The Call of the Pipes

Over the past 50 years,

Ulster has become the bedrock of the pipe band world.

Across the country,

hundreds of musicians strive to keep this tradition alive.

Does anybody think that that there is going to be good enough?

Because it's not, like. It's pure rubbish.

Thiepval Memorial have been piping for more than 100 years.

Under Pipe Major Alyson's fearsome command,

they've become one of Ireland's top bands.

McDonald Memorial are a pipe band that includes three generations

of the same family.

They're trying to hold on to their family tradition

in an increasingly competitive world.

It can be a challenge for bands even to stay together.

It's a hobby, at the end of the day.

You have to remind yourself of that.

15 minutes, get your hats on and ready to go.

This year will be their toughest yet.

Alongside a gruelling competition season, they're also preparing

for Northern Ireland's biggest piping event, the Belfast Tattoo.

It's three months until the World Piping Championships.

In Dromore, the McDonald Memorial pipe band have gathered

for a practice session.

-The hardest part of the night, waiting on the pipers tuning up.

-LAUGHTER

I suppose we'll give them another half-hour and see how they're going.

If it wasn't for the drummers, they'd have no band.

Drummers just talk about themselves. They're just wannabe pipers.

You can listen to a set of pipes without a drum

but try listen to a drum without a set of pipes.

-Ah, now, you need to be careful now.

-No, well, that's opinions.

That's opinions.

McDonald Memorial are a family pipe band with a long history.

Sonia is a Pipe Sergeant in the band.

The band is named after my great-grandfather David McDonald.

He went to the Battle of the Somme. He was the piper.

He piped the soldiers out of the trenches.

His son put the band together in his memory, you know.

And it has carried down now into the next generation.

In the 1980s, the band were at the top of their game

but the pressure of competition caused them to crumble.

Five years ago,

a new generation of McDonalds decided to reform the band.

We're going to do it as if we had a contest, right?

So it'll be pipes down, pipes up again. All right?

By the right. Quick...march.

Thanks to a mix of old and new talent,

the band are slowly climbing their way back up the grades.

We aspire to win. Winning means you're moving up the ranks.

It gets tougher.

You know, there's a lot of pressure further up the scale but,

you know, you want to ensure that, more than anything,

the kids that are coming along are enjoying it.

You know, so it is a bit of a waiting game,

but I think you're waiting for something good.

-That was not me.

-So, if you'd have done that in a competition...

-Ah, no hope.

-Keep playing.

-We have to keep playing.

That was a fail. We were last.

It was a car crash.

LAUGHTER

-I thought it was one of your excuses.

-Oh, no, no, no.

The border town of Convoy in Donegal may not have a main street

but for more than a century, it has had a pipe band.

Alyson is Pipe Major of Thiepval Memorial.

That's a challenge. Getting the pipes right.

She's one of only two female Pipe Majors in Ireland.

I first became Pipe Major in June 2003. I was just about 20 that week, actually.

It was an emergency meeting.

I think all I mind hearing was, "I propose Alyson for Pipe Major"

and somebody was, "I second it."

I mind, suddenly, I started going, "What?"

-Quick. March!

-DRUMROLL THEN PIPES PLAY

I absolutely knew nothing about tuning pipes,

tuning chanters, tuning drones.

I absolutely knew nothing, like.

Thanks to Alyson's leadership,

Thiepval Memorial have become one of the top bands in the country.

For a band to play together, they have to practise together.

You could have the 20 best players in the world

stand here in the hall tonight,

but that doesn't necessarily mean that they're going to go on

and play a medley together

because they have all got their own different styles of playing.

So, they need to then come together as one and play one style.

It's not as easy as it sounds.

There's no fun and games on it, like.

The same craic is not on it as, maybe, when we played

in grade 4B, or in grade 3.

You have to be serious about it.

The bagpipes are an ancient instrument

with a musical history that can be traced back to 1000 BC.

First played for entertainment,

they later became associated with the military.

The popularity of civilian pipe bands surged

following the two World Wars,

particularly in the Ulster Scots tradition.

Serious players pride themselves

on the provenance and quality of their pipes.

I think it was roughly 2002, I bought them.

From a fella, a man who bought old army pipes.

He'd have bought, you know, antique pipes, about 80 year old.

Roughly.

-Do they still play well?

-Yeah.

All you need's somebody to play them.

Bagpipes have a reputation for being extremely difficult to learn.

If you get frustrated easily,

the pipes are not the instrument for you.

They're just so temperamental, like,

I don't know of any other instrument that one or two degrees

changes the whole instrument,

or moisture changes the whole instrument.

