0:00:02 > 0:00:03BAGPIPES PLAY
0:00:04 > 0:00:08The sound of bagpipes has echoed through history.
0:00:08 > 0:00:13Northern Ireland has the highest number of pipe bands per head of population anywhere.
0:00:13 > 0:00:18For many, this music is part of their Ulster Scots heritage.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22But it's not an exclusive culture. It embraces all communities.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26The sound is stirring, the performance is a spectacle.
0:00:26 > 0:00:31Beginner or best in the world, you are part of the piping family.
0:00:31 > 0:00:36In this programme, we follow two men who lead the best pipe bands in the world.
0:00:36 > 0:00:41One is from the North of Ireland, the other is from the South.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44This is the story of two pipe dreamers.
0:00:44 > 0:00:45MUSIC STOPS
0:00:45 > 0:00:48CROWD CHEERS
0:00:48 > 0:00:51- TANNOY:- World Championships 2010.
0:00:53 > 0:00:58Grade one world champions, St Laurence O'Toole, number 16.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00CROWD CHEERS
0:01:02 > 0:01:07Terry Tully is a world leader. He is pipe major of the St Laurence O'Toole band from Dublin.
0:01:07 > 0:01:14In 2010, for the first time in the band's history,
0:01:12 > 0:01:14they became world champions.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17Thus at the beginning of the 2011 piping season,
0:01:17 > 0:01:21they are the best piping and drum corps anywhere.
0:01:23 > 0:01:29It made me feel very proud of the people who have gone before us,
0:01:29 > 0:01:35the people who were there on the day to achieve it,
0:01:35 > 0:01:41and especially as well for the people who have stood behind us,
0:01:41 > 0:01:44our own band followers.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50His friend, Richard Parkes, also strides the piping world.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54He leads the Field Marshal Montgomery Band based in Lisburn
0:01:54 > 0:02:00and in 30 years of leadership he has taken them to the world title no less than six times.
0:02:01 > 0:02:06I always remember winning the worlds the first time and it was a dream come true.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10It's just an unbelievable experience.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13Anybody that's won the World Championships will tell you
0:02:13 > 0:02:15that's what it feels like.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18So losing out last year to his friend and rival
0:02:18 > 0:02:22doesn't sit easily with the six times world champion.
0:02:24 > 0:02:29Getting second in the World Championships the last three years has been difficult for us.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33Maybe, you know, you win it twice and you get a second. OK.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35Then you get another second. Very good.
0:02:35 > 0:02:41But you get three seconds in a row, you get the hunger back. You want to win it again.
0:02:41 > 0:02:47Our aim is for to go out this year and play to the best of our ability
0:02:47 > 0:02:51and defend our title to the best of our ability.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53So we're just as hungry to win a second time
0:02:53 > 0:02:59as Field Marshal are to win it for a seventh time.
0:02:59 > 0:03:04We won't take any prisoners. We'll do our best to win on the day of the World Championships.
0:03:05 > 0:03:10One world title up for grabs, two friends with the same ambition.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14Richard and Terry can be perceived as opposite sides of the same coin.
0:03:14 > 0:03:19North, South. Protestant, Catholic. The names of their bands say it all.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22But they're also friends and rivals.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26They have the respect of their peers and they respect each other.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30I think in Ireland at the minute we're competing against
0:03:30 > 0:03:34one of the best bands in the world that there's probably ever been.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38St Laurence O'Toole have always been our competition in Ireland
0:03:38 > 0:03:41and they've never been a band it's been easy to beat in competition.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44Hopefully they would think the same thing about us.
0:03:44 > 0:03:49Field Marshal are a fantastic band and they always have been
0:03:49 > 0:03:54and probably always will be as long as Richard Parkes is at the helm.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57I would never underestimate Field Marshal whatsoever.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00Even when they have a mediocre performance,
0:04:00 > 0:04:04it's still a better performance than most of the bands in Scotland.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09I think the relationship between me and Terry changes during the summer
0:04:09 > 0:04:12in that we're so focused on our bands
0:04:12 > 0:04:14and we want them to be the best they can be
0:04:14 > 0:04:17and we're obviously competing against each other.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19It's difficult to be friendly in that scenario.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23We are very friendly and we'll always speak and visit each other,
0:04:23 > 0:04:27but when the season's over that changes and you become a normal person again,
0:04:27 > 0:04:30if you're not a normal person during the summer.
0:04:30 > 0:04:35But what does it take to be world champion? Self-control?
0:04:35 > 0:04:37Come on!
