‘I’ll forever remember my experiences with a smile’
AROUND 100 isles fiddlers enjoyed performing before thousands of people at the Military Tattoo in Edinburgh throughout August, bringing the islands’ musical heritage to a TV audience numbering in the tens of millions. Jade Cole, a fifth year pupil at the Anderson High School, was the soloist who started the Shetland set featuring in the show, and she explains what a marvellous experience it turned out to be.
From rehearsals in the Anderson High School and Mareel to being stood in front of roughly 9,000 of an audience for a run of 25 shows is something I could only have dreamt of. Having worked at home for eight weeks, suddenly everything got very real and we were in Edinburgh for four days’ intensive rehearsal to pull the show together.
Being part of Hjaltibonhoga, who, as a new group specially formed for the event and for each of us as individuals never having experienced anything like the Tattoo before, it meant learning the ropes of the show, formations and even how to march!
My abilities and confidence grew every day, even with the show changing rapidly during rehearsals in search of perfection. Having the opportunity to learn completely new skills increased my self-belief.
Margaret had warned us of the military operation that the Tattoo is, but nothing could have prepared me for the utmost precision that was required of us. I found myself constantly checking I was in line, front to back and side to side, waltzing on the right foot, marching on the left and making sure I gave the ultimate contribution as an individual in order that our part was as professional as possible.
No-one could prepare me for the contrast of playing for a local hall of Shetlanders to playing for a stadium of people from all around the world. I was so hung up on the possibility of being nervous during performances that I never considered the fun that I would have, the friends that I would meet or the music that would move me.
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As a 16 year old with a burning desire to join the Royal Marines Band Service, I can safely say that the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo has only served to encourage me more. I will forever remember my experiences in Edinburgh with a smile and, in the words of Brigadier David Allfrey, whose vision it was to have us in the show, it was “absolutely epic”!
Jade Cole
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