PIPES & DRUMS
The Pipes & Drums practice on a Monday Evening
between 7pm and 9pm at Duke of Edinburgh House in
Colinton.
After the initial Muster Parade the pipers practice is
organised by Pipe Major (PM) Pretsell and the
drummers are organised by Drum Major (DM) McIntosh.
We usually come together in the second half of the
evening for a full band practice on pipes and drums.
It's usually an Annual Cycle and our year usually starts
after the ACFA Competition in October with a weekend
at Glenrothes.
The first Piping & Drumming Weekend is in
Drumshoreland House in January with one in Barry
Buddon in February and a third at Dechmont in March.
These are used to hone the skills needed to help
Cadets attain SQA Qualifications in Piping & Drumming
during the week long course in Inverness in April.
As well as qualifications, this is also the first showing of
the massed cadet forces band who Beat Retreat in
Dingwall and then in Inverness itself.
The next event on the calendar is the Beating Retreat
on Edinburgh Castle Esplanade in May, where the
Military Tattoo takes place.
By then we're then into the Performance Phase and will
undertake any engagements that may come up. Over
the years we've have been asked to perform at
Thirlstane Castle, Queensferry RNLI, Royal Highland
Show, Hampden Park and various other events either
by ourselves or to help out the Royal Scots Association
or Scots Guards Association Pipe Bands.
As part of the ACFA Band we've also travelled to
Sweden (Tall Ships) and Berlin (Tattoo) twice with a trip
to Basle/Zurich this December. The Tattoo
organisations in Moscow, Canada and Edinburgh have
also registered an interest in having us.
After Annual Camp and the new 1 Star Piping &
Drumming Course in July we begin the build up to
October. There is usually a weekend in Ayr in
September and another in Manchester before the
Advanced Pipers and Drummers Courses in October
where again we attempt to gain these important SQA
Qualifications. The competition at the end of the week
in Inchdrewer House (Army School of Piping &
Drumming) and includes piping & drumming. Novices
(on practice chanters and pads & sticks), Intermediates
(Marches) and Advanced (Marches, Strathspeys, Reels,
Jigs and Piobaireachd).
There is also a Drum Majors Competition before the
Quartets
and
Mini
Bands
in
the
afternoon. Lothian & Borders Pipes & Drums won the
Band competition in 2008, 2009 and 2010 and the
Quartets in 2009 and 2010 and we've had a few solo
prizes since then. We are YOUR Pipes & Drums so
feel free to come and visit us or make an arrangement
with Capt Jamieson & your Detachment Commander for
us to come and visit you at your Detachment.
17