0:00:03 > 0:00:05RUSSIAN MUSIC PLAYS
0:00:08 > 0:00:10I really like it, the fact that it's all sparkly, and all.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17Liggered in meal, aren't you?
0:00:17 > 0:00:20Liggered in meal. Liggered means you're covered!
0:00:20 > 0:00:21You're covered in stuff.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29This one's Wednesday Addams from the Addams family.
0:00:29 > 0:00:30I got her last Halloween.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32This is my cat.
0:00:32 > 0:00:33Big fan of cats.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39BAGPIPES PLAY
0:00:39 > 0:00:44There's 120 players going to Russia - pipers, drummers, bass.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47The biggest part of them are coming from Ireland - Dublin, Belfast,
0:00:47 > 0:00:48Raphoe and Castlederg,
0:00:48 > 0:00:51then we're meeting ones from England and Germany,
0:00:51 > 0:00:53and none of us are going to meet each other
0:00:53 > 0:00:55until we're there in Russia.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59There's about 14 in our band going to join the 120,
0:00:59 > 0:01:03so that's most of our band's going over to Russia from Raphoe.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08SINGING IN RUSSIAN
0:01:18 > 0:01:19Raphoe's a very small town.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21Everyone kind of knows everybody,
0:01:21 > 0:01:25and it's also very easy to get to Derry, Strabane, Letterkenny,
0:01:25 > 0:01:27it's a very accessible place.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30There's a lot of culture here. It's a plantation town,
0:01:30 > 0:01:32an old Ulster-Scots area.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35We've got a castle, we've the stone circle. We're a Protestant family.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37That's the way we were brought up,
0:01:37 > 0:01:39and Raphoe is a very
0:01:39 > 0:01:41cross-community town.
0:01:41 > 0:01:42And I'm kind of glad of the mix,
0:01:42 > 0:01:45so that you're not just, you know, seeing things one way,
0:01:45 > 0:01:47"This is the way."
0:01:49 > 0:01:52Me and Robyn get on well. We can, like, annoy each other at times.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54But in the end, like, we're sisters.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56There's not much we can do about that,
0:01:56 > 0:01:59so we have to like it or lump it.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01I can't imagine my life, actually, without her.
0:02:05 > 0:02:06It's a seasonal thing,
0:02:06 > 0:02:09but I work as a part-time model for the wedding dress company,
0:02:09 > 0:02:11and we get fitted into the new stock.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14There's two seasons, it runs from January until March, every Sunday,
0:02:14 > 0:02:18and then from September through to October.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21I'm very showboaty. I like to be out there.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25While we live in Raphoe, quite close to the border,
0:02:25 > 0:02:28Victoria lives in Castlederg, which is on the other side.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31But, like, to us, it's not, like, "Oh, she lives in the North,"
0:02:31 > 0:02:32or, "She lives over the border."
0:02:32 > 0:02:36She lives 25 minutes away by car.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39I like to think Castlederg is the back end of nowhere.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41You're two hours from everywhere,
0:02:41 > 0:02:43no matter if you're going to Dublin or Belfast.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48Castlederg was the most bombed town in Northern Ireland, I think,
0:02:48 > 0:02:50during the Troubles, and...
0:02:51 > 0:02:54You know, there has been a lot of violence here.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56But it's a peaceful wee town, more or less.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00SHEEP BLEAT
0:03:00 > 0:03:04We're just outside Castlederg, between Castlederg and the border.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07So I come past the sheep every time I'm going to Raphoe.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12A country girl at heart. I don't think I could ever live in the city.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14I enjoy the outdoors too much and...
0:03:15 > 0:03:17..spending time with these eejits.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19- Oh! - SHE LAUGHS
0:03:20 > 0:03:24That's my granny's writing. Cos she'd always tell me, like,
0:03:24 > 0:03:26"Keep your head down, work hard, say nothing to no-one,
0:03:26 > 0:03:29"don't let on you're doing well, say nothing."
