 00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:22,560 I love listening to all the bands standing at a specific place 378 00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:24,680 and that's just round at the corner where the drums 379 00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:27,920 and the corner pipers are sort of meeting and get the best sound. 380 00:24:27,960 --> 00:24:31,880 Did you hear? Right, come on! Right... 381 00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:36,240 That is just a lack of your own awareness of your own instrument! 382 00:24:36,280 --> 00:24:38,520 That's what that is! 383 00:24:38,560 --> 00:24:42,120 My entire life is taken up with piping. 384 00:24:42,160 --> 00:24:43,880 (LAUGHS) I mean, 385 00:24:43,920 --> 00:24:48,200 any path in life I've chosen has been as long as I could play pipes. 386 00:24:48,240 --> 00:24:50,720 So, it's a full-time career. It's a living. 387 00:24:50,760 --> 00:24:55,080 And Stuart demands the same commitment from his team. 388 00:24:55,120 --> 00:24:56,840 Right, again! 389 00:24:56,880 --> 00:24:59,120 As a pipe major, I would say I would be... 390 00:24:59,160 --> 00:25:01,760 firm but fair. (LAUGHS) 391 00:25:01,800 --> 00:25:03,520 I wouldn't say I was strict, no. 392 00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:09,440 Do me a favour and rehearse that every single day until the Worlds. 393 00:25:09,480 --> 00:25:11,200 Every day. 394 00:25:11,240 --> 00:25:15,000 Don't leave that one to chance because it ain't gonna work. 395 00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:18,120 All your hard work will be for nothing 396 00:25:18,160 --> 00:25:19,880 if you don't pull that one off. 397 00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:21,680 It's only one or two guys. 398 00:25:22,840 --> 00:25:26,320 The rest of it's fine, but it just takes one arsehole to do it! 399 00:25:26,360 --> 00:25:28,320 Come on! 400 00:25:29,200 --> 00:25:30,960 Pipes are a very sensitive instrument. 401 00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:35,160 They're affected by temperature. Moisture's our biggest enemy. 402 00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:38,480 When moisture hits the drone reeds, they become very unstable 403 00:25:38,520 --> 00:25:41,040 and start moving and being unpredictable. 404 00:25:41,080 --> 00:25:43,760 And because of the chanter, it's quite shrill. 405 00:25:43,800 --> 00:25:46,840 When two chanters are pitched side by side, to the trained ear, 406 00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:49,280 you can tell when they're not quite in tune with each other. 407 00:25:50,320 --> 00:25:52,880 For band members like Calum Kaye, 408 00:25:52,920 --> 00:25:54,920 Stuart is a big name in piping. 409 00:25:54,960 --> 00:25:58,760 Stuart is a, I suppose a bit of an icon in piping. 410 00:25:58,800 --> 00:26:01,600 He's one of the most well-known pipers in the world, 411 00:26:01,640 --> 00:26:04,120 having been an amazing solo player. Still is, of course. 412 00:26:04,160 --> 00:26:06,680 And one of the most successful pipe majors as well, 413 00:26:06,720 --> 00:26:09,440 so he's kind of a top all-rounder. He's done it all. 414 00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:27,400 Stuart's a guy that certainly knows what it takes to certainly compete 415 00:26:27,440 --> 00:26:30,440 and win at the highest level. And he knows what is required 416 00:26:30,480 --> 00:26:34,520 of himself as a leader and also what he requires from all of his team. 417 00:26:34,560 --> 00:26:37,320 Standing here, it's a bit weird. 