Kirsty Macnicol
The Southland Times
March 06, 2000

The City of Invercargill Caledonian Pipe Band set off for Wellington
yesterday morning to defend its national grade two title for an
unprecedented fourth consecutive year.
But before it competes at the national championships in Masterton at the weekend, it has a busy week ahead rehearsing for and performing at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo in the tattoo's first showing outside Scotland.
En route to Wellington yesterday, the band spent the day in Christchurch where it competed in the Canterbury championships, collecting a first in the display, second in the set and third in the medley.
Southern City Highland Pipe Band also competed in Christchurch yesterday, finishing third in the set and medley and fourth in the street march in grade four.
The Mataura Kilties Pipe Band did not go to Christchurch but will be the only other Southland representative at the nationals. It will leave later this week for the grade four competition after amassing an array of trophies from various South Island competitions this season.
Invercargill Pipe Major David Pickett said his band faced a hectic week.
Tattoo rehearsals in Wellington were scheduled to start about 8am and the bands would not be back at their accommodation until midnight most days.
Into that they had to squeeze fine tuning for their competition music.
"It's a big ask. At least one of our main competitors turned down a chance to play in the tattoo so they could concentrate on the nationals. I suppose that also shows you how hard the other bands are going out to beat us this
year."
Defending the title would be harder than it had ever been but after such an "amazing" experience at the Edinburgh Tattoo in Scotland two years ago, the band would never have turned down the opportunity to partake again regardless of the extra pressure it created, Mr Pickett said.
"We're happy to do what it takes. We know what hard work's all about and we know how good it feels to win."