The Pikes Peak Highlanders are set to compete for the first time at the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, after years of preparation and fundraising. The pipes, the pipes are calling from a parking lot. But soon they’ll be calling all the way from Glasgow, Scotland, where 20 pipers and 10 drummers from the Pikes Peak Highlanders Pipes and Drums will compete for the first time at the annual World Pipe Band Championships on Aug.
17. They’ll also compete Aug. 10 at the Abernathy Highland Games in Abernathy, Scotland, and Aug.
11 at the Perth Highland Games and the European Pipe Band Championships in Perth, Scotland. “To play in Scotland and at World is obviously a big goal and big deal,” said Highlanders Pipe Major Andra Stoller. “Many bands never go.
Only a few decide this is something we want to accomplish. It’s something we joked about when I became pipe major. It seemed insurmountable.
A pipe dream. We’d talk about it and think it was a great idea but it never went anywhere.” More than a dozen pipers gather in a circle in the parking lot of a small business complex on a steamy July night.
In go the earplugs, out goes their breath, as they blow into their mouthpieces and dance their fingers across the eight finger holes of the chanter, which looks like a recorder. This small, reeded part of the instrument might only produce nine notes, but those are enough to make up the rich catalog of bagpipe tunes. As they belt out the notes two other musi.