13 May 2008
ARMY LAUNCHES ‘THE PIPERS' TRAIL'
The
Army's musical celebration will travel to Edinburgh this summer
Today (13th May 2008), the Army launched The
Piper's Trail, a unique musical journey which will visit communities the length
and breadth of Scotland this summer. The
Pipers' Trail is a celebration of the Army's links with Scotland though
music, culture and tradition and will consist of a number of musical events and
workshops.
The Pipers' Trail aims to cement and take forward the Army's place in Scottish
society while highlighting its values and standards and reinforcing its importance
to local communities across the country.
The Trail will set off
from Shetland on 17 June and will form a major part of the centenary
celebrations for the Territorial Army (TA 100) as it travels through Scotland over the course of six weeks in June and
July. Pipers and drummers will make a journey of more than 470 miles with each
mile piped by an individual soldier until it reaches the end of the route in Edinburgh.
People of all
ages and abilities will be invited to join in and enjoy the various
performances and events at each location along the way.
Events
in Edinburgh will take
place from 21 - 27 July and will include a series of workshops and public performances
including several appearances as part of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
Brigadier
David Allfrey, Commander of 51 (Scottish) Brigade, launched the Pipers' Trail
outside the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association (RSPBA) Headquarters in Glasgow, while
a cavalcade of pipers and drummers provided a taste of the upcoming musical performances.
Speaking at the launch, Brigadier Alfrey
said: "This is the first time the Army has staged anything on this scale in Scotland. It provides local
battalions with a unique opportunity to meet and interact with communities in a
fun and expressive way.
"The Army in Scotland has a long and established relationship with pipe and drum music and, through various events this
summer, we will encourage more people to play, learn, listen to and enjoy traditional
piping music. At key locations along the route there will be a series of piping and drumming
Summer Workshops, conducted over four days, with a professionally staged performance
at the end of every week.
"The intention
of The Pipers' Trail is to provide, through the medium of bagpipe music and
highland drumming, an insight into Scottish culture. With Scottish soldiers serving all around the world, The Trail will
help connect them with their local communities through a shared passion for
music.
"We invite people of all ages to
come and enjoy the celebrations in their local area and hope to inspire and
excite Scots everywhere."
The Trail will visit towns and cities across Scotland including: Lerwick 17-18 June ,
Kirkwall 19-20 June, Wick 21 June, Inverness 23-28 June, Aberdeen 23-29 June,
Dundee 30 June-6 July, Perth 7-10 July, Stirling 7-13 July, Ayr 14-17 July,
Glasgow 14-20 July and Edinburgh 21-27 July.
Kevin Reilly, Chairman of the RSPBA, explained that the organisation will
work with the Army to arrange a number of workshops, which will take place at
the main stops of the route. He said: "The Pipers'
Trail shares our vision of encouraging piping and drumming and I believe
the Army in Scotland will contribute significantly to our joint endeavours over
the coming summer.
"We want everyone to have a good
time and mix with other musicians but also we seek to raise the standards of
playing. Our values are very similar to those held by the Army and we are
delighted to adopt this shared approach in the pursuit of musical excellence."
The Pipers'
Trail will culminate in Edinburgh the week before the Military Tattoo and is expected to become a key milestone
in the Scottish cultural and military calendar.
The
Pipers' Trail will include five key components:
(1) The Journey: The 472 mile route will be
travelled mile-by-mile by pipers and drummers each having bid for particular
sections of the journey. At each chosen centre of population, (Lerwick, Kirkwall, Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee, Perth, Stirling, Glasgow, Ayr and Edinburgh) The Army will
hold:
(2) An RSPBA Summer Workshop
(3) A Show (of varying scales depending on the
location)
(4) A civic event
(5) A church service
Main Events
Shetland - 17 June
Orkney - 19 June
Wick - 21 June
Inverness - 28 June
Aberdeen - 28
June
Dundee - 5 July
Perth - 10
July
Stirling - 12 July
Ayr - 17 July
Glasgow - 19
July
Edinburgh - 26
July
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