'Wee Govan Pipers' gets big screen premiere in Glasgow

Documentary about a group of budding young musicians shown as part of the Glasgow Film Festival

Published 20th Feb 2017

A documentary film telling the story of a group of budding young bagpipers got its big screen premiere last night in Glasgow.

'The Wee Govan Pipers' charts the musical journey of the local school pupils who make up the band which was started around 3 years ago.

The film directed by Paul Cameron was shown at The Pearce Institute in Govan as part of the Glasgow Film Festival with the young musicians performing to their family and friends ahead of the screening.

In the documentary we learn how the youngsters are instructed under the capable eyes of tutors Iain Watson and Iain MacPherson, ex-police officers who both played in the former Strathclyde Police Pipe Band.

The band is made up of young Scottish, Nigerian and Chinese pipers and has expanded over the last year from around five musicians to up to fourteen.

In the film the youngsters meet their musical heroes 'The Red Hot Chilli Pipers', perform at the prestigious Scottish Schools Competition and interview people in Govan to get their thoughts about Scotland's national instrument.

A committee has been set up to promote bagpipe music as currently there is just one tutor for the whole of Glasgow.