The ILT City of Invercargill Highland Pipe Band is bringing another exciting show to the Civic Theatre in Invercargill on August 23.
An outstanding lineup of local performers will join the pipe band in this year's production, including some new guest artists who are looking forward to showcasing their talent to audiences.
Pipe band pipe major Alasdair MacKenzie said 1000 tickets were on sale for the event so people needed to get in quick.
"This time, we have collaborated with talented locals and have selected a small group of musicians we admire to join our show.
"There will be a mixture of pop and rock tunes combined with traditional music and backup vocals so it’s going to be a diverse range of sounds."
The pipe band was fitting in several weeks of practises before the event and their leader only wrote new material for the show two months ago.
"I compose new music for Pipin’ Hot every year because it keeps everything fresh.
"It motivates the musicians and helps them with their level of performance," Mr MacKenzie said.
Fans could expect a show featuring bagpipers collaborating with a thrilling drum major and an artist adding a heady harmonica co-lab to the mix, he said.
"This has been my 15th year teaching the pipes and I am proud of the calibre of music that these young people are producing.
"They do not just learn how to play the bagpipes but they also take away good values from playing the instrument."
Players learned discipline, put goals into place and were taught the importance of keeping their uniforms clean and tidy, he said.
"It’s exciting to see people from different cultures not just Scottish descendants take up an interest in the bagpipes."
The proud Scotsman, who has decades of teaching highland pipe band in Southland, considers the Pipin’ Hot show a career highlight.
Mr MacKenzie said this was a significant year for the event because it would give the band the opportunity to demonstrate their skills in preparation for the New Zealand Pipe Band Championships, which will be held in Invercargill next year.
