Pipes and Drums roll into US for the start of 2013 Tour

The following is a guest blog by Major Andrew Halliday from the Black Watch. Major Halliday is currently taking part in the Pipes and Drums of The Black Watch and the Military Band of the Scots Guards 2013 US tour. This is his first post as they roll into Philadelphia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

A few weeks into the tour and we have all already experienced a tremendous amount.  After a tricky start to our departure, which saw us having to reschedule a flight from London into Philadelphia, we finally all arrived in the United States safely.

Often described as the ‘City of brotherly shove, rather than brotherly love’ Philadelphia set the tone for what has followed. Fourteen shows and as many standing ovations.  For the musicians amongst us it doesn’t get any better.  For the soldiers amongst us, we find ourselves better received in the USA than back home.  It is extremely humbling.

After spending a day rehearsing the performance in Philadelphia we started the tour at the magnificent Kimmel Centre for the Performing Arts. With a 100 feet high ceiling and an interior designed to enhance the acoustics of musical instruments, covered entirely in Macore wood fins, mahogany and cork, the men and women of both The Scots Guards and The Black Watch soaked in the pre-performance atmosphere.  They could not, however, prepare themselves for what awaited.

To the sounds of ‘The Atholl Highlanders’ we marched on.  The 2500 people in the audience rose to their feet and remained very nearly in that position for the next two hours.  The applause was inspiring and both The Band of the Scots Guards and the Pipes and Drums of The Black Watch delivered an extremely high quality performance on the first night of their tour.  Much more than the Director of Music could have hoped for.  The finale with ‘Amazing Grace’ was a real treat, it left the American audience in tears or very nearly there. Powerful and evocative as in centuries past, the touring soldiers and musicians won friends, fans and supporters every night.

Since then we have travelled widely throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia.  We have played at small and large venues.  The drummers’ ‘Drummers Call and Salute’ with its mixture of showmanship and unique military beat, both energised the audiences and garnered yet more support from the crowds.  We have taken in the sombre atmosphere of ‘Ground Zero’ in New York City and taken in the wonderful open spaces of Pennsylvania with its wide blue skies and bright white wooden farmhouses .

Everyone is already a little tired.  The pace is relentless, the tunics and kilts are already stained with sweat, and we have over 50 venues still to play.  We now move north this coming week.  After a brief spell in Worcester MA we will continue up toward Canada.  By all accounts, large crowds await and the performance continues to be tweaked and perfected. But the American people are fantastic patrons and they are getting the very best out of us.

More about the tour:

Regimental dancing, flashing red ceremonial dress, and historic music by the Pipes and Drums of The Black Watch and the Military Band of the Scots Guards have entertained American audiences since they first visited the United States in 1872. Beginning in 1955, they have regularly toured the US coast-to-coast. Having played troops into famous battles like Waterloo, these world-renowned musicians have toured the globe, performing at official state functions and engaging many cultures around the world. Organised by CAMI Inc., this 2013 tour combines both historic Regimental bands as they perform 59 shows in over 50 cities over 3 months around the US and Canada.

More about Major Andrew Halliday

As part of the tour, Major Andrew Halliday from the Black Watch will be keeping us up to date on the tour group’s experiences as they cross the US. A graduate of the prestigious Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, he has deployed with Black Watch on two tours in Afghanistan where he was awarded a Mention in Despatches, the oldest recognition of gallantry in British forces. He received the award for his actions in combat during the Operation Panther’s Claw.