Pipe up with cash to name that tune

MOST auctions require you to pipe-up to put your name to a bid – but this auction requires you to bid to put your name to the pipes.

Haddington Pipe Band is auctioning off the honour of naming their latest composition.

The winning bidder will be the guest of honour at a special performance of the tune by the band, the current Scottish Pipe Band of the Year, as well as receiving a signed copy of the music.

The song will be written by Bruce Thomson, winner of East Lothian's Pipe Idol 2009 competition to compose a new anthem for the region.

Mr Thomson heard his tune The Haddington Turnpike played by five bands – The Royal Scots Association, Haddington, North Berwick, Tranent and District pipe bands and Penston Brass Band – at Athelstaneford, the birthplace of Scotland's flag, in April last year. He approached Haddington Pipe Band with the offer to write another tune specifically for their campaign to raise funds for uniforms and instruments for a new generation of young players, who will shortly be up to the level of playing with the band.

Pipe major David Leckie said: "We're in the fortunate position of having a number of youngsters coming through our tuition and nearing the time when they will be able to join the band.

"The challenge for us is that it costs not much short of 1,000 to kit a player out with uniform and an instrument, so we have to fundraise so that we don't let new players down.

"Bruce very kindly responded to an article about this challenge in our latest newsletter, and we are extremely grateful to him for his kind offer to write a tune for us. As many people will recall, he won the Pipe Idol competition we ran in 2009 with his tune, The Haddington Turnpike, and he has written many other fine tunes over the years.

"Indeed, at last year's world championships, one of the top Grade 1 bands, Shotts and Dykehead, included tunes of his in their performance."

Final bidding will take place and the winner announced at the band's annual dance, which will take place in the town's Corn Exchange on Friday, 28 May.

The band's performance of the new tune, complete with its new title, will then be arranged with the winner.

Mr Leckie added: "It's not every day that an opportunity to name a pipe tune by one of the country's top composers comes up, so we are hoping for some good, competitive bidding which will, in turn, help to support the development of young pipers and drummers."

Bids are now open for the naming of the tune on the band's website www.haddingtonpipeband.co.uk.