Dunedin preparing for invasion

Dunedin is bracing itself for a gathering of the tartans as pipe bands from all over the South Island descend on the city this weekend, 20-21 February, for their annual Octagonal Day competitions.

Prepare for the skirl of the pipes, the beating of drums and stamping of feet as 16 provincial pipe bands from all over the South Island come to Dunedin for the Annual Royal New Zealand Pipe Band Association’s Octagonal Day contests.

“We hope cruise ship passengers from the “Arcadia” on Saturday and “Volendam” on Sunday will be entertained by the spectacle of competition pipe bands facing off in the centre of the city” said Maureen Hurrell, Secretary of the Royal NZ Pipe Band Association, Otago Centre.

Saturday’s programme starts at 10am with all the bands participating in a street march from the corner of Great King Street and Moray Place, into George Street and to the Octagon. There they will be judged on sets and medleys throughout the day until approximately 4.30pm.

Sunday’s programme will start at 9am with a massed band march up George Street from Frederick Street to Filluel Street. Bands will then reassemble in the Octagon at 10.30am for more judging. At the completion of judging both days, all competing bands will gather for a massed band march from the Octagon to Moray Place north.

DCC Events Manager Marilyn Anderson strongly recommends watching the massed bands. “The raw power and emotion the pipe bands evoke up when playing tunes like “100 Pipers” or “Black Bear” is both stirring and haunting and not to be missed”. She also stated that notices have been sent out to all those likely to be affected by the interruption to traffic services around the Octagon area both days.