Piping hot contest brewing

The second Queenstown Pipe Band Championships next weekend, March 1 and 2, will include a street march by all 16 bands along the waterfront followed by the stirring sight and sound of them performing together on Earnslaw Park.

The bands, including the Queenstown and Southern Lakes Pipe Band, are mainly from Otago and Southland, plus bands from Hamilton, Rotorua and Feilding — they’ll all be performing on the Queenstown Rec Ground.

Many will be warming up for the national champs in Invercargill the following Friday and Saturday.

This year’s format, like last year’s, includes solo piping and drumming events on the Saturday morning, then band competitions in the afternoon and the following morning — bands perform in both March, Strathspey and Reel (MSR) and medley categories.

Bands are split into five grades — grade 1’s only entry is the City of Invercargill Highland Pipe Band, the local band is one of seven in grade 4B, and there’s also a four-strong juvenile division.

Local organising committee member Bruce McLeod, a former piper, says most bands have a minimum eight pipers, three side drummers, two tenor drummers and a bass drummer as well as a drum major.

He admits the bagpipe’s not that easy to play. "I think they become easier with practice.

"My father always used to tell me it was seven years’ practice and seven generations before that."

For the March 1 street march, which starts at 4.30pm and goes about 60 metres, organisers still needed traffic management plans.

Once at Earnslaw Park the massed bands will play two sets — Green Hills of Tyrol and The Battle is Over and Scotland the Brave twice over.