Army

British Army Influences Increase In Piping Popularity

A specialist music workshop once aimed at the British forces in Germany is celebrating its tenth birthday.

The Bruggen Winter Bagpiping and Drumming School has established a reputation with world class tutors.

Today there are fewer British students but plenty of Germans and many people from around the world. German student Sascha Fast said:

“I would say people are fascinated by the culture, by the Scottish culture and in the past years influenced maybe by movies. Braveheart is one of the movies"

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The man who founded the Bruggen winter school a decade ago is himself a highly respected musician.

David Johnston was a Pipe Major in the British Army and played regularly at Royal and State occasions. He said:

“Bag piping and drumming is probably one of the hardest instruments to really master and it’s a long, long process and you need really, really good instruction to guide you and that was one of the essences that was missing over here in Germany.”

Rob Olver reports on a thriving institution that without the British forces may never have existed.

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