0:04:37 > 0:04:38Patience?
0:04:38 > 0:04:43Da-badum ba-dee-dra. All right? Do it like that. I don't want to have to tell you again.
0:04:43 > 0:04:44Understanding?
0:04:44 > 0:04:49I'm fed up with people questioning me. Just do what I say and that's it, all right?
0:04:49 > 0:04:52No gain without pain.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55And no gain without a band.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58At this high level of competition,
0:04:58 > 0:05:02the pipe major no longer draws his players solely from within the local area.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07Terry Tully casts his net well beyond Dublin.
0:05:08 > 0:05:14I was accepted into the band from the very first day I came down.
0:05:14 > 0:05:15This is a family, this band.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17I've never seen anything like it
0:05:17 > 0:05:20as regards doesn't matter what colour you are,
0:05:20 > 0:05:24what religion you are. Anything like that there, you're welcome in this band.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26All you need to be able to do is play.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30And he has no difficulty reconciling his Protestant heritage
0:05:30 > 0:05:34with playing for a band bearing the name of a Catholic saint.
0:05:34 > 0:05:39On 12th July there were five players out of St Laurence O'Toole
0:05:39 > 0:05:41that actually went out to play this year.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44For me it's all about the music.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48I will still remember where I come from.
0:05:48 > 0:05:53Anyone who grew up with the sound and sight of the marching pipe bands
0:05:53 > 0:05:57knows that they are very much part of the Ulster Scots culture,
0:05:57 > 0:06:01but it is a music that is shared by all communities in Northern Ireland.
0:06:01 > 0:06:06Terry Tully regards his band's cross-border links as a welcome sign of changed times.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10I'd say to people in the North of Ireland,
0:06:10 > 0:06:16with the way their roles are now, we're getting closer to you all the time.
0:06:16 > 0:06:21So the journey from the North
0:06:21 > 0:06:26to Dublin is quite a lot easier today
0:06:26 > 0:06:29than it would have been 20 years ago.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33The close links over the centuries between Ulster and Scotland
0:06:33 > 0:06:39have resulted in the shared passion for the music and tradition of the pipe band.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42It is a passion that has been carried round the world
0:06:42 > 0:06:44and that's evident when one considers
0:06:44 > 0:06:49how far some have travelled just to play with the world's best bands.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51I'm originally from California
0:06:51 > 0:06:54and I've been living in Glasgow for eight years.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56It was my dream since I was a wee girl
0:06:56 > 0:06:58to play in the Field Marshal Montgomery
0:06:58 > 0:07:01because they were world champions when I first started piping.
0:07:01 > 0:07:07The year that I first started was the year they were current world champions from 1993.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10I grew up listening to CDs from the Field Marshal.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13I would listen to CDs of the World Piping Championships.
0:07:13 > 0:07:18I would listen to Field Marshal Montgomery playing MSRs actually by my swimming pool.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22I'd sit by my swimming pool underneath the sunshine,
0:07:22 > 0:07:26which is something I'd really appreciate this weekend, and listen to Field Marshal.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29I just thought I had to be part of that.
0:07:30 > 0:07:35They bring a sense of character to the band. It's great to have Americans, Canadians.
0:07:35 > 0:07:40It's great to see these guys coming in and it's a real sense of enjoyment for me
0:07:40 > 0:07:43that these guys end up coming to Scotland or Northern Ireland
0:07:43 > 0:07:47because they want to play pipes and they want to play in our band.
0:07:47 > 0:07:54The pipe band season, a series of competitions for bands of all standards, begins in the spring.
0:07:54 > 0:08:01It continues throughout the summer, culminating in the World Championships in Glasgow in August.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05The hard work begins much earlier, in the depths of winter,
0:08:05 > 0:08:09often in halls where heating might be regarded as something of a luxury.
0:08:10 > 0:08:17The way it works now is learning tunes and music within the band is almost all internet-based.
0:08:17 > 0:08:22When we make a decision and the tunes are finalised,
0:08:22 > 0:08:25basically they'll be e-mailed out to people
0:08:25 > 0:08:29and usually there are recordings e-mailed out to people as well.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33We will have a couple or three or four months off in the winter,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36but then we come back and the guys have got the tunes.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40I'll be expecting them to pretty much know the tunes at our first practice.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46There's no magic wand. It's not rocket science.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51You just have to get on with it and take it from the bottom up.
0:08:51 > 0:08:58And the music the pipe major selects reflects the tradition of the band and becomes its signature.
