Further to our news item from early September, many more pipers have registered to participate in next year’s VE Day 75 event. Among the latest are ex-Sovereign’s Piper, Pipe Major Jim Stout who intends to play on the summit of Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the United Kingdom and the Cape Garrison Artillery Pipes & Drums which will play at the top of Table Top Mountain in South Africa.
Organiser, Bruno Peek, said: “We now have pipers playing at the highest peaks in Scotland, England and Wales. It would be wonderful if any pipers in Northern Ireland would participate by playing at the top of Slieve Donard.”
Some pipers will be playing at infamous concentration camp sites in Poland and Germany.
The mass piping event is planned for May 8 next year. Organisers hope pipers will play together at 3.00pm local time as the official opening element of a day of commemoration in the UK to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of the War in Europe.
Mr Peek said: “The playing of these two tunes – When the Battle’s Over and VE 75 Years – at 3pm local time provides individual pipers around the world with a unique opportunity to pay their personal ‘tribute’ to the bravery of pipers that either died or returned home dreadfully wounded during or after the war in Europe ended on May 8, 1945.
“We’re asking pipers to undertake similar from individual locations of their choice that afternoon, whether they be on holiday abroad, be on the top of a mountain in their country, a train, plane, ship, submarine, workplace, local pub, club, hotel or at home with family and friends etc.”
“Our target is to involve 5,000 pipers around the world.”
Pipers should register their participation on the official VE Day 75 website: www.veday75.org
Jim Stout held the post of Sovereign’s Piper from 2003-2006.
