School pupils from Edinburgh are getting ready to ‘give it a skirl’ as they prepare for the world’s largest schools piping and drumming competition next March.
The competition, which is dedicated to stoking up passion for Scotland’s national musical heritage, will see students from Erskine Stewart’s Melville Schools and George Heriot’s take part in the Scottish Schools Pipe Band Championships (SSPBC).
Armed with their famous ‘every school needs a pipe band’ motto and a new Freestyle innovation category, the SSPBC committee are delighted to see rising interest from Scotland’s younger generations in the pipes and drums.
Currently in its third year, the Championships will see pupils compete in seven categories, meaning that bands can enter the category best suited to their skill set and experience.
Willie MacIntyre, Pipe Major at George Heriot’s, said: “Preparation is well underway for the Championships here at the school.
Our pipe band is incredibly popular and it’s always great to see the level of interest in the pipes and drums increase amongst our pupils.
The Championships are a great addition to the pipe band calendar and the committee behind the competition have done a great job in encouraging more and more schools each year to get involved in piping and drumming.”
Nearly 30 schools have already registered for the competition, taking place on Sunday 8th March at Broughton High School and neighbouring Fettes College.
But organisers are keen to encourage even more schools – or community pipe bands to work with schools – to enter before the January 26 deadline.
This year’s competition will include a ‘Freestyle’ category which encourages pipers and drummers to perform modern and up-to-date songs alongside their other musical instruments played by their classmates.
This innovative category will be judged by three experts of the piping and drumming world including Pipe Major of Shotts and Dykehead Pipe Band, Robert Mathieson; Gary West, presenter of Pipeline on BBC Radio Scotland and Craig Munro from the hugely successful Red Hot Chilli Pipers.
David Johnston, SSPBC Committee Chairman, said: “The talent displayed by those who have entered the competition in the past has been absolutely outstanding and I’m delighted to see the prospect of more new young musicians taking part this year.
“It’s great to see so many junior musicians get involved in piping and it is particularly pleasing to see schools from outside the central belt make the extra effort to travel and compete.
“We have seen the interest around the pipes and drums grow over the years, especially as bands such as the Red Hot Chilli Pipers continue to modernise pipe music, making them hugely appealing to the younger generations.
“We are hoping in particular that our Freestyle category will encourage pipe bands in schools to get creative and learn music which is current and interesting to them.
“Our aim is to encourage our young people to embrace our national instrument and seek enjoyment and pleasure from it
“We genuinely feel that this competition does this, playing a continued key role in ensuring that interest around our musical heritage continues to grow.”
Schools still have until 26 January 2015 to submit an entry but for more details, please visit: www.scottishschoolspipebandchampionships.com