0:08:59 > 0:09:04For many, many years, our band was very easily identified
0:09:04 > 0:09:08by the kind of music that it selected for its medleys.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13I think that we've kind of nailed it ourselves in the last few years
0:09:13 > 0:09:19and we've made our medleys in such a way whereby people, everybody,
0:09:19 > 0:09:26can get a handle on them straightaway and know where the music is bringing them.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30The music is supposed to take you on a musical journey.
0:09:30 > 0:09:37You know, if someone can get a handle on that straightaway, well, you've made your point.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39MUSIC PLAYS
0:09:40 > 0:09:46I've been brought up on some of the old traditional tunes of the pipes through all of my teaching
0:09:46 > 0:09:50and I really enjoy listening back to some of those tunes.
0:09:50 > 0:09:55I feel it's my duty to ensure that the young players that we have in the band at the moment
0:09:55 > 0:10:00have the same experience of those tunes that I had all those many years ago.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04And to try and keep the tunes alive, I like to try and keep some of them
0:10:04 > 0:10:08in the traditional pipe band medleys that we're playing at the moment.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10I've always tried to do that.
0:10:13 > 0:10:18The traditional music of the pipes comes from a range of different tunes,
0:10:18 > 0:10:23for example marches, strathspeys and reels, which are Scottish dance tunes,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26and also jigs and hornpipes.
0:10:27 > 0:10:33One of the tunes that we played this year was composed in the '60s
0:10:33 > 0:10:36and we've used that as a base to do something more modern with.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39This is the way it was originally composed.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46HE PLAYS A TRADITIONAL TUNE
0:10:59 > 0:11:03What we could do with that tune is play it in a more modern style
0:11:03 > 0:11:07where the notes would be more even and it would be more round and possibly more lively.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18HE PLAYS A MERRY TUNE
0:11:28 > 0:11:31But when 24 or 25 sets of pipes are playing,
0:11:31 > 0:11:36plus a drum corps of a dozen or more, that is a different matter.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40So what exactly is a good pipe band supposed to sound like?
0:11:40 > 0:11:46Judge John Wilson won the world title 11 times with Strathclyde, so he knows.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49What the judges are looking for is a togetherness
0:11:49 > 0:11:52because it's about a band playing together.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56You've got drum judges that are listening to the drum corps
0:11:56 > 0:11:58to see how well they're playing together.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02You've got piping judges doing the same thing with the pipe corps,
0:12:02 > 0:12:04listening to how they're playing together.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06They also judging the tonal quality,
0:12:06 > 0:12:11how well the instruments are tuned and how well they sound together.
0:12:11 > 0:12:16Then of course, the biggie is the musical interpretation part,
0:12:16 > 0:12:20where you're listening to how they're phrasing the tune,
0:12:20 > 0:12:23how well they're capturing the musical idiom.
0:12:23 > 0:12:28The ensemble judge listens to the togetherness of both elements.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33Getting all that together in the practice hall is one matter.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37Doing it in the pressure cooker of the performance arena is another.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39The bigger the competition, the greater the pressure.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43The All-Ireland Championships in Lisburn at the start of July
0:12:43 > 0:12:46are a crucial test of how far the band has progressed.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50There's an important title at stake.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53There's a chance to measure up how rivals are doing
0:12:53 > 0:12:56and there are big crowds pressing in on all sides.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00Hey! Hey! Come on.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05I don't want to have to shout again today, all right?
0:13:05 > 0:13:09We're trying to get the band together. I don't want people off tuning their pipes.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13If you go away to tune your pipes, make sure you're facing this way
0:13:13 > 0:13:15so you can see me doing that, all right?
0:13:15 > 0:13:1830 seconds. Go and tune up. 30 seconds.
0:13:18 > 0:13:23The more distractions that you have like that,
0:13:23 > 0:13:28some people have a tendency to lose their focus and the focus is on making sure
0:13:28 > 0:13:34that when we go across that line that we're going to deliver the best performance that we can.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38I don't really like too many distractions on the day
0:13:38 > 0:13:45and sometimes I might have to lose my temper with certain individuals
0:13:45 > 0:13:51if I see them being distracted by their friends or people from other bands.
0:13:55 > 0:14:00It's a bit like watching Manchester United warm up in a crowded council park on a Saturday afternoon.
0:14:00 > 0:14:06The two leading pipe bands in the world are trying to keep their minds on today's job -
0:14:06 > 0:14:10winning the All-Ireland Championship.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13Dum-dra-dee dum-dree. Come on, guys. Have a listen.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16Let's focus on what we're doing here
0:14:16 > 0:14:21and don't worry about what's going on behind you or beside you. OK?
