A day in the life of pipe bands by Scott Glasgow

Having played in pipe bands I understand the commitment required to play in unison and have the instruments tuned, which is difficult in Scottish weather when the temperature changes from the sun clouding over or the wind lifting can set the instrument off. This takes 100’s of hours practice in the off season learning new competition sets whilst setting chanters to match in tone and all the time keeping the players going to ensure they hit the season with the stamina required to blow steady. Alongside the pipers the drummers are hard at a similar routine perfecting drum scores to compliment the pipers giving lift to the overall medley. Bands are judged on marching and smartness of turnout also, therefore the uniform and ability to play whilst entering the completion field and forming up in the circle is also practiced through the winter.

The completion at Gourock’s Battery Park 8th May 2022 saw a return to competition for bands following a long lay off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although my photography is generally candid in nature I did speak with parents of a schools pipe band who informed they have been practicing via ZOOM over the last two years with no competition other than one indoor event. They have also noticed a drop in new members due to the nature of the practice sessions and absence of physically being in school.

I set out to capture the intensity, unity, pressure, and community spirit of the competition day of pipe bands. How all that practice over the winter comes down to somewhere in the region of 5 minutes judging on the field when the band strides toward the judges and form a circle to face their band members. When the band is formed in the circle there is no hiding as all is heard within the circle, mistakes, uneven blowing, and issues of tuning. No matter what happens you keep playing right to the end when you hope you can stop in unison, meaning reducing the air in the bag enough that you don’t have trailing drone noise but enough to complete the set. The pressure really is on from start to finish, I heard one pipe major give a pep talk before they went on with his final words being “enjoy yourselves”.

I hope that gives some insight and you enjoy the images.

Scott