When the world-famous massed pipes and drums lead off the first performance on the Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle tonight, it will be a particularly poignant moment for St Andrews soldier Brian Alexander, in what is likely to be his last tour of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
The former Madras College pupil who is 41 and a former member of the 1st St Andrews Boys’ Brigade and City of St Andrews Pipe Band is a familiar face on TV as the senior drum major in the British Army north of the border, shouting the marching orders at tattoos held globally from Australia to America and Moscow to Oman.
He also led the Scottish contingent at the Queen Mother’s funeral in 2002 and, having seen active service in Northern Ireland, Kosovo and Iraq, has led freedom parades for returning troops across the Black Watch heartland of Tayside and Fife.
However, 24 years after he joined the 1st Battalion The Black Watch now part of The Royal Regiment of Scotland the former Black Watch company sergeant major, who is a senior instructor at the Army School of Bagpipe Music and Drumming in Redford, Edinburgh, is to leave the army at the end of the year.
Last night, just before the 1000-strong cast performed at the media preview and full dress rehearsal of the 61st Tattoo, Brian confirmed his army career would soon end and gave an insight into the months of planning for the Tattoo.
“Basically it’s my job to issue the marching orders and be in charge of discipline to make sure we get the best out of all the Pipes and Drums,” he explained.
“We write the drumming scores at the start of the year and send them out. There’s 12 bands this year in the pipes and drums from Adelaide to Germany to the Omanis to the home team.
“That’s a lot of languages, but when they come here they all understand the universal language of being shouted at.”
He joked, “In fact I think they love to be shouted at.”
Highlights of Brian’s 14 years as a drum major include four 12-week tours of the United States and two years in Hong Kong.
However, he has always felt “proud and privileged” to perform in Edinburgh.
“My four-year old daughter Holly also loves seeing Daddy on the telly,” he added.
The event runs to August 27.