418 00:26:37,360 --> 00:26:39,360 That is not matching that. 419 00:26:39,400 --> 00:26:42,080 That front rank is behind. 420 00:26:42,120 --> 00:26:44,360 One more. Same again. 421 00:26:44,400 --> 00:26:47,360 See, you could have been home by now. See? 422 00:26:49,480 --> 00:26:53,360 The band's success has drawn pipers from everywhere. 423 00:26:53,400 --> 00:26:57,120 Seventeen-year-old Connor Eckert flew in from California 424 00:26:57,160 --> 00:27:00,000 to join them for the competition season. 425 00:27:00,040 --> 00:27:02,800 I first started with Inverary because I've been a big fan 426 00:27:02,840 --> 00:27:05,560 of Stuart cos he's one of the best pipers ever. 427 00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:08,680 He's a fantastic young player. A whizz kid. 428 00:27:08,720 --> 00:27:11,680 Great natural ability, great composer. 429 00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:14,800 Right, intro, from the beginning. Right, OK, here we go! 430 00:27:14,840 --> 00:27:17,760 On the spot. Old medley. 431 00:27:17,800 --> 00:27:21,120 I was a little self-conscious when I first got here, just cos of, 432 00:27:21,160 --> 00:27:23,920 just my playing and just how I hoped, like... 433 00:27:23,960 --> 00:27:27,560 I just didn't wanna mess up. This is a huge step out of me comfort zone. 434 00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:29,600 I thought it would be a good experience to come. 435 00:27:47,480 --> 00:27:49,240 If I was posed the question, 436 00:27:49,280 --> 00:27:51,800 where would you rather spend the next three months, Glasgow 437 00:27:51,840 --> 00:27:54,480 or California? I think that would be a relatively easy answer. 438 00:27:54,520 --> 00:27:56,400 Probably wouldn't be Glasgow. 439 00:27:57,920 --> 00:28:00,000 With younger members in the team, 440 00:28:00,040 --> 00:28:03,720 Stuart will need all his experience to get the band ready to compete 441 00:28:03,760 --> 00:28:05,520 for the world title. 442 00:28:05,560 --> 00:28:09,880 Things definitely need to improve. I'm happy with where we are with it. 443 00:28:09,920 --> 00:28:14,760 I know that we've got a bit of a road ahead to refine everything. 444 00:28:14,800 --> 00:28:18,520 I'll see you on Wednesday. Thanks very much! Bye. 445 00:28:18,560 --> 00:28:21,600 (RHYTHMIC DRUMMING MUSIC) 446 00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:25,840 Away from the civilian competition rehearsals, 447 00:28:25,880 --> 00:28:28,680 just outside of Edinburgh, Redford Barracks. 448 00:28:28,720 --> 00:28:32,000 Put your toes on that line. That should keep everybody straight. 449 00:28:32,040 --> 00:28:35,680 At the home of the Army School of Bagpipe Music and Highland Drumming, 450 00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:37,480 it's the day before their own 451 00:28:37,520 --> 00:28:41,000 prestigious Army Piping Championships. 452 00:28:41,040 --> 00:28:42,800 Spread out. 453 00:28:42,840 --> 00:28:45,480 For Kevin Gunn and Ryan Smart, 454 00:28:45,520 --> 00:28:48,440 everything has to be spot on for inspection. 455 00:28:48,480 --> 00:28:51,040 Corps. Try again. 456 00:28:51,080 --> 00:28:55,120 Corps. Corps."Ten-shun!" 457 00:28:55,160 --> 00:28:58,520 We're not just teaching them to be pipers and drummers, 458 00:28:58,560 --> 00:29:01,960 we're also training them to be ambassadors for the regiments, 459 00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:04,120 as they go on state, ceremony and public duties. 