By Rod Hutton
No Scottish summer is complete without the sight and sound of a pipe band marching purposefully down a narrow street in a wee village, opening a school fair or parading around a highland games arena in horizontal rain.
But can it really be said that the traditional Scottish pipe band is the pinnacle of human achievement in the field of music?
The answer, of course, is yes – although the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra might disagree.
Dunnottar Pipes and Drums draws its members from Stonehaven, the Mearns, Aberdeen city and shire. Practices take place in Portlethen and Stonehaven. The band is a regular participant at local events, such as Stonehaven’s Remembrance Sunday parade, the Hogmanay Fireballs and other celebrations across the northeast.
Everything you always wanted to know about a pipe band (but were too afraid to ask)
To the uninitiated, the inner workings of a pipe band like Dunnottar Pipes and Drums, and how it gets to a stage where it can perform confidently in public, are shrouded in mystery.
So many questions. How do practice sessions work? How much practice is required? Is it expensive to run? Is it very loud? And perhaps most importantly, do you get tea and biscuits at rehearsals?
One way to have a peek behind the curtain is to have a quick word with the Pipe Major, Iain McFadden (aka Skirlie).
Skirlie is a stonemason to trade with a side-passion for the music of AC/DC and motorbikes. He has been playing the pipes for nearly 50 years and as well as leading the band musically is also the man to go to if you have technical problems on your pipes.
The great highland bagpipe is a complex instrument with four reeds, three drones, one chanter, numerous joins and a bag that can leak air. Skirlie’s ability to sort most issues through science or well-tried hacks means he has a reputation as a bagpipe fixer extraordinaire, through what looks like a combination of surgery and witchcraft.
According to Skirlie the band’s ethos is one of continuous improvement. Every time the band is out playing it is on show to the public and every performance has to be executed to the same high standard. This requires dedication and practice. But it’s fun too, and extremely rewarding when it all comes together!
The band will be competing this year in a number of contests and preparations are underway, including regular practice at St Bridget’s Hall in Stonehaven. So if you hear the distant sound of a pipe band drifting over Stonehaven on your Thursday evening walk but can’t see one anywhere, don’t be alarmed. It’s not a ghostly throwback to the Jacobite Rebellion…it will be Dunnottar Pipes and Drums practicing for an upcoming competition.
Practice makes perfect
What does a practice session look like? Wander into Portlethen Academy canteen at around 7.15pm on a Tuesday night and you will be hit by a musical sound that is a bit like a concert put on by snake charmers surrounded by beehives.
This is the sound of chanter practice. The chanter is the part of a bagpipe set where the tune comes from – as opposed to the drones that provide the steady hum. The practice chanter can be played as an instrument on its own.
As the pipe corps works on perfecting the melody, the drum corps – snares (the rat-a-tat-tat one), tenors (the bigger one with twirly stuff going on) and bass (the really big one) – practices upstairs on ‘pads’ for the rhythm section. After a period of practicing separately the two groups come together, ‘round the table’, to knit together the constituent parts of the tune: chanters (pipes), and those of the three drum types.
From ‘Round the table’….
Then it’s on to ‘big instruments’ where the magic really happens and it starts to get very loud. The sound of 10-15 sets of bagpipes, 6-8 snare drums, 3-5 tenor drums and a bass drum resonating around a small hall is truly epic!
…to ‘Big instruments’
Lots of concentration is required from each player to keep time, play steadily, march, watch for instructions…and remember a large number of tunes without access to sheet music. Practice, as with any musical instrument, is the key to success as a pipe band. As well as the twice weekly band rehearsals, all players must practice at home regularly.
With a multitude of expensive bits of equipment, uniforms, and other costs, pipe bands are expensive to run. Money comes in through membership fees and engagements but sponsorship and community support is also vital so the band can give back to the local area. Stonehaven’s Market Bar is an extremely generous and supportive sponsor and the band is always happy if other sources of help become available too!
To the Braemar Gathering…
The band is always looking for new members, whether experienced or a novice. So if you have always wanted to play the pipes or drums but didn’t know where to go, please get in touch!
And one final important question to Skirlie: are there any plans to introduce tea and biscuits at rehearsals?
“No.”