Cuts take the wind out of school band

THEIR talented young musicians played at New York's first Tartan Day and welcomed the world's sporting elite to the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh.

But after nearly 40 years of enjoying the support of the city, Craigmount High School Junior Pipe Band have had their funding slashed as part of budget cuts at the city council.

With their subsidy, which has ranged from 2400 to 4000, now gone, the band's youngsters are searching for new sponsorship to keep their activities going.

The band's 60 members, who attend state schools across the Capital, will now have to raise all the funds themselves through supermarket bag packs, ceilidhs, race nights, car washes and playing at gala days, while still rehearsing three times a week.

The band, who have also performed at the Military Tattoo, have also appealed for experienced under-18 players to join them in competitive events because the little money they have left is going on teaching youngsters.

Secretary Annette Brown said: "The loss of funding was devastating. Although we are called the Craigmount High School Junior Pipe Band and we train in the school, we take children from all the state schools in the city and as far away as Fife.

"We are the only state sector schools pipe band in the city registered with the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association and playing at high competition level. We were in the process of discussing with the council changing our name to the Edinburgh Schools Pipe Band and playing at their civic events when we were told the funding was stopping immediately, with no notice. It was a terrible shock."

She added: "We run our own solo pipe and drum contest every year and last year attracted 200 competitors from the north of England to the Western Isles and an audience of 600. Every weekend in summer our band travels to competitions.

"Every three years, drums have to be renewed at a cost of 9000, and we have tutors to pay whose expenses aren't even covered following the council cut."

Mrs Brown said that the loss of the city council's funding had hit the group hard and they were now struggling to fill the void.

She added: "The lottery doesn't cover musical organisations like ours. The money from the council was a big contribution. Without it, we are really struggling."

A council spokesperson said: "A small annual contribution towards the running costs of the independently-run Craigmount High School Pipe Band was met for a number of years, but unfortunately, in this tough economic climate, there is no council budget to take over these contributions. However, we have been talking with this organisation to advise them and help them to identify other potential sources of funding."