460 00:29:04,160 --> 00:29:07,240 Gunn? Sir.You alright?Yes, sir. 461 00:29:07,280 --> 00:29:09,440 Bit more polish on that shoe, though.Yes, sir. 462 00:29:09,480 --> 00:29:11,280 Good. 463 00:29:11,320 --> 00:29:14,520 A lot of the pipers and drummers will never have worn this kit, 464 00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:17,560 so the staff at the army school are teaching them how to play 465 00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:19,480 and wear their kit, 466 00:29:19,520 --> 00:29:21,480 which is quite sometimes a challenge 467 00:29:21,520 --> 00:29:23,880 for these soldiers that have never been in this kit before. 468 00:29:23,920 --> 00:29:25,880 Trooper Smart... Afternoon, sir. 469 00:29:25,920 --> 00:29:28,320 We could tighten that up a bit couldn't we?Yes, sir. 470 00:29:28,360 --> 00:29:30,800 Looks like John Wayne's gun sling. 471 00:29:30,840 --> 00:29:33,080 The knot on your tie could be a bit tighter as well.Mm. 472 00:29:33,960 --> 00:29:37,240 It's a parade in, not a wedding we're going to. OK?Yes, sir. 473 00:29:37,280 --> 00:29:39,800 It's very, very important because as we go round the globe, 474 00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:42,720 they're not just representing their unit, they're representing 475 00:29:42,760 --> 00:29:44,720 the heritage that the piping 476 00:29:44,760 --> 00:29:46,720 and drumming within the British Army is about. 477 00:29:46,760 --> 00:29:49,120 Corps, stand at ease! 478 00:29:49,160 --> 00:29:51,320 Stand easy. 479 00:29:58,800 --> 00:30:00,560 Right, guys, in ya come! 480 00:30:00,600 --> 00:30:04,600 OK, we're gonna lay the swords down, take a wee step back. 481 00:30:04,640 --> 00:30:07,280 During their six months at the school, 482 00:30:07,320 --> 00:30:10,040 the recruits not only focus on piping, 483 00:30:10,080 --> 00:30:13,080 they also have to master another ancient tradition: 484 00:30:13,120 --> 00:30:15,720 Highland dancing. 485 00:30:15,760 --> 00:30:18,120 So, when the recruits come here, some of them know 486 00:30:18,160 --> 00:30:21,880 that they're gonna be doing Highland dancing, for others, it's a shock. 487 00:30:21,920 --> 00:30:24,400 Over...beat. 488 00:30:24,440 --> 00:30:28,240 And over...beat. 489 00:30:28,280 --> 00:30:31,640 Highland dancing's still done as it's still to do with our culture. 490 00:30:31,680 --> 00:30:33,520 It's basically our history. 491 00:30:33,560 --> 00:30:37,720 It all actually started with the soldiers doing dancing 492 00:30:37,760 --> 00:30:40,240 back in war time, and that's why we carry on that tradition 493 00:30:40,280 --> 00:30:42,000 with the pipes and the drums as well. 494 00:30:42,040 --> 00:30:44,200 Five, six, seven, eight. 495 00:30:44,240 --> 00:30:46,600 Bow, two, three, four. 496 00:30:46,640 --> 00:30:51,000 Step, point, ready and Pas-de-basque right and Pas-de-basque left. 497 00:30:51,040 --> 00:30:52,800 Corner, turn. 498 00:30:52,840 --> 00:30:56,760 Past your sword, to your sword, left, right, left, right. 499 00:30:56,800 --> 00:30:59,000 Pas-de-basque, Pas-de-basque, 500 00:30:59,040 --> 00:31:00,920 corner, turn. (LAUGHS) 501 00:31:00,960 --> 00:31:03,840 Past your sword, to your sword... What's going on, Mr Gunn? 502 00:31:03,880 --> 00:31:06,120 Oh, I don't know. I'm not very good at this. 503 00:31:06,160 --> 00:31:08,160 The Highland dancing, that's a funny one. 504 00:31:08,200 --> 00:31:10,080 I'm not very good at it. 505 00:31:10,120 --> 00:31:13,000 I've obviously created a bit of, I wouldn't say tension between me 506 00:31:13,040 --> 00:31:16,480 and the teacher, but I think she thinks I'm a bit of a class clown. 507 00:31:16,520 --> 00:31:19,080 I've still not got the rhythm for dancing. I can play pipes, 508 00:31:19,120 --> 00:31:21,480 and an instrument, but I don't have a rhythm for dancing. 