Teenagers from the Black Watch Pipes and Drums & Regimental Band of the Black Watch Battalion Army Cadet Force can expect a “breath taking” experience when they perform at the Birmingham International Tattoo.
Cadets from Glenrothes Army Reserve Centre and Queens Barracks, Perth, will be amongst 1000 performers appearing before 10,000 capacity crowds at both the Saturday September 10 and Sunday September 11 events.
The Fife and Tayside-based pipers and drummers will perform alongside others including Gwent and Powys Military Band.
During a rousing 12-minute set at the NEC Resorts World Arena, they will play traditional Scottish tunes – Heroes of St Valery before marching off to the regimental march of Scotland the Brave, Black Bear and Highland Laddie.
Also represented at the tattoo will be army cadets from Argyll, Stirling, Falkirk, Glasgow and Lanarkshire.
Unforgettable experience
Conner Pratt, Pipe Major with the Black Watch Battalion ACF, told The Courier it’s an experience the youngsters will never forget.
“This is an amazing opportunity for the cadets to represent the Army Cadet Force and they have worked hard to be performance ready this weekend,” he said.
“The bands have come far since the start of the year and are now looking to push on from Birmingham and secure more overseas gigs!
“We recruit players from 12-18 and don’t need to have had any playing experience.
“Most of the pipes and drums have only been on pipes less than a year which is phenomenal.
“All of the instructors and myself are looking forward to playing with the cadets on the tattoo.”
What is the Birmingham International Tattoo?
The Birmingham International Tattoo is Britain’s biggest indoor tattoo (a type of military type tournament) featuring marching bands, pipes & drums, field gun racing, dog racing and much more including a spectacular grand finale with over 1,000 performers.
For Conner Pratt, it’ll be the first time he’s attended as the pipe major of the band.
However, the now 23-year-old performed there as a Glenrothes Black Watch cadet in 2016, and it’s an experience that’s never left him.
“When I was a cadet and I walked out in front of the 10s of thousands of people, it was breath taking,” said Conner, who was part of the Massed Pipes and Drums and played within the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Pipes and Drums at the recent Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
“I’m the lone piper at the tattoo in Birmingham this year so for me it’s going to be an experience for me to inhale.
“I’m pretty sure the cadets are going to be taking away a lifetime experience from it too.”
Conner, who studied applied music at the University of the Highlands and Islands, has two day jobs.
He is a production assistant working in the office of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. He’s also a piping instructor with Dundee City Council.
International appearances
The Black Watch Pipes and Drums is also in his blood, however, and he hopes the post-Covid return of tattoo events will help raise their profile and get them back on to the international stage.
They hope to perform at tattoos in Halifax, Nova Scotia and in Finland next year.
The Scottish contingent travelling to Birmingham comprises 25 Pipes and Drums performers made up of 15 cadets and two adults from the Black Watch; two cadets and two adults from the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders and four cadets from Glasgow and Lanarkshire.
Forty-four performers from the Massed Military Bands will comprise 17 cadets and five adults from the Regimental Band Black Watch plus 14 cadets and eight adults from Gwent & Powys.
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