0:03:30 > 0:03:32I'm not a confident person,
0:03:32 > 0:03:34I'm actually very shy and very introverted.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38The only statements I would make would be with my dress, my make-up,
0:03:38 > 0:03:40what I look like, but I wouldn't be
0:03:40 > 0:03:43a very over-the-top person in general.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45The first time I met Robyn, she had green hair, and she was dressed
0:03:45 > 0:03:47in black, from head to toe.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51So, your head automatically goes, "All right, OK,
0:03:51 > 0:03:54"she must be into heavy metal music," which I think she is,
0:03:54 > 0:03:58and, "She must be very artistic," which she is.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01Victoria, she's quite different from me and Robyn,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04because we would gladly sit in front of a mirror for hours and do our
0:04:04 > 0:04:08hair and make-up, whereas she'd rather just slap her hair up and get
0:04:08 > 0:04:13- on her way.- My time is too valuable to be running about, putting on
0:04:13 > 0:04:15ten layers of foundation.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20Chloe's hard to judge, because you'd think, looking at her, she wouldn't
0:04:20 > 0:04:23have any time for somebody like me.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25But she's down-to-earth, and good craic.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29Since we are all so different, I think it's a well-rounded,
0:04:29 > 0:04:31a well-rounded friendship, I think.
0:04:31 > 0:04:32- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37Always been a big football fan.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41When I was in primary school, I was always sort of the tomboy.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45I'm sure that would shock you very much, but...
0:04:45 > 0:04:48it was always break-time and lunchtime, I always went out with
0:04:48 > 0:04:51the boys and played football with them, whereas the girls went
0:04:51 > 0:04:54and played kissy catch, or some stupid thing like that.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00I joined pipe bands when I was five. Started Drum Major.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03I done that until I was about 16 or so.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06This was sort of the go-to place to practise.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08Usually Dad would've came up with me,
0:05:08 > 0:05:12to make sure that I was doing things right and staying in a straight line
0:05:12 > 0:05:16and I got several placings around Northern Ireland
0:05:16 > 0:05:18and Scotland.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21Could have met someone up at the shop,
0:05:21 > 0:05:23usually it would have been Mum or Dad, they'd have met them and
0:05:23 > 0:05:27they said, "Oh, how'd the cutty do at the contest on Saturday?"
0:05:27 > 0:05:30Cutty is one of many Ulster-Scots words.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32Usually paired along with cub,
0:05:32 > 0:05:36cutty is the Ulster-Scots word for girl.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39And cub is the Ulster-Scots word for boy.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44Along with many, many words that I quite regularly use.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47Cannae - can't. Dunnae - don't.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51- I mean, every fifth word that I use is usually "aye" or "naw". - SHE LAUGHS
0:05:51 > 0:05:56So it's quite, it's quite difficult to be posh at times,
0:05:56 > 0:05:59if you're in for a job interview or something like that.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02It's part of your culture, part of your tradition.
0:06:02 > 0:06:03That's the way you speak,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06and if people don't like it, they can lump it, so...
0:06:08 > 0:06:11COUNTRY GUITAR MUSIC PLAYS
0:06:18 > 0:06:23When I first joined the band, I was one of the only girl bass drummers.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26You'd hear them going past, "Oh, that's a girl bass drummer!"