You could be standing on a Saturday, be ready to go to the ring,

pipes going well, all of a sudden, out comes the sun. Bang!

You lose... Your drones go and your chanters go.

It can just happen like that.

Constant practising for piping competitions

doesn't stop Alyson having to run a busy farm.

Ah, I start work at six

but, say, a day like Saturday past,

where we had to go to a band competition,

I was up at quarter to five and started milking at five o'clock.

So it means starting a wee bit earlier them days.

I suppose that's four nights a week, right enough.

So, no time to sleep any more.

I think it comes down to how much you want to do something.

If you want to do something bad enough,

you'll find the time and you make it happen.

On top of managing the farm, playing at competitions every Saturday

and the upcoming World Championships,

Alyson has also accepted an invitation

to play at this year's Belfast Tattoo.

The event will showcase some of the finest marching bands and pipe music

and will climax in a massed pipes and drums set.

McDonald Memorial have also been asked to perform.

For the McDonalds, this presents a huge challenge

as they've never played a set like this before.

The biggest challenge is going to be a medley selection.

18 tunes in total, we have a marching-on set.

That is a combination of, like, 9/8 marches

and moving from one style into another time signature.

When you're still at learning stage,

throw this into the mix in the same year, it is a big challenge.

We're relying on some of our kids to just get that right.

They have to really nail it on the night, you know,

or it'll stick out like a sore thumb.

To add to the pressure,

this year they're also competing in the World Piping Championships.

With only a month left to practise,

Sonia needs to focus the band on their set.

The priority tonight is to concentrate on the competition set.

It'd always be nice to win, or get a prize

but, I think, in the first instance,

we just want to get through it

and not make a complete fool of ourselves, you know.

Sometimes you go to practice and you've no idea what's coming at you.

Everyone does have an off night, erm,

but they're just the very odd occasion where you have that night

where everything goes wrong.

Who is that? I think it's round here. That was just terrible.

Absolutely terrible. You were behind me right the way through that.

There was mistakes over here. There was skirl over there.

You were even flying on.

The band perseveres for another hour but without much success.

-Terrible.

-What next?

Pipe Major Norman decides to stop the practice for tonight.

Don't play any more tonight. Go home, listen to your own playing,

-and then come back on Wednesday night with a bit of improvement.

-Getting worse.

The complexity of playing bagpipes is really quite amazing.

It takes a lot of work. You need to be playing every single day.

It is, for anyone who takes it on,

a massive commitment if you want to go anywhere with it.

In Donegal, Alyson's band

is also preparing for the World Piping Championships.

But this morning, she has other pipes on her mind.

The first time they heard it, you could just see them jump,

like, their ears pricked up and they were, what's that?

But, aye, they got used to it, they have no choice.

If they want to be in this parlour, they have to like pipe band music.

With the band's heavy practice schedule,

Alyson's time is further stretched between the farm and the band.

You're nearly, basically, six hours every Monday night,

I would be here from eight o'clock till 11 on a Tuesday and Thursday.

I would be three hours of practice on a Wednesday night.

12 hours on a Saturday.

That's scary when you add it up, actually.

It's nearly a working week.

The commitment is huge.

Somebody just went off there, third part, in the low A,

too quick into the GDs.

Try a third part on. One, two...

At the level Thiepval have reached,

the music becomes much more technically demanding.

Take a pause on the way first, and then up in the GDs.

Alyson won't accept even the slightest of errors.

First, we're straight in, there's somebody going straight off.

-It's you.

-Could be me.

-Well, don't!

One, two...

My theory is, pick out the people who's not playing together

and sort that issue out, like.

Just don't stand in the hall and keep saying, "Let's just play it again."

Play it again. You know, if there's a problem,

identify who the problem is

and try and work on them.

Still out here. A fraction ahead of me.

One, two...

You went on to C before me.

D and D. You're slipping back. One, two...

If a piper doesn't get it right, they run the risk of being dropped,

sometimes minutes before they're due to perform.

I suppose, as I got more experienced as a Pipe Major,

dropping players didn't bother me as much.

But what players have got to realise,

it's not about me, it's not about you. It's not about them.

They have to get into their head

that they have to do what is right for the band.

-Do you make mistakes, Alyson?

-Never.

In Dromore, the McDonalds are continuing to prepare

for the World Championships.

Today, they're getting the band name printed on the bass drum.

Ronnie has played in the family band

since he picked up the pipes nearly 40 years ago.

You should have been running up there.

CHUCKLING

I'm the boy that runs behind the scenes and does everything

and organises things.

