Heat is on, and the pipes are calling: [1 All-round Country Edition]
Stapleton, John. The Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 02 Feb 2005: 8.
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Abstract
“At Scots, real men play the pipes — there’s no jossing or ribald jokes, quite the reverse.” she said. “It’s a real blokey thing to be in the pipe band and they have the most wonderful fun.”
Participants in the Edinburgh Military Tattoo were officially welcomed to Sydney yesterday and performed on the steps of the Town Hall.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore described the occasion as historic and presented the Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh, Lesley Hinds, with an honorary citizenship.
Full Text
WHILE most of their schoolmates were lazing at the beach, the boys of the Scots College Pipes and Drums Band were rehearsing around the clock to be part of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
The 41 boys from Scots, in Sydney, are in the only juvenile band taking part in the extravaganza at Aussie Stadium, which has attracted 1200 performers from around the world.
With more than 26,000 tickets sold for tonight’s dress rehearsal, Year8 student and pipe player Andrew Pongrass said it was the largest audience any of theboys had ever performed for.
“When you play, it gets the spirit going. You get pumped up and excited. The hairs on the back of your neck go up and you feel like all of your ancestors’ energy has come up. You feel like you can do anything,” said Andrew, 12.
The school’s pipe major, Brent Armitage, 17, who was attracted to playing the pipes because of the spectacle, the drama, the music and the “discipline of thedrill”, said the hard work rehearsing over the holidays was worth it in the end.
“We’re playing with some of the best pipe bands in the world, standing next to some of the best pipers in the world, I am not going to say I’m not nervous,” he said.
Scots College spokeswoman Libby Jones said there were no jokes about kilts directed at band members.
“At Scots, real men play the pipes — there’s no jossing or ribald jokes, quite the reverse.” she said. “It’s a real blokey thing to be in the pipe band and they have the most wonderful fun.”
Participants in the Edinburgh Military Tattoo were officially welcomed to Sydney yesterday and performed on the steps of the Town Hall.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore described the occasion as historic and presented the Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh, Lesley Hinds, with an honorary citizenship.
Governor-General Michael Jeffery, Prime Minister John Howard and defence force chief Peter Cosgrove will attend the concert.
More than 110,000 tickets have already been sold for the six performances.
Money raised from tonight’s Qantas charity event will go to UNICEF and Care Australia.
LINKS
More information: www.edinburghtattooinaustralia.com.au