509 00:31:21,520 --> 00:31:24,480 Three, two, three, four. Turn! 510 00:31:25,400 --> 00:31:27,200 There can be a right mix of ability, 511 00:31:27,240 --> 00:31:31,560 so we have people who just take to it straight away, 512 00:31:31,600 --> 00:31:33,480 definitely got a gift for it and others 513 00:31:33,520 --> 00:31:35,640 take a bit more work to get there. 514 00:31:35,680 --> 00:31:39,080 I know this is very early days, so we've got a lot to practise. 515 00:31:39,120 --> 00:31:41,520 OK? We're gonna think about pointing your toes, 516 00:31:41,560 --> 00:31:43,800 knees back, head up. 517 00:31:43,840 --> 00:31:47,480 OK? But good lesson. On you go, well done. 518 00:31:48,720 --> 00:31:50,600 Well done, boys! 519 00:32:03,760 --> 00:32:08,000 Over the next nine days, civilian pipe bands from all over the planet 520 00:32:08,040 --> 00:32:10,600 are gathering in Glasgow, as they build up 521 00:32:10,640 --> 00:32:13,920 for the annual World Pipe Band Championship. 522 00:32:16,400 --> 00:32:20,600 One of the contenders for the title from West Lothian, near Edinburgh... 523 00:32:20,640 --> 00:32:23,560 By the right, quick, march. 524 00:32:23,600 --> 00:32:26,840 ..are Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate. 525 00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:38,240 The band's been second two or three times, 526 00:32:38,280 --> 00:32:40,960 but the band has never won a World Championships. 527 00:32:46,920 --> 00:32:49,520 To win the World Championships, it would be huge. 528 00:32:49,560 --> 00:32:52,520 I mean, ultimately, that is the absolute pinnacle, 529 00:32:52,560 --> 00:32:55,160 so it would be massive. 530 00:32:55,200 --> 00:32:56,920 Pipers, remember, 531 00:32:56,960 --> 00:32:59,360 it's just starting to set on the backfoot a wee bit. 532 00:32:59,400 --> 00:33:01,920 Let's just try and get the energy back into it straight away. 533 00:33:03,120 --> 00:33:08,120 Ross Harvey has been the pipe major since 2016. 534 00:33:08,160 --> 00:33:11,280 I'd like to think that I'm quite a considerate pipe major. 535 00:33:11,320 --> 00:33:14,320 I listen to a lot of input from guys that I trust. 536 00:33:14,360 --> 00:33:17,480 The musical side of it is only part of it. 537 00:33:17,520 --> 00:33:20,800 You've gotta try and keep the guys wanting to play together 538 00:33:20,840 --> 00:33:22,560 and make the thing interesting 539 00:33:22,600 --> 00:33:25,960 and hopefully have a bit of momentum as a band. 540 00:33:26,000 --> 00:33:29,240 Keep thinking about the, as if the drummers are playing with us, 541 00:33:29,280 --> 00:33:31,200 OK? Kick it along. 542 00:33:31,240 --> 00:33:33,640 I started playing when I was seven... 543 00:33:34,520 --> 00:33:36,240 ..and... 544 00:33:36,280 --> 00:33:39,840 when I first started, I did a year or so on the practice chanter, 545 00:33:39,880 --> 00:33:42,160 and I've been at Boghall since I was ten. 546 00:33:43,560 --> 00:33:46,320 By the nature of having the bag 547 00:33:46,360 --> 00:33:49,680 and the bagpipes' got a few different elements to it 548 00:33:49,720 --> 00:33:51,440 and it's a physical instrument. 549 00:33:51,480 --> 00:33:54,320 It's a long journey to go from learning the scale 550 00:33:54,360 --> 00:33:57,600 to going through the grades and working into the Grade 1. 551 00:33:57,640 --> 00:33:59,800 There is a unity in our band. 552 00:33:59,840 --> 00:34:05,320 The sense of family in our band allows you to... 553 00:34:05,360 --> 00:34:08,360 Musically you've got an identity that's... 554 00:34:08,400 --> 00:34:11,760 There's a base level of that musical understanding all the time. 555 00:34:11,800 --> 00:34:14,440 (BAND PLAYING TRADITIONAL SCOTTISH BAGPIPE MUSIC) 556 00:34:14,480 --> 00:34:18,719 A huge part of any pipe band is the drum corps. 