WHAT DOES PIPE BANDSMAN WEAR UNDER HIS KILT?

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 77, 2 August 1950, Page 6

WHAT DOES PIPE BANDSMAN WEAR UNDER HIS KILT?

Here is a word in the ear of wives of Highland laddies. If your husband fingers the reeds or beats the drum in the local pipe band, don’t be alarmed on the morn of the next contest if he pirouettes in front of the mirror and goes through a performance something like this: 1. Kneels, and gazes earnestly round the floor. 2. Measures exactly one inch above his right eyebrow. 3. Stands and looks straight ahead; then casts his eyes up at an angle of 45 degrees, put his left arm in the same direction, at the same angle, and cuts the left arm with the open palm of his right hand close to the left shoulder. ; 4. Clutches both legs below the knee.

No Not Cramp No, gentle Sassenach, he has not been seized with cramp or violenl stomach pains. There is an explanation.

As far as (1) is concerned, he is not searching for the odd sixpence, but is making sure that the bottom edge of his kilt just reaches the ground. You see, it must hang evenly all round, and not up or down at the front or back. The reason for (.2) is that the front peak of his glengarry must rest in a certain spot on his Highland head. The routine followed in (3) will show him just where the shoulder brooch of his dress must lie.

In (4) he is measuring the width of four fingers below the inside bone of his knee to ensure that the top of his hose will be at the correct height and set off his knees to advantage. These few checks one dress, among others, in future will be worth the trouble. They are listed for the benefit of bandsmen in a booklet just published by the Highland Pipe Bands Association of New Zealand. Not the least important feature of the booklet which took a committee consisting of a South Island drummajor and a North Island drummajor a year to compile, is that contest rules for pipe bands are standaridesd. The new rules mean that bands throughout the Dominion will have to revise all their

drill, practise a new quickstep, and alter their various drum-majors’ displays Under the old rules the quickstep was a comparatively simple movement, and in contests only fractions of a point separated the bands. There was little difference between A and B grade bands. Now 1 the movement is more complex, with flank and diagonal marching. Rules governing the drum-maj-or's display have been tightened up to demand constant movement, instead of the old provision by which a band could halt during the display, keep on playing, and stay in the contest.

Turns, wheels and counter-mar-ches must now be done in a certain way. Opening and dressing a band for inspection is also covered by a special rules. Allocation of Points The allocation of points emphasises the importance of correct dress, in that a point can now . be gained (or lost) for each item of wear, whereas the old rules fixed a maximum of 10 points for dress. A canny move is the abolition of prize moneys in favour of a pro rata distribution among all competing bands to help defray travelling expenses.

Diagrams and photographs are found throughout the 40-odd pages of the booklet. Nevertheless, it baulks at one point which intrigues every youngster—what does the Highlander wear under his kilt?