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Piping Live! and the World Pipe Band Championships Launch
Piping Live! Glasgow International Piping Festival and The World Pipe Band Championships are set to be bigger and more international than ever this year with over 16,000 pipers and performers along with 50,000 visitors from sixteen different countries descending upon Glasgow during the week of 10th – 16th August.
As two of the most important events in the traditional music calendar, they showcase the vibrancy and diversity of the pipes by bringing together some of the world’s top international players to perform alongside Scotland’s finest homegrown talent. Both events are also being supported by Homecoming Scotland 2009 as many pipers and visitors from as far afield as Canada, Pakistan and New Zealand prepare to return to Scotland for Piping Live! and ‘The Worlds’ during this special year of celebration. Glasgow has long been one of the UK’s premier music destinations and this was recently confirmed with the city awarded UNESCO City of Music status. From piping to pop, Glasgow plays host to the best venues, artists, bands and famously, the best crowds and Piping Live! and The Worlds’ are a real highlight of the city’s events calendar. In recognition of this Glasgow City Marketing Bureau is making a significant investment to support and promote the city’s piping credentials internationally. Now in its sixth year, Piping Live! is a week-long festival packed with events taking place at venues across the city, as well as free concerts and displays in George Square daily – including a special Homecoming Scotland “Music of the Clans” presentation. Piping Live will open with a bang with the platinum selling Red Hot Chilli Pipers performing at the opening night concert along with Bodega. This is guaranteed to be a fun packed concert from the original rock ‘n’ roll pipers who have taken their unique take on piping across the globe , this is the perfect choice for those new to the pipes. A real highlight of the festival will take place on Wednesday 12th August at St Andrew’s in the Square. ‘From Battle lines to Barlines - the Musical Pulse of Scottish History’ is supported by Homecoming Scotland and will look at events from a 'Clan' perspective. Each event will be introduced in Gaelic and English and will be a fabulous take on Scottish history through music. Allan MacDonald and Gaelic singer Margaret Stewart will feature alongside other renowned musicians. Instruments that will be played include Cello, Violin, Flute, Small Pipes, Medium Bellow Pipes and Large Bagpipes. Says Roddy McLeod, Director of Piping Live! “Glasgow is a hub of musical talent and Piping Live! is a great opportunity to experience the best names in traditional music and everything from the pipes to fiddles to a bit of rock ‘n’ roll and dancing. I would encourage people from across the UK to come and enjoy a couple of days at both events and to take advantage of the free events in George Square daily which make a great day out during the summer holidays”. The festival provides is an outstanding precursor for the amazing spectacle that is the World Pipe Band Championships, organised by Culture and Sport Glasgow on behalf of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association (RSPBA), at Glasgow Green on Saturday 15th August. ‘The Worlds’ have been associated with Glasgow since 1948 and this year’s event will see more than 8,000 pipers and drummers from as far afield as Australia, Eastern Europe, New Zealand, Pakistan and the USA competing for the coveted title of World Champions 2009. Ian Embelton, the Chief Executive of the RSPBA, said: "There's little that can match the sight and sound of 8,000 pipers and drummers assembled on Glasgow Green as they battle it out to be crowned world champions. "We have no doubt that this year the competition will be fierce and the entertainment spectacular." The now legendary After Worlds Shindig on Saturday 15th August will take place at the Old Fruitmarket and is the perfect after-show party following the World Pipe Band Championships. Prepare to dance your socks off to the Peatbog Faeries, Ross Ainslie and Jarlath Henderson, The Finlay MacDonald Band and Skerryvore. Advance tickets for Piping Live! and The Worlds can be obtained by visiting www.seeglasgow.com/piping with prices starting from as little as £7. Bailie Liz Cameron, Chair of Culture and Sport Glasgow and Vice-Chair of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, said: "Come August, Glasgow once again will be the focus for world piping, creating a spectacle which enthrals both citizens and visitors alike. This year, both Piping Live and the World Pipe Band Championships promise to be bigger and better than ever before, reinforcing our position as a UNESCO City of Music. "We very much look forward to welcoming visitors and pipers from across the globe and hosting a festival of traditional and modern music which is quite simply unmissable." Paul Bush, Chief Operating Officer of EventScotland, the national events agency, said: “These are world-class events that place Glasgow at the centre of the global piping community during August and attract thousands of visitors to the city every year. 2009 is the national Homecoming year and we are celebrating many of Scotland’s great contributions to the world and welcoming home many of the millions of people around the world who have an ancestral link or love for our country. EventScotland is co-ordinating the Homecoming celebrations, we are delighted to be supporting Piping Live! and the World Pipe Band Championships and look forward to a fantastic week of celebration.” For more information contact: Piping Live!: Kirsty Atkinson at Burt Greener Communications t: 0141 248 6007 m: 07736 281 684 e: kirsty@burtgreener.co.uk World Pipe Band Championships: James Doherty t: 0141 287 5970 e: james.doherty@csglasgow.org Homecoming Scotland: Gayle Wilson t: 0131 472 2067 e:gayle.wilson@eventscotland.org |