557 00:34:18,760 --> 00:34:24,880 And this winter, Kerr McQuillan has taken over our drum corps. 558 00:34:26,800 --> 00:34:30,600 Within the pipe band, the drum corps adds a progressive element. 559 00:34:32,639 --> 00:34:35,280 It gives you a totally different feel. 560 00:34:38,960 --> 00:34:41,159 You work a lot as a pipe corps, 561 00:34:41,199 --> 00:34:43,600 but ultimately when the drums come in, 562 00:34:43,639 --> 00:34:46,440 it just helps to lift it to where it needs to be. 563 00:34:49,960 --> 00:34:51,679 I like the strathspey there. Mm-hmm. 564 00:34:51,719 --> 00:34:54,440 I thought that, er... It was too fast. 565 00:34:54,480 --> 00:34:57,600 If I was to do anything, it was probably just pull that back, but... 566 00:34:57,640 --> 00:34:59,720 Tiny wee bits, guys. 567 00:34:59,760 --> 00:35:01,680 But it makes a difference. 568 00:35:01,720 --> 00:35:04,200 I'm 19 and that's, erm... 569 00:35:04,240 --> 00:35:07,680 It's very young to be taking on that responsibility. 570 00:35:07,720 --> 00:35:09,520 Especially at the top end of Grade 1. 571 00:35:09,560 --> 00:35:13,040 I'm the youngest leading drummer in the grade by about 15 years. 572 00:35:13,080 --> 00:35:16,080 In terms of leading the drum corps, 573 00:35:16,120 --> 00:35:18,200 he's had a lot of success in a short space of time. 574 00:35:18,240 --> 00:35:21,960 So, he's shown to be a really natural leader. 575 00:35:22,000 --> 00:35:24,720 What I dreamed of since the day I was born 576 00:35:24,760 --> 00:35:27,040 was becoming the leading drummer of this organisation. 577 00:35:27,080 --> 00:35:29,840 When he asked me, I was over the moon. 578 00:35:29,880 --> 00:35:32,160 I've been planning it for years, though. You know, 579 00:35:32,200 --> 00:35:35,280 it's always been in the back of my head. Every day I pick up my sticks, 580 00:35:35,320 --> 00:35:37,760 "What would I do if I was the leading drummer of this band?" 581 00:35:37,800 --> 00:35:41,360 When he told me, it was the best day of my life. There's no doubt. 582 00:35:41,400 --> 00:35:46,760 Ultimately, we picked Kerr because he is the right man for the job. 583 00:35:46,800 --> 00:35:49,520 He's a very focused individual. 584 00:35:49,560 --> 00:35:54,240 I'm so sort of obsessed with the competitive scene in pipe bands. 585 00:35:54,280 --> 00:35:56,440 There's not another musical industry that has such 586 00:35:56,480 --> 00:35:58,440 a competitive nature about it. 587 00:36:12,840 --> 00:36:15,000 (BAND MEMBERS CHATTER) 588 00:36:15,040 --> 00:36:18,240 Happy enough?Yep, happy. It's a very good starting point. 589 00:36:18,280 --> 00:36:21,080 The Worlds is the one. That's the one everyone wants to win. 590 00:36:21,120 --> 00:36:23,600 That's the one you practise for all year. 591 00:36:23,640 --> 00:36:25,920 At the end of the day, you want to win the Worlds. 592 00:36:25,960 --> 00:36:28,200 We can actually do it. It's our time. 593 00:36:31,640 --> 00:36:35,800 While the civilian pipe bands practice hard, 594 00:36:35,840 --> 00:36:39,360 less than 20 miles east at Redford Barracks, outside Edinburgh, 595 00:36:39,400 --> 00:36:43,200 it's the day of the military Pipe & Drum Championships. 596 00:36:43,240 --> 00:36:48,640 The Army Championships is a competition that allows pipers 597 00:36:48,680 --> 00:36:51,280 and drummers from all the regiments to come to the Army School, 598 00:36:51,320 --> 00:36:54,440 perform at various levels of competition. 