0:06:26 > 0:06:30You're getting rid of the stereotype that it's big tough men
0:06:30 > 0:06:32has to carry the big scary drum.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35RADIO: Wagon Wheel performed by Nathan Carter
0:06:35 > 0:06:37I had the drumsticks in my hand, and the drum pad,
0:06:37 > 0:06:40and was just messing around, and Wagon Wheel came on,
0:06:40 > 0:06:43and I just started drumming to it.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47I just videoed it, and within half an hour had it on Facebook,
0:06:47 > 0:06:50and I think it got over 500 likes.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52I've been listening to country music now for a long time.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55It's something that I've grew up with.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58I'm really looking forward to Moscow, to be involved in something
0:06:58 > 0:07:01so big, such a prestigious tattoo.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03It'll be my first military tattoo,
0:07:03 > 0:07:05so I'm really looking forward to the experience
0:07:05 > 0:07:07and seeing what it's like.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10I went and studied journalism,
0:07:10 > 0:07:12so I've been writing about country music and pipe bands,
0:07:12 > 0:07:15and I'm hoping to do a review of Moscow,
0:07:15 > 0:07:17and then send it in to all the papers,
0:07:17 > 0:07:20because I want people to realise that pipe bands isn't just standing
0:07:20 > 0:07:22in a wet field on a Saturday.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25At the end of the day, judging is only one person,
0:07:25 > 0:07:27or a couple of people's opinions.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31You know, you shouldn't let your ability be measured by that.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34And, therefore, I think you should be involved in things like tattoos
0:07:34 > 0:07:37and concerts, and enjoy the musicality of it.
0:07:39 > 0:07:44There's about 14 players travelling to Moscow from Raphoe.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46To play in a military tattoo in Moscow,
0:07:46 > 0:07:48walking out in front of all those people,
0:07:48 > 0:07:50it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59We're just up at the Ulster-Scots summer school,
0:07:59 > 0:08:01and we're in doing some arts and crafts.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04We get 120 kids every year.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07It's been running for 11 years now,
0:08:07 > 0:08:09and I've been a leader for nine years,
0:08:09 > 0:08:13cos I started going to the camp, and I worked my way up the ranks.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17So there's an Ulster-Scots connection with planes, to Harry Ferguson.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20Little painted, little wooden aeroplanes.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23We're making little pipers and drummers, like these,
0:08:23 > 0:08:26so that's what everyone's working on now.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28BAGPIPES AND DRUMS PLAY
0:08:31 > 0:08:34Today is the first time I've been at Raphoe summer camp.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37We were doing a wee workshop with all aspects of pipe bands.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39So I was doing Drum Major.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43So it's nice to see Ulster-Scots being taught to all these
0:08:43 > 0:08:45young people, and, you know, getting involved in it.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48Why don't we get another colour, just...? Here, what about this one?
0:08:50 > 0:08:52We'll be teaching them the alphabet here, the Ullans alphabet.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54The Ulster-Scots.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57Just showing them, this is what this language is. This is what it means.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00- It isn't rubbish.- I suppose the point I would make is,
0:09:00 > 0:09:04if you look up an Oxford English dictionary, them words aren't in it,
0:09:04 > 0:09:05so it can't be English.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09It does get ridiculed a bit, the language, and...
0:09:09 > 0:09:12it is quite unfair, but, like, for our surroundings and our, like,
0:09:12 > 0:09:15town and our area, this would be the normal.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18We're teaching them not to be ashamed of what the culture is.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20And I don't think that any of us would be,
0:09:20 > 0:09:22would be ashamed of it, to be honest.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24COUNTRY MUSIC PLAYS
0:09:27 > 0:09:29This is definitely a very familiar road.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31I'd be on this road if I was travelling from Castlederg to
0:09:31 > 0:09:35Raphoe, which I do, sometimes twice a week, sometimes more.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40It is a different country, whether people like it or not,
0:09:40 > 0:09:42it doesn't matter, it is a different country.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44Some day it might be the same country,
0:09:44 > 0:09:46although it might never be the same country.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48You know, who can tell?
