INVASION WITH BAGPIPES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 15, Issue 374, 23 August 1946, Page 8

INVASION WITH BAGPIPES

‘ Coming Event Casts a Tartan Shadow

| VISITOR to The Listener | Office the other day told us | he was sure that New Zealand was bagpipe-minded. "Why," he said, "if a town here had only 100 inhabitants, 50 of them would form a Caledonian Society and the rest a pipe band." He was Drum-major W. Darwin who will be in New Zealand for six weeks, meeting every pipe band in the Dominion and preparing the way for an Australian’ Highland pipe band which will shortly make a goodwill tour of the ,Dominion, When we interviewed him, the main topic was, of ‘course, "the pipes," and their players. We confessed that we were somewhat in the heather on this subject, for our sole experience of pipes was during @ur quartermastering days when we composed an Army requisition form for pipes, bag, sets 8, band for the. use of.

He told us, among other things, that Australia, for all its size and population, has only four more pipe bands than New Zealand-90 against 86. Excellent pipes are being made in Australia and there is a maker in Dunedin who is said to be turning out some very good sets. The wood used is generally blackwood, which comes from Africa, but the pipes are marching with the times, for an Australian maker (shades of the MacCrimmons!) is now experimenting with plastic. Already .he has made a chanter of this modern material and is now trying out the pipes themselves. To-day an average set of pipes costs between £30 and £40, but prices range from £15 to £100. Then Mr Darwin talked about bands. The usual. band, he says, has 24 members, "composed of 16 pipers, seven (continued on next page)

(continued from previous page) drummers and a drum-major. It has the advantage over a brass band for it can still operate when some members are away, whereas a brass band must always be balanced. The cost of fitting out a pipe band is £1000. And this figure is not surprising, when, with seven yards of material to a kilt, it takes 168 yards for a band, exclusive of plaids and trews. While we were talking about kilts we asked the drum-major if there was any regulation length. There is. When a piper is fitted he kneels on the floor. The kilt must just touch the boards. On the command "rise," from the gentleman’s gentleman, the piper draws himself to his full height. If the bottom of the kilt reaches to the exact middle of his knee-cap, all’s well and he can go on parade. But, of course, the kilt, though important, is not all. There are the hose, the trews, tunic, plaid, sporran, dirk or sgian dubh, spats, belts, and glengarry, busby or balmoral. A drum-major’s outfit is a little more | elaborate; it costs him £125, Australian mills turn out any tartan, but of only one weight; if other weights are required the order goes to Scotland and the material is made up in Australia where, Mr Darwin says, the finished product is as good as any in the world. Women’s Pipe Bands There are two women’s pipe bands in Australia; one is in Melbourne and the other in Geelong. In Sydney all the pipe bands, with the exception of one, are a mixture of men and women; Melbourne believes it’s a man’s job, for all the bands there except the one are composed entirely of males. New Zealanders may remember the Australian Ladies’ Pipe Band which toured the world in 1925. Then we asked the drum-major something about himself, noticing the letters F.R.G.S. after his name on the card. He had been round the world four times, he said, visiting every major country

except Russia, China and Japan, and doing geographical research work. It was for his writings that he became an F.R.G.S. 20 years ago. He wrote several Australian. songs during World War I. and has just completed a book of fireside Stories for children which will be published this month. A Tour of New Zealand The purpose of his visit is to meet officially representatives of pipe bands, brass bands and Highland dancers in preparation for the band’s visit. This band will spend eight weeks in New Zealand, presenting pageants in 30 cities and towns, Highland dancers will accompany ‘it, including the champion of Australia, Joan Smith. It is not a moneymaking tour, says Mr Darwin. "The whole idea of the trip is to encourage New Zealand pipe bands and Highland dancers to visit Australia next year to take part in the contest for the Sir McPherson Robertson Memorial Challenge Cup."