Scotland in Sussex
The Gatwick Caledonian Pipe Band brings the sounds of the
pipes and drums to venues across Sussex and beyond.
I joined the band about a year ago
and play the snare drum. The band
will usually parade with six or more
pipers plus a bass drummer, tenor
drummer and three snare drummers.
As well as being a great excuse for me
to wear a kilt, I have really enjoyed the
camaraderie, the music and the positive
response we always seem to receive
from our hosts and audiences.
The band members are a varied
bunch, some of whom have played
in Army pipe bands and others with
backgrounds in the NHS, Police, IT, etc.
We also have some younger members
who have come through the Crawley
Air Cadets’ pipe band. Band practice is
held weekly in Copthorne, near Crawley.
The repertoire comprises traditional
marches, strathspeys, reels and
slow airs, including tunes you might
recognise such as “Amazing Grace”,
“Highland Cathedral” and “Scotland
the Brave”.
Gatwick Caledonian has its origins in
the British Caledonian Airways Pipe
Band, which had a hugely successful
existence supporting that airline around
the world. They played regularly for
dignitaries including HM The Queen
and the Pope, and at venues such as
the 1986 World Cup in Mexico and the
Royal Albert Hall.
I remember seeing a pipe band on Top
of the Pops in 1982 with the Scotland
football team’s song for that year’s
World Cup in Spain, “We have a dream”,
and only recently found out that it was
the British Caledonian Airways Pipe
Band. Maybe that song inspired the
Scotland team to take the lead against
Brazil from a stunning Dave Narey strike,
that a clearly envious Jimmy Hill called a
“toe poke” in commentary – outrageous!
Anyway, back to the band… In 1988,
when British Caledonian was taken
over by British Airways, their band
dispersed and some of its members
went on to form Gatwick Caledonian
Pipe Band. While we lack the global
travel of our predecessors, we are all
keen to practice hard and deliver a good
experience to our audiences.
Most of the drum corps have only been
playing for a year or two, but we’ve
had amazing tuition from our leading
drummer, who brings decades of
experience in pipe band drumming and
has built a relaxed learning environment
for us. It can be incredibly frustrating,
trying to get my hands and sticks to
do what my brain is trying to tell them,
but it is good fun too. My current
challenge is to play in time while also
marching in step…
We have played at various events
across Sussex in 2017, including the
Bluebell Railway, where we played on
the platform as the Flying Scotsman
pulled out on its first trip up the line.
We’ve also played at the Horley
Carnival, Copthorne Festival and
Crawley Armed Forces Day. We’ll be
playing at a Remembrance Day event in
November, then focussing on practice
over the winter, aiming to expand our
repertoire in readiness for the 2018
season.
The band also plays in competitions
against other pipe bands in the London
and South East region. The pipers have
had great success in recent years, and
we novice drummers are trying to get
up to their standard. Some competitions
end in the formation of a massed
band, where perhaps a dozen bands
are playing together. The sound from
inside that formation is incredible, and
marching with the massed bands has
been a real highlight for me.
I have been quite surprised how popular
the pipes and drums are in this area,
far from their traditional home, and it is
very gratifying when local people come
up and talk about being stirred by the
music.
Next year, we are planning a trip to
Scotland to play in one of the Major
Championships. We don’t expect to win,
but it will be good to see how the higher
grade bands play. I’m told there’s also a
beer tent!
If you want to come and see us
play, please check the engagement
calendar on the website:
gatwickcaledonianpipeband.co.uk
By David Harrison
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