0:09:49 > 0:09:52There's a lot of talk about a border, you know, border
0:09:52 > 0:09:55patrol and stuff here, a lot of talk about Brexit.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57Listen, a hard border won't affect my friendship with anybody.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00It's nothing to do with me. I'm not bothered, like.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02Unless Donald Trump builds a wall over there,
0:10:02 > 0:10:05and I have to climb it to get to band practice, then so be it.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07We'll, we'll deal with that.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11DRUMMING
0:10:20 > 0:10:23So we're up at one of our band practices on a Thursday night, up at
0:10:23 > 0:10:26the local Orange Hall, and we're planning a birthday surprise
0:10:26 > 0:10:29for Victoria. It was her 21st yesterday.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31- BAGPIPES PLAY - We've sent her upstairs there now,
0:10:31 > 0:10:34just to have a go over with the drummers, as a ruse.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37PIPING AND DRUMMING
0:10:37 > 0:10:40BAGPIPES PLAY "HAPPY BIRTHDAY"
0:10:40 > 0:10:42CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:10:47 > 0:10:51# Happy birthday, dear Victoria
0:10:51 > 0:10:55# Happy birthday to you. #
0:10:56 > 0:10:59CHEERING
0:11:00 > 0:11:03We are part of an Orange Hall, with an Orange Lodge.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07Most people, when you say, "Oh, I'm in a band with the Orange Lodge,"
0:11:07 > 0:11:10people associate it with, like, a flute band, or even an accordion
0:11:10 > 0:11:13band, but there's us pipe bands that go out, too,
0:11:13 > 0:11:14and we go out and do the 12ths.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19The parades on the 12ths are only a small part of what we get to do,
0:11:19 > 0:11:23like, with the pipe band, we get to travel, we get to compete.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26You shouldn't stereotype anyone, because then you're wrong,
0:11:26 > 0:11:28and you're just showing a lot of prejudice.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33I mean, just because you rehearse in an Orange Hall doesn't mean
0:11:33 > 0:11:37you're a bigot. As I keep trying to stress to people,
0:11:37 > 0:11:39pipe bands, it's a musical band.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41You're there to make music. You're not there to...
0:11:42 > 0:11:46..to make other people feel bad or, you know, to try and...
0:11:46 > 0:11:49you know, make a political point or anything like that.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52So, it's nice to go out to Moscow and meet with other people from
0:11:52 > 0:11:55different countries, religions. I think that's important.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06So, we're just up at my grandad's bog, at Brockagh, in Donegal.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11She's a long way from wedding dress model now.
0:12:11 > 0:12:12She's knee-deep in the bog and muck.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19My own children used to come up with me,
0:12:19 > 0:12:21and then...now the grandchildren come.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23Couldn't do it without them.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27We're what you call Irish Protestants.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32You'd be the same.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34I'd be Irish. I think if I said anything else,
0:12:34 > 0:12:36Grandad would kind of slap me if I said I wasn't Irish.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38LAUGHTER
0:12:39 > 0:12:42It would be something that comes up a lot when I'm down in Dublin.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44People are confused. Like, where am I from?
0:12:44 > 0:12:48I'm from the north of Ireland, but am I Northern Irish?
0:12:48 > 0:12:51Someone asked me, "I have a question for you, but I don't want you to get offended."
0:12:51 > 0:12:54And I was like, "Oh, God, what are you going to ask me?" They're like,
0:12:54 > 0:12:56"Do you have Opal Fruit sweets?"
0:12:56 > 0:12:59- And I was like, "What on earth are you on about?!" - LAUGHTER
0:13:01 > 0:13:04The North's always been a really big part of our lives.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06It's literally just miles down the road,
0:13:06 > 0:13:11and we would go to Derry as often as we would go to Letterkenny.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14The nearest town to us is Strabane.
0:13:14 > 0:13:15It's in Tyrone.
0:13:15 > 0:13:20And our competitions are all in the North, so we'd always be going
0:13:20 > 0:13:21to the band competitions.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31The band won it in 2013, in grade four B.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33There's a big banner up in our Orange Hall.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36They've all the trophies and everything that we've won.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39But since we moved up the grades now, it's tough, trying to get
0:13:39 > 0:13:41the trophies when there's other bands that's already been in it,
0:13:41 > 0:13:43winning every year.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46We're sort of part-time pipe-banders here.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48You know, we sound the way we sound,
0:13:48 > 0:13:50and, you know, we're trying to get better.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52That's our aim, to be better than last week,
0:13:52 > 0:13:54and that's all you can really do.
