Sir – It is good to get the NT at any time, but it was especially gratifying for you to have highlighted, on the front page last week, the excellent photograph of the well-disciplined and smart Sutherland Schools Pipe Band on their recent visit to Calgary.
It seems from the accompanying article that they had a whale of a time and were very well received and appreciated.
I marvel at those youngsters playing in front of 350,000 spectators with complete confidence, a few thousand more than a Saturday night in Dornoch Square!
All credit must surely go to their tutors, George Stewart – who has been Sutherland schools piping instructor since many years and who has never failed to produce a band for whatever occasion – and Callum McSween, who teaches the side drums, and Jason Nicolson, the tenor and bass drums, all of them teaching to a very high standard. Long may they keep up their tuition and keep going the tradition of piping and drumming in the County of Sutherland. I have been told that the band have once again been invited back to Calgary and Bejing and as an off-shoot of their visit to Calgary, there is an invitation to California to show off their skills as well.
This in itself says a lot for the quality of the band and the dedication of and commitment of George, Callum and Jason and of course the players.
I wonder, with all the appearances they have all year round, have they time for school!
From a very envious "long in the tooth" member of Sutherland Caledonian Pipe Band
Willie "Bee" Sutherland,
Viewhill, Rearquhar,
Dornoch.