0:14:23 > 0:14:27Richard Parkes has won every competition so far this season
0:14:27 > 0:14:30but Terry Tully has been getting closer.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32With the World Championships only weeks away,
0:14:32 > 0:14:36Richard needs to ensure that the band's performance keeps improving.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40After Field Marshal's first performance in the ring today,
0:14:40 > 0:14:43far from getting better, things may be slipping.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48How can you not get the D right there? It must be blowing issues.
0:14:48 > 0:14:53I try the Ds and it's fine. I go away and it changes. Not good enough.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58His frustration and concern simmer for a few minutes
0:14:58 > 0:15:01and then he turns to his man management handbook
0:15:01 > 0:15:05and the chapter entitled When All Else Fails.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07Come here!
0:15:07 > 0:15:11I'm fed up with people wasting their time. It was not a good run.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14We need to go in and kill them in the medley. Let's do it.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18Let's get the act together. Whatever I say, do it. All right?
0:15:18 > 0:15:22I'm fed up with people questioning me. Just do what I say and that's it. All right?
0:15:22 > 0:15:25No more Mr Nice Guy!
0:15:25 > 0:15:28But the direct approach brings results.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31All-Ireland Champions for 2011,
0:15:31 > 0:15:32Field Marshal Montgomery.
0:15:32 > 0:15:37CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:15:39 > 0:15:43Second place, St Laurence O'Toole.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46Well done, guys. Well done.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48Chins up, all right?
0:15:48 > 0:15:50Chin up, OK?
0:15:51 > 0:15:55Chin up. Chin up, OK?
0:15:55 > 0:15:58However, winning can be an exhausting business.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00- All right?- Hard day.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04- A hard day? You were quite stressed today.- I was stressed.
0:16:04 > 0:16:05'When I first met Richard,'
0:16:05 > 0:16:08he said, "There's something I've got to tell you,"
0:16:08 > 0:16:12and I thought, "My goodness me, what's coming next?"
0:16:12 > 0:16:18And then, he said, "I play in a pipe band." That's not very serious.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22But a few years down the line, I realise how serious he is.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29He needs people to be doing things around him
0:16:29 > 0:16:32that make sure everything runs smoothly.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36He is totally focused on the music, totally focused on the weather,
0:16:36 > 0:16:40what's going on that day and where he's going to practise,
0:16:40 > 0:16:43where he's going to do whatever.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45You need support from family members.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48Even though they may not be involved in the band,
0:16:48 > 0:16:51they may be indirectly involved in the band.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55My own wife, Eileen, would come along to all of the practices
0:16:55 > 0:16:58and she would be there at all of the competitions as well.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02They generally call me the mammy of the band.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08I have one son, Alan, who is the pipe sergeant of the band.
0:17:08 > 0:17:09Um...
0:17:09 > 0:17:15But on the day of a competition, I have 40 other sons and daughters.
0:17:15 > 0:17:16Oh, yeah.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20I am generally here to try and pick up the pieces
0:17:20 > 0:17:23if things go wrong or even if they go right.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26You know, talk about them when things go right,
0:17:26 > 0:17:30when they win, and analyse things with them when things go wrong.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36Terry, kind of, in a way, would go into himself,
0:17:36 > 0:17:38just wouldn't sleep at night,
0:17:38 > 0:17:45would be constantly having sleepless nights and worrying about it, that way, really, you know?
0:17:45 > 0:17:49Following your pipe dreams demands total dedication.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53Band members and their families meet most of their own costs.
0:17:53 > 0:17:58They don't get paid. A set of pipes might set you back thousands of pounds.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01And the working conditions aren't great.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05Six times world champions And The Drummers have to practise in a field,
0:18:05 > 0:18:09not because they are nature lovers, there's no room in the hall.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20Being the boss has its perks, though.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23He gets to lock up at the end of the night.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30If you think about the cost of playing in a pipe band,
0:18:30 > 0:18:34it's not just the financial cost, it's the actual time you spend.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37An average person, you come home from work after a long day,
0:18:37 > 0:18:40maybe you watch a bit of TV, have your supper,
0:18:40 > 0:18:42play with your kids, you know.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46For us, you finish your work day, and you play your pipes and your pipes come first.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49It comes before your meal, and you do this every day.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51So, it's a way of life.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53An hour every day, every day for an entire year,
0:18:53 > 0:18:56year after year after year.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01It is a big commitment in terms of the financial side.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05Basically, all the flights back and forwards for the two of us,
0:19:05 > 0:19:08myself and Megan, so it's double for us.