0:13:57 > 0:13:58I think, up until recently,
0:13:58 > 0:14:01the pipe band world was mostly male-dominated,
0:14:01 > 0:14:05and it's nice to see there's more females in it now.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14You always keep seeing, like, the older generation going, "Oh, the bass drummer's a girl?"
0:14:14 > 0:14:16Or they'll try to carry the bass drum for you out around the place.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19I'm like, "No, I'm grand." Like, "I can do it."
0:14:21 > 0:14:23Playing competitions, it's fairly important, cos it keeps you
0:14:23 > 0:14:26interested during the rest of the year, rather than doing
0:14:26 > 0:14:28one or two concerts or tattoos.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31Like, some grade one players wouldn't do any tattoos or would
0:14:31 > 0:14:33somewhat turn their nose up at it.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36But like, I don't see why you can't do a competition this week, and then
0:14:36 > 0:14:39go to Russia next week and play a tattoo.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51So, we didn't win anything today.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54We didn't come in the top. We're waiting on the results sheet now,
0:14:54 > 0:14:56to see where, just where we placed in our grade.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58We've had enough now of playing competition stuff.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00We're ready to get into tattoo stuff now.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14We've all gathered up today for a practice for Moscow.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17It's pretty much just people from around this area.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20There's some travelling from further up the country as well.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27I think there's around 70 pipers going from this island, so...
0:15:27 > 0:15:30You know, it's impossible to get everybody together and practise
0:15:30 > 0:15:32together, so we're trying our best
0:15:32 > 0:15:34to try to get as many people as we can together in one place.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39- That's good now.- Andy McGregor's taking these classes.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44I think everyone appreciates that Andy is able to have a wee bit of
0:15:44 > 0:15:47craic with everybody and, you know, he's like a big kid himself.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49I definitely do like his style of teaching.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53Everybody tends to join a band.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55Most of the bands compete, and if
0:15:55 > 0:15:58you're not good enough to compete,
0:15:58 > 0:15:59you don't get a chance to play.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04I teach people that want to learn, want to enjoy to play piping.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07It's just piping for piping's sake,
0:16:07 > 0:16:09rather than to win a trophy on a Saturday.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13If they want to go to a grade two or a grade one band,
0:16:13 > 0:16:16we'll give them all the support and help that we can to achieve that
0:16:16 > 0:16:19dream. If they want to go to the World Pipe Band Championships and
0:16:19 > 0:16:22win the World's, and if that's their ambition, then that's brilliant.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26That's great. But if they want to go to Moscow and play in the Red Square
0:16:26 > 0:16:29and Kremlin, you know, and be somewhere where very few people have
0:16:29 > 0:16:32been to, I mean, that's also great.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36You're not going to get a prize for doing it, but you're going to get an opportunity of a lifetime.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38- Is that not right? - No, G gracenote first.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40Is that not what I did, no?
0:16:40 > 0:16:41No, you did an F bass note first.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43Go again, then.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47I think I would rather be no ability and enjoying myself than be really
0:16:47 > 0:16:52high ability and, you know, just dread lifting my bagpipes every day.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55What you've got here, when you enjoy being part of that racket that
0:16:55 > 0:16:59you're making in Red Square... I mean, that's an exciting prospect.
0:17:09 > 0:17:10Less than a week now, we're going...
0:17:10 > 0:17:13- Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday... Five days.- Five days.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20There's such a thing as being over-rehearsed.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24It's just getting to the point where you just want to get out there and experience it.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44So there's 72 from all over Ireland,
0:17:44 > 0:17:46going, congregated here at Belfast City.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50Well, most of us. There's 27 missing. There's 27 on the bus.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55- RADIO NEWS PRESENTER:- Eglinton and Drumahoe were among the areas
0:17:55 > 0:17:58worst hit by some of the heaviest rain seen here in years.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01The main Victoria Road between Derry and Strabane remains closed
0:18:01 > 0:18:03due to the flooding and...