599 00:36:54,480 --> 00:36:57,280 They all want to leave with some silverware 600 00:36:57,320 --> 00:37:01,360 and some great feedback from the external judges that we do bring in. 601 00:37:01,400 --> 00:37:03,600 The competition is very tough. 602 00:37:03,640 --> 00:37:07,040 This year we opened up to the foreign Commonwealth, 603 00:37:07,080 --> 00:37:09,560 and we had soldiers come across from Canada 604 00:37:09,600 --> 00:37:11,680 to compete in the competition. 605 00:37:11,720 --> 00:37:15,120 And that will certainly set the bar very high indeed. 606 00:37:15,160 --> 00:37:17,960 And once the soldiers know this, 607 00:37:18,000 --> 00:37:20,080 they'll have to really be upping their game 608 00:37:20,120 --> 00:37:22,560 and became more competitive to become successful. 609 00:37:22,600 --> 00:37:24,800 (PLAYS UPBEAT TUNE) 610 00:37:39,120 --> 00:37:42,320 I am a bit nervous, you know, just shows that I care. 611 00:37:42,360 --> 00:37:45,800 I wanna do my best. If I wasn't nervous, I'd be worried 612 00:37:45,840 --> 00:37:50,560 because I wouldn't be thinking of how I'm gonna play and all of that. 613 00:37:50,600 --> 00:37:53,800 I think that is a massive part of preparing yourself 614 00:37:53,840 --> 00:37:56,160 for playing in front of people. 615 00:37:58,240 --> 00:38:00,480 The judges, who are pipers in their own right, 616 00:38:00,520 --> 00:38:03,920 will be marking how competitors carry themselves, 617 00:38:03,960 --> 00:38:06,040 as well as their musical skills. 618 00:38:06,080 --> 00:38:10,720 In a performance, I'd be looking good tone off the bagpipe, 619 00:38:10,760 --> 00:38:13,840 steady blowing, accuracy of the technique 620 00:38:13,880 --> 00:38:16,320 and how well they express the tune. 621 00:38:16,360 --> 00:38:19,120 And at the end of the day, it's probably the person 622 00:38:19,160 --> 00:38:22,000 who has the least mistakes that ends up winning.(LAUGHS) 623 00:38:41,640 --> 00:38:43,720 Competition will be intense. 624 00:38:43,760 --> 00:38:46,600 Ryan will be playing against some of the best 625 00:38:46,640 --> 00:38:49,360 of the international military piping community. 626 00:38:50,440 --> 00:38:52,440 You have to be harsher and you have to pick up 627 00:38:52,480 --> 00:38:55,120 the slightest mistake, you know. 628 00:38:55,160 --> 00:38:58,480 Because there's not a lot of errors come out of these top players. 629 00:39:02,320 --> 00:39:05,280 Next up, we have Trooper Smart, Royal Tank Regiment. 630 00:39:05,320 --> 00:39:09,040 Ryan's recital is made up of three performances. 631 00:39:09,080 --> 00:39:12,520 The March, the Strathspey and Reel, and the Pibroch, 632 00:39:12,560 --> 00:39:16,200 with a trophy for each section up for grabs. 633 00:39:16,240 --> 00:39:19,080 Right, in your own time. Just carry on and play it.Thank you, sir. 634 00:39:38,240 --> 00:39:42,440 Three months of practice now all comes down to today. 635 00:40:31,440 --> 00:40:33,800 Thank you. Thank you. 636 00:40:39,480 --> 00:40:43,000 It didn't go bad. Erm, played a bit fast in the reel. 637 00:40:43,040 --> 00:40:45,400 Coulda relaxed a bit more in the strathspey, 638 00:40:45,440 --> 00:40:49,320 but it coulda gone a lot worse, erm, so yeah, I'm pretty happy with that. 639 00:40:49,360 --> 00:40:54,280 Time for Ryan to find out if all his hard work has paid off. 640 00:40:54,320 --> 00:40:57,960 To all the competitors... who entered today, 641 00:40:58,000 --> 00:41:00,480 it's a great challenge to go into a room 642 00:41:00,520 --> 00:41:02,240 and test your skills. 