0:19:08 > 0:19:15We must fly back and forth 15 or 20 times a year during the summer,
0:19:15 > 0:19:20um, plus all the associated costs with airport parking, dog kennels,
0:19:20 > 0:19:23and everything else that goes with it.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26So, it is costly and there's no return for that.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29From that aspect, it definitely is a holiday.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38If I had a job that didn't allow me to play in the band, I'd get a different job.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40If I had a friend's wedding on the day of a championship,
0:19:40 > 0:19:43I'd have to question how important the friend was.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45It's a way of life.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49Family support, deep pockets, musical excellence,
0:19:49 > 0:19:53dedication to the cause and hard work are a must.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56For some, the return or reward is easy to measure.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01Being in the Field Marshal is like being an All Black, for me.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04And I get to stand in the middle of this orchestra.
0:20:04 > 0:20:09There is no better place in pipe bands than to stand in the middle of Field Marshal Montgomery.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11Listening to the pipes
0:20:11 > 0:20:16and the drums when they're doing what they do, ensemble.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25I'm interested in putting forward the best performance I can
0:20:25 > 0:20:26on the field to match
0:20:26 > 0:20:29the best performers that everybody else is equally giving.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31If people enjoy the performance,
0:20:31 > 0:20:34yes, it is nice to get a trophy, it is nice to win a championship,
0:20:34 > 0:20:38but it is more important that people go home happy and that includes us in the circle.
0:20:38 > 0:20:44Although amateur, champion pipe bands are run on professional lines.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47The season is planned like a campaign.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50With the world title at stake, the band mustn't peak too soon,
0:20:50 > 0:20:53nor lose impetus as the season progresses.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Achieving results is about getting the best
0:20:56 > 0:20:58out of the individuals involved.
0:20:58 > 0:21:04As we have seen, that includes the no-holds-barred approach.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07I kind of think of a bit like Alex Ferguson.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11He's got all these top footballers, the likes of Ronaldo and that,
0:21:11 > 0:21:13and he was able to manage that
0:21:13 > 0:21:16and deliver without having any disruptions within the team.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18He is tough on people but he can be
0:21:18 > 0:21:21because people have ultimate respect for him
0:21:21 > 0:21:25and will not question him because they'll be told to leave
0:21:25 > 0:21:28if they are not going to respect Richard's decisions.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32So, it can be difficult for new pipe majors who have all the ideas,
0:21:32 > 0:21:34to communicate that to their team
0:21:34 > 0:21:38if they don't have that ultimate respect because people will question it.
0:21:38 > 0:21:44The first one was rubbish. The first can cost you the competition.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46Don't let it happen.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48We all feel sorry for ourselves if it happens
0:21:48 > 0:21:51but it is your responsibility, you know.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55I know what I want and I know how to try and get it.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59And sometimes, I might seem frightening when I do that.
0:21:59 > 0:22:04I don't always mean to be that way but it's just the way it is.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08And when they know what I am like outside the band situation,
0:22:08 > 0:22:14they can maybe take the criticism or the scariness from me whenever they get it.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20Come on, guys, no excuse.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25Wilting violets needn't apply.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28But leaders need to rely on more than the stick.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31They do spend many hours a week paying attention to the tuning
0:22:31 > 0:22:33and confidence of their players.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40Both Richard Parkes and Terry Tully have their moments
0:22:40 > 0:22:43but ultimately, those in the band have to feel that the pipe major
0:22:43 > 0:22:47has faith in them, even when things aren't going their way.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52Well done, guys. Well done, guys. Hard luck but well done.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56Next week is another week. We'll get them next week.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02Whenever I joined the band, I was slightly scared of him
0:23:02 > 0:23:07but once you get to know him, he is such a nice man.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10But he does have such an... that real personality,
0:23:10 > 0:23:15that real drive to push the band as far as it can go.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17You need somebody like that as your pipe major.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20And Terry does a brilliant job.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22On the day, you couldn't ask for a better pipe major.
0:23:22 > 0:23:27He keeps everything controlled. He knows what he wants.
0:23:27 > 0:23:32We know how he works and we keep ourselves focused on that.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35Right, guys, just do it the way we do it at band practice, all right?
0:23:36 > 0:23:41Do the way we do it at band practice. All right? Ready?
0:23:41 > 0:23:42Right. Quick march!