0:18:03 > 0:18:05There was a storm last night, up on the north coast.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08The roads were all flooded, and they couldn't get through.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10The rest of the flights are all booked up today,
0:18:10 > 0:18:13so it's not looking good if they do miss this flight.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17Jesus, that's heavy!
0:18:23 > 0:18:26- All right.- Right, lads!- Good luck!
0:18:29 > 0:18:31Bad news.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35Anybody who hasn't checked in now isn't going to make this flight.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42Since we left home, we've been stuck in floods.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44Every road we go was closed.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47Finally got here, and we're really, really late,
0:18:47 > 0:18:49so we've missed our flight,
0:18:49 > 0:18:52and it's looking like we've missed our connecting flight to Moscow.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05EVOCATIVE RUSSIAN MUSIC PLAYS
0:19:17 > 0:19:19Oh! Hello.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28We've been on the go from about three o'clock this morning,
0:19:28 > 0:19:31but the Raphoe guys have been on the go longer than us,
0:19:31 > 0:19:32and they're not even here.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40It's really disheartening. Like, I just want to go.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43And now we're being told it might be Friday before we can go,
0:19:43 > 0:19:46and that means missing all the rehearsals and all, so...
0:19:46 > 0:19:48everyone's just gutted.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58We've been asked for six of the young players
0:19:58 > 0:20:01to perform here now, and then onto the coach and to the hotel.
0:20:10 > 0:20:11Welcome to Moscow.
0:20:11 > 0:20:16You're going to experience one of the best tattoos ever.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20I know that we are at least 27 people missing.
0:20:20 > 0:20:21These 27 people will be
0:20:21 > 0:20:23flying out in different flights
0:20:23 > 0:20:25over the next few days.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50Eight of us were lucky enough to get a flight over, which means we're not
0:20:50 > 0:20:53going to get any sleep, but we are going to get a full day of practice.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56But we still have 22 people stuck in Belfast.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58They are going to join us eventually, but they're going to
0:20:58 > 0:21:00miss a full day of practice.
0:21:15 > 0:21:16We've made it!
0:21:18 > 0:21:20Just look at that, that's fantastic!
0:21:22 > 0:21:24To be playing bagpipes in somewhere like this...
0:21:31 > 0:21:34Right, hold on, hold on, hold on. Erin McGee's here.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37Move that way, darling. Erin McGee and Joe Gallagher.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40We've only got the two-hour timeframe to do our rehearsal.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43This is the first time we've actually formed up as a band together.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46We need to get everybody into their correct positions.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49Victoria Catterson! Victoria Catterson?
0:21:51 > 0:21:53DRUMS AND PIPES PLAY
0:22:08 > 0:22:11There was a double tap at the end of that part - that means halt.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13There were still people marching away.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17Halt and stand still, concentrate on your playing.
0:22:17 > 0:22:18Right, let's go!
0:22:22 > 0:22:26It's the tenth anniversary of the Tower Festival,
0:22:26 > 0:22:27so it's a big year,
0:22:27 > 0:22:31so we're going to be attempting to march into a giant number ten.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33Everybody will start on the rolls...
0:22:33 > 0:22:37Alan McBride's here as Senior Drum Major,
0:22:37 > 0:22:39so he's in charge of formation and
0:22:39 > 0:22:42things like that. He's from Kilkeel.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45They're too far out, compared to these ones here.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49They need to come in a wee bit that way, and these ones need to come in a wee bit, to make it closer.
0:22:49 > 0:22:50The ten's too spaced out.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57It's my hobby that's got me here.
0:22:57 > 0:23:02It's amazing that this bag full of air and a few drillings has got me
0:23:02 > 0:23:06to this beautiful place, to participate in an event like this.