643 00:41:02,280 --> 00:41:06,000 And if you don't receive a prize, it's still a pat on the back. 644 00:41:06,040 --> 00:41:09,680 It takes a lot of courage and dedication to come 645 00:41:09,720 --> 00:41:11,440 and compete against your counterparts 646 00:41:11,480 --> 00:41:13,680 within the other regiments. 647 00:41:13,720 --> 00:41:16,640 Confined March, in 4th place, 648 00:41:16,680 --> 00:41:22,320 Officer Cadet Farmer, Aberdeen UOTC. (APPLAUSE) 649 00:41:22,360 --> 00:41:26,240 3rd place, Trooper Bell, Scots Dragoon Guards. 650 00:41:29,160 --> 00:41:33,320 In 2nd place, Officer Cadet Clark, Edinburgh UOTC. 651 00:41:35,440 --> 00:41:37,880 And winning the Confined March... 652 00:41:40,920 --> 00:41:43,040 ..Trooper Smart, Royal Tank Regiment. 653 00:41:45,000 --> 00:41:46,320 Good job! 654 00:41:47,640 --> 00:41:51,160 And the winner of the Confined Strathspey and Reel, 655 00:41:51,200 --> 00:41:54,040 Trooper Smart, Royal Tank Regiment. 656 00:41:54,080 --> 00:41:56,160 (INAUDIBLE SPEECH) 657 00:41:58,240 --> 00:42:02,120 And winning the confined Pibroch, with a clean sweep, 658 00:42:02,160 --> 00:42:04,920 Trooper Smart, Royal Tank Regiment. 659 00:42:06,440 --> 00:42:09,640 Good effort, well done. (APPLAUSE DROWNS OUT SPEECH) 660 00:42:13,640 --> 00:42:15,360 I didn't really expect it, no. 661 00:42:15,400 --> 00:42:17,680 When he called my name out, erm, bit nervous obviously, 662 00:42:17,720 --> 00:42:20,160 before that I was wondering, "Had I actually won anything?" 663 00:42:20,200 --> 00:42:23,160 Erm, considering three places had been called out. 664 00:42:23,200 --> 00:42:27,080 It was either I'd got nothing or first, so heart was racing a bit. 665 00:42:27,120 --> 00:42:29,200 In fact, more than when I was actually playing. 666 00:42:29,240 --> 00:42:31,280 Erm, but yeah, yeah, I'm very happy. 667 00:42:31,320 --> 00:42:34,680 He played well, and he was a credit to his regiment. 668 00:42:34,720 --> 00:42:38,080 Finishing off with a result like this, it definitely means a lot. 669 00:42:38,120 --> 00:42:40,520 It means that all the work I have done, 670 00:42:40,560 --> 00:42:43,600 all of that which people don't see has paid off. 671 00:42:45,720 --> 00:42:48,320 Next time... 672 00:42:48,360 --> 00:42:51,720 The three Grade 1 pipe bands, Field Marshal Montgomery... 673 00:42:51,760 --> 00:42:53,880 Come on, focus, guys get it in your heads. 674 00:42:53,920 --> 00:42:55,480 ..Inverary & District... 675 00:42:55,520 --> 00:42:58,240 Am I talking a lot of nonsense here? Can somebody relate to that? 676 00:42:58,280 --> 00:43:01,200 ..and Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate... 677 00:43:01,240 --> 00:43:02,840 Right, quick march! 678 00:43:02,880 --> 00:43:06,760 ..go head to head in pursuit of glory on Glasgow Green. 679 00:43:08,320 --> 00:43:12,000 And the aspiring your pipers from the Renfrewshire Schools Band 680 00:43:12,040 --> 00:43:14,200 start their competition journey. 681 00:43:14,240 --> 00:43:17,320 Try and relax. Try and not worry about things going on around you. 682 00:43:17,360 --> 00:43:20,960 Plus, the Army pipers are out in force... 683 00:43:21,000 --> 00:43:23,760 This is such a big event to be playing for. 684 00:43:23,800 --> 00:43:27,440 ..taking part in a once-in-a-generation occasion... 685 00:43:27,480 --> 00:43:30,400 To be part of this parade is really the pinnacle for us. 686 00:43:30,440 --> 00:43:35,000 ..as they lead the military bands out onto the global stage, 687 00:43:35,040 --> 00:43:37,800 for His Majesty the King's Coronation. 688 00:43:37,840 --> 00:43:39,800 (UPBEAT MUSIC) 689 00:43:39,840 --> 00:43:43,280 Subtitles by Sky Access Services www.skyaccessibility.sky