Think of piping and drumming and thoughts of Scotland immediately come to mind. But while the Highlands remain its spiritual and organisational home, the rousing sound of bagpipes and beats is slowly but surely making its way south.
By entering the Army Cadets Piping and Drumming structured learning programme you can earn a Cadet Proficiency Certificate, gain Army Cadets Star levels, study for the BTEC First Diploma in Music and attain the Piping and Drumming Qualifications Board / Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) Certificates in Piping, Pipe Band Drumming and Bass & Tenor Drumming. The various Army Cadet Battalions and Counties conduct weekly training however at a national level, piping and drumming tuition takes place over five weekends during the winter and two week long courses held throughout the year. The main event in the calendar is the Easter Concentration which is normally held at Cameron Barracks in Inverness. There, the Cadet pipers and drummers gather together for an intense week of practise and tuition, culminating in a parade through Dingwall and a concert for charity in Inverness, attracting crowds of up to 2,000 at each event.
The training events provide a glorious opportunity for cadets from all over the UK to see Scotland at its best and to meet new friends.
But the real fun starts when participating in the many public
performances and events conducted at Battalion and National level and
you will also have the opportunity to travel overseas with the Pipes and
Drums taking part in events such as the Basel Christmas Tattoo in
Switzerland and the Nanchang International Military tattoo in China.
Why not test your skills against your fellow Cadet by entering the
annual Piping and Drumming competition which is held in October at the
end of the training camp. Many great prizes can be won.
Piping and Drumming has a great track record in seeing its cadets continue their interest in bands after they leave - a testament to the high standards of training and support received within the cadets. Piping and drumming is available to both Cadets and Adult Instructors within the Army Cadets.
