Every year for the past 74 years the melancholic sound of the bagpipes has been heard across Edinburgh’s city streets as the military Lone Piper performs at The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
Lone Piper Lance Corporal Jim Bell atop the Edinburgh Castle brings the show to a close with the tune ‘Guth A’ Phiobaire’, the Voice of The Piper.
Lance Corporal Jim Bell is a Piper with The 1st Battalion The Irish Guards, playing at the 2024 Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo every night.
Lance Sergeant Jamie Bell of 1st Battalion The Scots Guards is a British Army piper playing at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo every night during August.
The world-famous military show is staged on the magnificent Edinburgh Castle Esplanade, showcasing the rousing sounds of more than 230 military musicians who form the Massed Pipes and Drums as well as musical performances and acts from around the world.
A tradition of the show is for a serviceman to take on the role of the lone piper who plays a lament from high in the castle ramparts to mark the end of the evening.
As the massed pipes and drums and military bands fall silent, the lone piper becomes the sole focus of the 8,000 strong audience as they play the lament Guth a’ Phiobaire, composed by Major (Retired) Steve Small MBE.
Performing what many tattoo fans describe as the most moving part of the show is regarded as one of the greatest honours for a military piper.
This year Lance Corporal Jamie Bell and Lance Corporal Jim Bell are two of the five bagpipers selected to perform the prestigious role. They were selected for the honour by the Director of Army Bagpipe Music, Major Ross McCrindle, who has carried out the task many times himself as a piper in the Scots Guards.
Lance Sergeant Jamie Bell, Scots Guards
Lance Sergeant Jamie Bell who serves with 1st Battalion Scots Guards was the Lone Piper on the opening night.
This is the first year he has been selected to perform as the Lone Piper. He said: “It’s a real honour to be selected for the role. When you are on the ramparts you can see the lights of Edinburgh around you and the arena is in complete darkness. It’s a memory I will cherish forever. There aren’t many pipers who get the opportunity.”
As well as performing the Lone Piper role Jamie is also the Pipe Sergeant on parade. He is the second-in-charge after the Pipe Major, and it is his job to ensure the pipers of the Scots Guards have everything they need and are well practised.
Before the start of the Tattoo, Jamie and his fellow regimental pipers were on Exercise Wessex Storm on Salisbury Plain and were practising whenever and wherever they could. This included whilst sitting in the back of their Foxhound vehicles.
“We were on the exercise for six weeks but exercise or not, we still needed to practise. So, we sat in the back of our vehicles with our sheet music and chanters.”
The chanter is the part of the bagpipes that produces the melody. It consists of several finger-holes and in its simpler form looks like a recorder. The practice chanters are quieter and easier to play indoors and require less blowing whilst allowing the piper to break down and learn the tune.
Once the Exercise had finished the soldier musicians had a week to practise the tunes using their bagpipes.
“I was incredibly impressed with all the lads. How quickly they picked up the tunes is testament to their dedication and interest in the pipes. Many of them are new to piping and have only been playing a year.”
Lance Corporal Jim Bell, 1st Battalion Irish Guards
Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal was in attendance and took the salute the second night Lance Corporal Jim Bell performed the lament.
He said: “It was a big buzz. I was not only representing myself but the Battalion and Army music. I had to made sure I was spot on. I felt immensely proud when I finished.
“I met Her Royal Highness after the show which was nice. She had a chat with all of us and she made you feel like you were the only person in the room.”
Jim, who serves with the 1st Battalion Irish Guards based in Aldershot, learnt to play the pipes when he was younger and is now teaching his son Oliver to play.
“I stopped playing in my later teenage years and when I joined the Army, I thought it was a good opportunity to pick them up again. I had regretted not continuing with them.”
Playing the pipes for his Regiment has seen him perform around the world including Luxembourg, France, Belgium Turkey, and Sicily. He also played in the funeral procession for the Late Queen Elizabeth II as well as the coronation of King Charles III.
This year’s Military Tattoo runs from the 2 to 23 August. The first Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo took place in 1950. Since then, over 50 countries from across six continents have been represented at the Tattoo. Her Royal Highness Princess Anne became Patron of the Tattoo in 2006 and the Royal title was bestowed by her mother, the late Queen in 2010.
