On Monday 14th August around 150 pipers will gather, ranging from young learners playing their chanters to seasoned professionals with years of piping experience. The bespoke Big Band will walk the streets of Glasgow’s West End for the first time this year, as it performs a repertoire of tunes that everyone can play.

For this year, due to the usual end-point of George Square being unavailable, there will be a change from the usual city centre route, with the procession starting at Mansfield Park in Partick at midday, parading down Dumbarton Road and Argyle Street before culminating at the concourse outside Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.

The Piping Live! Big Band is open to anyone who plays a practice chanter, bagpipes, snare, bass or tenor drum, or is a drum major. All ages are welcome, with past events welcoming people aged 8-86. Players can sign up to be part of the Piping Live! Big Band at www.pipinglive.co.uk.

The Big Band is a way of bringing together pipers who are not otherwise taking part in the festival together, allowing them to be a part of the prestigious Piping Live! line-up. Leading the parade once again this year will be Piping Live! Artistic Director and the Director of Piping at the National Piping Centre, Finlay MacDonald, as well as some of the National Piping Centre’s world-renowned teaching team.

Finlay MacDonald said: “We’re so excited to bring the Piping Live! Big Band to Glasgow’s West End this year. It’s always such a treat to see so many pipers and drummers of all ages and abilities come together to perform, filling the streets with music. We have musicians coming from far and wide, and it’s just wonderful to see everyone united by their love of Scottish music. We’re raising money for a fantastic cause that’s close to some of our piper’s hearts so I’m very proud to be leading the band once again this year.”

Bailie Annette Christie, Chair of Glasgow Life and Glasgow City Council Convenor for Culture, Sport and International Relations, said: “The Big Band parade is a real highlight of Piping Live! - both for all those taking part and everyone spectating. Seeing pipers of all ages and at every level coming together to play is always wonderful, but being able to watch them joining forces to march as one as they parade through the streets of our great city is extra special. The feel-good factor of this memorable occasion is increased too by knowing it is raising much-needed funds for a deserving charity.
“With Piping Live! and the World Pipe Band Championships – the pinnacle of the international piping competition calendar – both taking place in Glasgow in August, the city and Scotland definitely deserve the title of the global home of piping.  These events increase and enhance our international reputation as a world-class destination and are always extremely popular with visitors from near and far. I have no doubt that this year they can look forward to an even more spectacular celebration of traditional Scottish music and culture as Glasgow resounds with pipes and drums.”

Since its inception in 2016, the Piping Live! Big Band has worked in partnership with a chosen charity and this year the festival is delighted to be working with Versus Arthritis. Everyone who registers to be part of the big band will make a donation as the majority of the entry fee is donated, aside from the cost to cover the very eye-catching event t-shirt! On the Piping Live! website there is also a link to donate specifically from this event if individuals would like to contribute more.
 
Over 10 million people in the UK have arthritis. That’s one in six people living with the pain, fatigue, and restricted movement it can cause, with many more remaining undiagnosed, untreated and unsupported.
 
The impact of arthritis can be huge, affecting the ability to work, care for family, move free from pain, and live independently. Versus Arthritis believe that too little is done for a condition affecting so many across all ages and they want to change this. 
 
Together with volunteers, fundraisers, healthcare professionals, politicians, policy makers and researchers, Versus Arthritis helps develop breakthrough treatments, supports those in need, and campaigns relentlessly for arthritis to be taken more seriously. They strive to ensure that everyone has access to the treatments and support they need to live the life they choose, with real hope of a cure in the future.  

Lauren Bennie, Head of Scotland at Versus Arthritis, said: “Versus Arthritis is thrilled to be working with Piping Live! this year to celebrate the music that brings such energy and unity into our communities, whilst raising awareness about the impact arthritis can have on our lives. We’d like to thank Sarah for putting the charity forward, for her volunteer work with our Young People and Family Services, and for being such a brilliant advocate for young people living with arthritis.
 
“1.7 million children, young people and adults live with arthritis and other musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions in Scotland. For many, the pain and fatigue of arthritis can dominate and destroy significant aspects of life, including mental, financial and social wellbeing. It’s vital that Versus Arthritis can provide the support that people with arthritis need in Scotland and across the UK, so our loved ones can live without pain dominating their lives, and every donation helps make a difference.”

Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events at VisitScotland, said: “The sound of the massed pipes is quintessentially Scottish so it’s great to see the Big Band return to Piping Live! as they celebrate their twentieth edition, supported through EventScotland’s International Funding Programme. This event is the perfect celebration of traditional and contemporary piping with Glasgow providing the perfect stage to host visitors, both local and international, as they join the festivities.”
FIND OUT MORE AND REGISTER FOR THE BIG BAND