Kirsty Macnicol
The Southland Times
October 13, 1999

THE City of Invercargill Caledonian Pipe Band has accepted an
invitation to perform at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo when it is staged in Wellington next year.
The band performed at the Scottish event last year and had been told it was high on the list for the show's first performance outside Britain.
Pipe major David Pickett said the top New Zealand pipe bands had been asked to perform in the massed pipes and drums alongside six bands from the Scottish regiments.
They are: the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, Royal Scots, King's Own Scottish Borderers, Argylle and Sutherland Highlanders and The Highlanders.
Some of those bands and also the Fiji Military Forces Band and Meke Dancers also performed last year and the Invercargill band had got to know them well in the month they were in Scotland, Mr Pickett said.
"We're really looking forward to renewing friendships."
Other New Zealand acts confirmed for the Edinburgh Tattoo in Wellington are the military bands from the New Zealand Air Force, Navy and Army, a defence forces guard of honour, the Wellington-based Lochiel marching team, 200 highland dancers from throughout the country and winners from last year's Aotearoa Traditional Maori Performing Arts Festival _ Waiherere Maori Cultural Club, Ngati Rangiwewehi and Te Matarae-i-o-Rehu.
Three tattoo performances scheduled for March 10-12 in Wellington's new WestpacTrust Stadium sold out within a day of going on sale.
There were reports that an extra show might be added and the band had been asked to be available on Monday March 13 should it go ahead.
The tattoo coincides with the New Zealand pipe band championships being held in Masterton, where the band will be striving for a fourth consecutive grade two win.
That meant double the number of tunes to be learned, extra travel between the band's Upper Hutt accommodation, contest in Masterton and tattoo in Wellington, not to mention late nights and early rises, Mr Pickett said.
"It's just going to take good planning."
The tattoo music has not yet been issued but the competition arrangements are well under way, with the first contest of the season in mid-November.
Many Southlanders have booked trips to the tattoo, including one group on a chartered jet.
Mr Pickett said he looking forward to the strong southern support and hoped some would include a detour to Masterton to "wave the flag for us" at the championships.