But I don't mind doing it. It's the McDonald band.

For him, it's about more than just competition grades and prizes.

My father, he started it and he taught all my children.

And now they're all piping in it.

I'm sure, if he was still here today, he would love it

because he'd have loved telling us where we're going wrong.

Because you couldn't please him.

Ronnie is deeply committed to the band's survival.

This means making sure there's a new generation of players

coming up the ranks.

Any young one comes into the band, we get them kilted out

and they come in all the competitions

and they walk onto the field with their kilts on,

and that keeps them interested.

You have to keep them interested.

That's us, gents.

Very good. That's quite a job, Colin.

-He'd be proud to play that now.

-Yeah. Good job.

After months of hard practice,

the bands are travelling to Glasgow for the World Piping Championships.

The biggest competition in their year.

Despite the early start, there's no time for sleeping.

Every available minute has to be used to practise.

Over the weekend, 40,000 people will watch more than 200 bands

battle it out to be crowned world champions.

The players' nerves will be pushed to their limits.

The McDonalds have been practising and tuning for the past hour.

For Ronnie, the worst has happened.

His chanter is causing problems.

I'll give it another couple of goes, see if it's all right.

There isn't enough time to retune his chanter.

Ronnie decides it would be best if he didn't play.

-What?

-I don't mind standing.

You can't say much. You can't argue.

You're in a situation.

Guys, 15 minutes.

Get your hats on, get ready to go.

If the chanter's not right,

you don't want to go in and ruin their chances.

I know it's hard to stand down,

but what do you do, like?

Best of luck, folks.

I'll see you when we're out of uniform.

Each band will play in a qualifying heat.

That performance will determine if they make it into the final.

But for Ronnie, his day is over before it's even begun.

On the other side of the green,

Alyson is getting Thiepval ready for the Grade 2 qualifier.

They're also having problems.

He's hit his pipes too hard a few times and he's had an early E,

so he needs to make damn sure that doesn't happen in the ring,

or he's dead!

HE PLAYS A NOTE

Whoa-oa-oa! What happened?

Somebody went into the wrong tune. Who was it?

Does anybody think that there's going to be good enough?

Cos it's not, like. It's pure rubbish!

McDonald Memorial are about to perform.

It's like sport.

It's a competition. You want to do well.

We need to be playing together.

We need to have a good start, a good finish, steady blowing,

a nice sound.

APPLAUSE

Hold on, slow down. Slow down. Slow down!

That was a really good run.

I'm very pleased with that, guys. Thank you and well done.

It's now Thiepval Memorial's time to play.

All right.

'This wee nerve kicks in, you know?

'And you start to panic in your head and you're like,

'"Oh, have I played that part twice already?"

'Silly stuff, you know? Your mind goes into overdrive

'and you start assuming and imagining stuff.

'It's just like a wee panic attack.

'And you'll go, "Right, cop yourself on. Settle yourself down.

'"Everything will be grand."'

Pipes down.

-I thought the march was good.

-Aye.

-It was as good...

-As we've had all day.

-There were so many things going wrong.

-Yep.

It would take a miracle for us to qualify, like.

The McDonalds have gathered to hear

whether they've qualified for the final.

This is worse than going on to play.

Will the months of practice have been enough?

Even money. 50-50.

-TANNOY:

-'I now have the qualifiers for the 4A final. Dunbar RBL.

'Cleland Memorial.'

WILD CHEERING

'Kinross & District.

'And Ullapool & District.'

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

So disappointing.

I can't believe we're in this position.

-We always qualify for the finals.

-Yeah.

-So this is completely...

-Maybe it's a lesson.

-I don't know what to do.

Thiepval Memorial have also failed to qualify.

I just think, all you ever ask, from these days here,

that nobody goes in and makes a real balls-up

and then beats themselves up for the next six months.

It's been a disappointing weekend for both bands.

All they can do is pack up and head home.

The highs and lows of competition are

a stark contrast to the role pipers have played throughout history.

In the carnage of the Great War, pipers would rise unarmed

from the trenches and pipe their comrades into battle.

The McDonald Memorial Pipe Band is named after one of those pipers.

Gary has researched the McDonald family history.

My grandfather David, he was a veteran in the First World War,

fought in the 36th Division,

and he piped during the Battle of the Somme.

We can only imagine what it was like to stand up and to actually

have to put your head above a trench, with a set of bagpipes,

and play the pipes, knowing the danger that faced you.

This year's Belfast Tattoo will commemorate those who fought

and died during the Battle of the Somme.