0:23:45 > 0:23:50In Ireland, the season's last big event is the European championship.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52With the worlds two weeks away,
0:23:52 > 0:23:55this is the final important rehearsal.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58Both pipe majors have been targeting this day since the winter.
0:23:58 > 0:24:04It's also the event where they face serious competitions from bands beyond Ireland,
0:24:04 > 0:24:06some of the opposition they will meet in a fortnight.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10Stormont is an impressive picturesque venue.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12Home advantage to Richard Parkes.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15It's very much home ground for me.
0:24:15 > 0:24:20I pass by this park every day on the way to work. I was there yesterday.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23It is five minutes from my house. So, it is very much on home ground.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27It is great to drive five minutes down the road to a major championship.
0:24:27 > 0:24:32We would term this the business half of the season.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36They're all important but when you get down to one major championship away from the worlds,
0:24:36 > 0:24:39it's down to the nitty-gritty, you have to play well.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41So far this summer,
0:24:41 > 0:24:44every competition has seen St Laurence O'Toole comes second
0:24:44 > 0:24:46to Field Marshal Montgomery.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50However, they have won sections of those competitions
0:24:50 > 0:24:54so Terry Tully knows he's not far behind.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57This is the competition last year when it turned around for us.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59We won this competition last year.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02This year, it's a medley competition.
0:25:02 > 0:25:07The fact that we have won the first two medley competitions this year,
0:25:07 > 0:25:14playing against Field Marshal gives us that extra little bit of confidence that we need.
0:25:14 > 0:25:19Because our medley playing, at the moment, is pretty good.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22To win the competition today playing the medley would be great for us
0:25:22 > 0:25:25two weeks before we go to the world championships.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30APPLAUSE
0:25:39 > 0:25:43Nerves, adrenaline, excitement, call it what you will,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46we all know what it's like when the pressure mounts.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50No matter what grade you are in, the band can play out of its socks
0:25:50 > 0:25:56only for one mistake by one player to dash its chances.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04Much of the day is spent waiting,
0:26:04 > 0:26:08waiting until each grade begins, waiting until it is your turn,
0:26:08 > 0:26:10waiting while everyone else has theirs,
0:26:10 > 0:26:14and waiting for the results at the end of the day.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16Grade 1 is always the finale
0:26:16 > 0:26:19so it's a particularly long wait for the senior bands.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23The European Champions 2011,
0:26:23 > 0:26:25and in first place,
0:26:25 > 0:26:28winning the trophy...
0:26:29 > 0:26:31..Field Marshal Montgomery!
0:26:31 > 0:26:33CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:26:52 > 0:26:57Richard Parkes maintains the winning streak he's had all summer.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02Anxious moments for Terry Tully because if he can't now win,
0:27:02 > 0:27:07he needs to at least maintain the band's record of consistent seconds.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09In second place,
0:27:09 > 0:27:13winning the Glasgow Transport Cup,
0:27:13 > 0:27:14St Laurence O'Toole.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:27:17 > 0:27:21Job done, and even if it is not the result he would have wanted,
0:27:21 > 0:27:24Terry can at least leave Stormont with a wry smile,
0:27:24 > 0:27:27knowing that he is still well in the hunt.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35CHEERING
0:27:36 > 0:27:39True to form, Richard Parkes keeps his feet on the ground.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42I know what we need to do. We know what we need to do.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45But what we've got now, and we've had since the beginning of the season,
0:27:45 > 0:27:49we have had great confidence in ourselves and that will help.
0:27:49 > 0:27:55Now, all eyes to Scotland where there is a welcome in the hillside.
0:27:55 > 0:28:01St Laurence, the reigning world champions, have not yet won this season.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04The Field Marshal Montgomery has not been beaten.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07But will that change when the stakes are raised?
0:28:07 > 0:28:11The World Championships are in Glasgow in two weeks' time.
0:28:11 > 0:28:12As well as Terry and Richard,
0:28:12 > 0:28:16there will be 12 other pipe majors competing for the title.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20Right, guys, all right!
0:28:20 > 0:28:22All right!
0:28:22 > 0:28:24We have four minutes.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26Just stand straight.
0:28:27 > 0:28:28Get us in, quick.
0:28:30 > 0:28:35But at the end of the day, there can only be one winner.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37Grade 1,
0:28:37 > 0:28:40World Champions 2011.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43In first place...
0:28:43 > 0:28:44That's in the next programme,
0:28:44 > 0:28:49where we find out if Terry Tully or Richard Parkes
0:28:49 > 0:28:52can realise their pipe dream to be world champion.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd