Peeblesshire News | News | Pipers to showcase their talents on trail

Thursday, 4th December, 2008

Published: Tuesday, 22nd July, 2008 12:00

Pipers to showcase their talents on trail

By David O'Leary

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Peebles and Biggar will come alive to the sound of pipes and drums next week as the Army marks 100 years of the Territorial Army in Scotland with the Pipers’ Trail.

The trail began in Shetland on June 17 and each mile has been piped by an individual soldier en-route to the capital and a fortnight’s run at the Edinburgh Festival.

In both Peebles and Biggar the Army will be staging a theatrical spectacle with a moral tale as part of an innovative approach to showcasing the Army's values and standards.

Jamie's Story a modern play about morals specially commissioned by the Army in Scotland for its Pipers' Trail will be taking place in Biggar High St on Monday 21st July at 7pm and Peebles High St. on Tuesday 22nd July at 5pm.

The play also includes a first class piping and drumming performance, which has been delighting audiences all over Scotland.

Jamie's Story tells the story of a boy who runs away from home with an ambition to play at the World Piping championships. He teams up with a young Goth girl and on their journey together they make discoveries about the values that are important to them through a series of incidents and challenges.

The play reflects the six values and standards identified in the Army's code, loyalty, integrity, selfless commitment, respect for others, courage and self-discipline. It also includes the Pipers Trail Stomp, a dance piece based on the West End musical, Stomp.

The Pipers' Trail is Scotland's contribution to TA100, the 100th anniversary of the Territorial Army and Veterans' Day, introduced in 2006 as a way of supporting our armed services.

It's the first time the Army has staged anything on this scale in Scotland, and provides local TA regiments along the 460-mile route with a unique opportunity to celebrate the centenary and meet and interact with communities in a fun and expressive way.

The Pipers' Trail is the brainchild of Brigadier David Allfrey, Commander of 51 (Scottish) Brigade based in Stirling, who explained: It's a chance for us to reach out and have a series of terrific parties across Scotland celebrating our rich cultural tapestry.

“But it's also a chance for us to show that, despite the operational pressures of recent times, the Army still seeks to encourage the kind of values that made people think it a fine and honourable thing to be a Scottish Soldier.

“For me, the figure of the Pipe Major encapsulates the values and standards we hold dear. He needs the discipline to become a fine musician, the courage to stand in front of his band and perform solos under pressure, and selfless commitment to bring the best out of his pipers and drummers.

“He maintains the integrity of the musical culture, respect for others with different traditions, and the loyalty and of those around him.

The Trail started in Lerwick on 17 June and has travelled to Kirkwall, Wick, Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee, Stirling, Ayr and Glasgow before finishing in Edinburgh on 26 July.

The Pipers' Trail will culminate in Edinburgh the week before the Military Tattoo and then appear at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and is expected to become a key milestone in the Scottish cultural and military calendar.

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