What makes our band tick is the memory of our grandfather,

and we are absolutely privileged and honoured to have been asked

to be involved in the Tattoo.

Quick march!

With the Tattoo only days away,

all the bands have been brought together for the first time.

They have four gruelling days of rehearsals ahead.

In a show of this scale, they have more than just music to get right.

This isn't working visually.

OK, this centre circle is not working visually for us.

OK, so go back out into the outside circle.

At 10 o'clock at night, it should be going well.

Tattoos are a military celebration of music,

with the word itself coming from the Dutch phrase "doe den tap toe",

meaning "turn off the taps".

It became a signal for soldiers to leave the pub

and return to barracks.

The Pipe Major insists that someone has to bring

a hip flask every week, and I am the fall guy.

Why do you think his face is so red normally?

Any artificial means necessary to keep him calm,

and the hip flask is one of those things that seems to work.

Left, right, left.

The bands will be joined by hundreds of other performers,

both military and civilian.

It is hard to stay in line when the piper in front of you is skinnier.

Not as wide.

Getting this number of musicians to play in harmony is proving to

be a challenge.

No. No. No.

No, no, no. The chorus is,

# Ba-dum-ba-dum-ba-dum... #

I am glad we had the dress rehearsal tonight,

because there were a few wee teething problems,

-and that's them out of the way.

-For you, was it?

-No, not for me.

For the whole massed bands.

-I thought it went quite well.

-I thought I was pretty perfect.

I've been coping with it OK, but it might be a wee bit more

nerve-racking tomorrow night, when that curtain goes up,

and there's quite a few thousand people staring at you, you know?

After months of preparation, it's finally showtime.

As the crowds stream into the arena, backstage,

the bands are having a last-minute practice.

We are a few minutes away from starting.

This is what all the hard work has been about,

so now is the time to do it.

It's not nerves, just a wee bit of adrenaline.

This is a completely and utterly new departure for our band.

Can't wait...till it's over.

No!

Who ballsed that up? What are you at?

MAN SINGS

LAUGHTER

I wouldn't feel any pressure at something like this, no.

There's nobody here judging you and, plus,

you're in a large group of players, so there's less nerves.

All excited, Hannah?

Buzzing.

And quiet, please.

APPLAUSE

In this centenary year, we turn our thoughts to the men and boys

who faced the enemy over the 141 days of the Somme Offensive.

We especially remember the many who made the ultimate sacrifice.

It makes you feel really good to be part of the show this year.

-Aye.

-Because of the 100th year.

-Oh, definitely.

Like, isn't it really good to be associated with that?

CHOIR SINGS

After a moving commemoration of the Somme,

it's time for the massed pipes and drums.

McDonald and Thiepval Memorial take to the floor,

along with three other pipe bands.

After their first set,

the bands leave the stage to wait for the finale.

That was great. I was a wee bit nervous before the curtain went up.

I started to feel the pulse there, but it was fine.

Once it started, I was enjoying it.

I thought it was pretty good. Better than I expected, actually.

The harder bit is to come later on.

As the show continues with a spectacle of dancers, musicians

and bands playing classical and contemporary music, backstage,

thoughts turn to the historical significance of this year's Tattoo.

We were nervous tonight, but can you imagine what a young soldier,

18, 19 years old, the nerves that that soldier would have felt

in World War I, 100 years ago?

It puts what we felt tonight into perspective, I suppose,

when you think of what those guys went through.

After a long wait,

the bands make their way back to the floor to close the show.

And finally this evening,

let's begin the Belfast Tattoo 2016 grand finale!

It was just a great atmosphere tonight.

The finale was just unbelievable.

It just gives you a great buzz.

It just makes you feel so, so proud to stand here tonight

and be part of this amazing event.

APPLAUSE

Absolutely amazing.

After the exhilaration of the show,

the bands can finally relax and let off some steam.

I just want to play more. It wasn't enough.

I don't know who is buzzing more, the crowd or us.

They may be the lowest-ranked pipe band at the Tattoo,

but the McDonalds have proven they are a band with a future.

It has been a big challenge for everyone, and we've met it,

and, I mean, I'm very proud to be there with them.

I'm proud of the way everyone behaved and performed.

We're like one big family. We get on fantastic.

We work together, we know what we have to do and we just do it.

Uncharacteristically,

Alyson is thinking about giving her band some time off.

I think we might take two, three weeks...

Well, I said a month but a month might be

a bit much now I am starting to think.

I wouldn't say I'm obsessed, no.

I wouldn't say I'm obsessed, but I do have a passion for it.

# It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock and roll... #