0:23:06 > 0:23:07It's...it's amazing.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20Well, I think it's nice being able to go and explore a bit
0:23:20 > 0:23:22and see...see the city.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28There was all these mosaics on the roof,
0:23:28 > 0:23:30they were 24 hours in a Soviet day.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35It was so cool seeing how much time and effort they spent in, like,
0:23:35 > 0:23:39decorating these train stations back in Soviet times.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49Yeah, I'm always really interested in history, and Russian history was
0:23:49 > 0:23:51the one that I would have been interested in the most, and I did it
0:23:51 > 0:23:54for my Leaving Cert, I did a whole project on it.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56I'm loving all this.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01Inception, you know the film, dream within a dream within a dream.
0:24:01 > 0:24:02Lenin with Lenin with Lenin.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06No? Leninception?
0:24:07 > 0:24:11- Len-inception.- Ah!- Oh, there we go.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15I'm amazed by the sites.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17I mean, they're fond of their statues.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19They don't want to forget their history, you know,
0:24:19 > 0:24:21and they want people to know about it.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23BAND PLAYS CEREMONIAL MUSIC
0:24:28 > 0:24:31I was asked if I would like to be involved in a ceremony
0:24:31 > 0:24:33at the walls of the Kremlin,
0:24:33 > 0:24:36so there was about 20 of us came and laid a wreath
0:24:36 > 0:24:38at the tomb of The Unknown soldier.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41BAND PLAYS RUSSIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM
0:24:42 > 0:24:45It was an honour to be part of it.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47Like many towns, Castlederg has
0:24:47 > 0:24:52a war memorial, and I mean, I've done stuff for that before at home,
0:24:52 > 0:24:55so it was nice to be involved at this here.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58Rubbing shoulders with the generals of the military,
0:24:58 > 0:25:01saluting the Army going past, we're paying respect to the fallen.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03How could it not be an honour, you know?
0:25:03 > 0:25:06And to get a chance to do that when there's not many people doing it.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09I mean, the amount of people that's involved in this festival, and I was
0:25:09 > 0:25:11one of the people that got to be part of that,
0:25:11 > 0:25:12so that was pretty special.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25On our first show tonight, I really hope that we go out there and prove
0:25:25 > 0:25:29ourselves as being just as good as any of these military bands.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31They march, day in, day out, all year round.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33We wouldn't march in formation as much.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39There's a certain amount of expectation.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43You're standing there with a bag of air, making a racket, and people
0:25:43 > 0:25:46have paid to come and watch you stand there, making a racket.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56My bass drum, it has a black and white photo of the Raphoe Castle
0:25:56 > 0:25:59on it, so I'm going out into the Red Square with this drum that
0:25:59 > 0:26:01represents where I'm from. It is a proud feeling.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08BAND PLAYS UPTOWN FUNK
0:26:20 > 0:26:23Pipes and drums! Quick! March!
0:26:23 > 0:26:26BAGPIPES AND DRUMS PLAY
0:27:27 > 0:27:29You get a big rush of adrenaline as you come off the stage.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32You're just, like, hopping up and down, like, "I want to go on again!"
0:27:34 > 0:27:36When you think about it,
0:27:36 > 0:27:39we left the most western part of Europe, wee Donegal,
0:27:39 > 0:27:42to come to the most eastern side of Europe in Russia.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47Making music with that amount of people as well,
0:27:47 > 0:27:49in a strange country
0:27:49 > 0:27:52and people watching you...
0:27:52 > 0:27:55To put something like this into words is genuinely really difficult.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03We only had two hours in that arena to practise, and it was really
0:28:03 > 0:28:07impressive that, like, we pulled that out after a two-hour practice.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14I always imagine, if you're sitting at your deathbed, you'd be thinking,
0:28:14 > 0:28:17you know, "Where did I travel?" and I'll be thinking,
0:28:17 > 0:28:19"Well, I travelled here with my bagpipes,"
0:28:19 > 0:28:21and that's an achievement in its own, I think.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26SINGING IN RUSSIAN