Tartan Week in New York, April 2002

Tunes of Glory March
Picture of Tunes of Glory Parade, courtesy of www.tunesofglory2002.com

Vivien Devlin was one of the 70,000 spectators at the spectacular ScottishPower Tunes of Glory parade of 8,000 pipers marching up the Avenue of Americas in New York on Tartan Day, April 6, 2002. Over a three day festival from 4 - 6 April, 2002, Manhattan celebrated everything Scottish from contemporary music, comedy and writers to whisky, tartan and the rich cultural heritage which unites Scotland and the United States.

Tartan Day
US and Scottish Flags The U.S. Senate conceived Tartan Day in 1998 in recognition of the valuable contribution made by the Scots to the foundation, character and prosperity of America. The date was selected to commemorate 6th April, 1320 when the Declaration of Arbroath, initiating an independent Scotland, was signed and presented to the Pope, a document later to be the inspiration behind the American Declaration of Independence.

Today there are said to be at least 13 million Americans claiming Scottish ancestry, according to the latest Census figures. Further research increases this figure to nearer 35 million - or even more. Statistics aside, the importance is the undeniable fact that many entrepreneurs, industrialists, inventors and politicians over the past few hundreds of years who achieved remarkable success across America came originally from Scotland. Andrew Carnegie, Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Jefferson, Woodrow Wilson, Neil Armstrong and John Muir are just a few of the many famous Scots who made America great.

As George W. Bush (also with Scottish ancestry) stated in a letter to Scotland on April 3, 2002, to commemorate Tartan Day.

"Since our nation's founding, Scottish Americans have greatly contributed to our progress and prosperity. This observance renews our appreciation for the diversity and remarkable heritage that unites us all."

Largest Pipe Band in the World?
Over the past four years Tartan Day has grown in cultural and political significance with events taking place in Washington, Chicago and New York to promote business, arts, travel and tourism. But this year's major plan to set a world record with 10,000 pipers parading up 6th Avenue has been a turning point in the annual celebration.

Where did such an ambitious idea, to stage the largest pipe band in the world, originate?

Provost of Edinburgh, Eric Milligan In August 2000 the Rt. Hon. Eric Milligan, the Lord Provost of Edinburgh supported a massed pipe band event along Princes Street to raise funds for Marie Curie Cancer Care. It was a great success and over 8,000 pipers turned up in pouring rain for the parade. The organisers behind the whole concept, two young pipers were Thomas Grotrian and Magnus Orr of Epic Concepts Ltd, in Edinburgh were then encouraged by the Lord Provost to continue their efforts and try and break this world record. Milligan can therefore take some credit for instigating the idea behind the Tartan Day parade this year.

"After the Millennium parade in Edinburgh, I asked myself "how can we top this?" By bringing even more pipers to the centre of New York, the most exciting, glamorous and intoxicating city in the world".

Marie Curie Cancer Care Logo Gilda's Club Worldwide Logo The planning and fund raising began in earnest in September 2000. The breakthrough came in July 2001 when ScottishPower agreed to be the brand sponsors, contributing £150,000 to the event. ScottishPower, affiliated with PacifiCorp in the United States, is one of the world's leading utility companies. The aim was to raise $1,000,000 for the Scottish and American cancer charities, Marie Curie and Gilda's Club Worldwide. The next step for Epic Concepts UK was to entice 10,000 pipers from around the world to travel to Manhattan in April, 2002.

Tartan Day 2002
Tunes of Glory Saturday April 6th dawned bright and clear, a perfect blue sky but with a frosty chill to the air. The parade "kick-off" was 2pm, yet by 11am around the W hotel on Broadway, where I was staying, there were pipers and drummers of every nationality - dressed either in full Highland dress or casually in kilt, thick sweater and baseball cap - as well as a Tartan army of visitors, tourists and local spectators walking around, enthusiastically getting into the Scottish spirit. Earlier, at a diner on 47th Street, we were joined by a dozen or so pipers digging into their eggs sunny side up and home fries, a perfect hearty breakfast to sustain them on their long march of 45 blocks up to Central Park.

With the sun shining brightly the first snowflakes began to flurry around the bright neon signs of Broadway. Surely there wasn't going to be a thick blizzard blowing all day to freeze the pipers` fingers and chill the spectators? But it was a just a brief whirl of snow, as if a symbolic wintry message sent across the Atlantic from Scotland to say "Happy Tartan Day, New York". It all added to the extraordinary magical and surreal atmosphere that was quickly emanating all around as Manhattan turned a curious shade of tartan.

12 noon and time for a dram to warm the blood and where better than the St. Andrew's Bar, on West 44th Street. This is a traditional Scottish pub, popular all year with visiting Scots as well as local New Yorkers with no Scottish connection, who simply enjoy whisky, beer and friendly hospitality. The pub today is packed out but we squeeze our way down to the end of the bar to be presented with a complimentary glass of Dewar's which is also one of the Tartan Day sponsors and keen to promote their brand of Scotch. Sharon, one of the bar staff comes from Airdrie and despite a hectic day and late night ahead, she is thrilled by this wonderful celebration of Scotland in the heart of Manhattan.

Tunes of Glory Parade
Just before 2 o'clock, 6th Avenue from 43rd Street up to Central park is closed to traffic. The 10,000 pipers have been gathering over the past hour in the side streets, in carefully co-ordinated groups. Representatives from pipe bands as well as individuals have travelled from 50 states across America, from Canada, as well as 26 countries around the world, from China, Malaysia, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad, Tobago. There is an estimated 2,000 from the United Kingdom, with 1,200 from Scotland itself.

The pipe bands selected to lead the parade are the New York Police and Fire Department, together with brand sponsors, the ScottishPower pipe band, regarded as one of the best in the world. The youngest piper registered to play is Kevin Harraughty aged 9, marching with his father as part of the Nairn Pipe Band. The youngest participant will be Liam McGill, a five-year-old drummer boy from New Jersey.

First Minister Jack McConnell The first Pipe Bands set off and the ScottishPower Tunes of Glory parade has begun. Amidst a flurry of flags, the Saltire and the Stars and Stripes all around, a line-up of official dignitaries march proudly behind, representing the two nations - Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Sir Sean Connery and First Minister Jack McConnell (pictured here) as well as other leading members of the Scottish Executive and Scottish Parliament.

Over the next couple of hours, the pipers, drummers, banner and flag carriers marched up the Avenue, continuing up to around 85th street on Central park.

I was fortunate to be given a perfect view from an open top double decker Stagecoach sightseeing bus, painted in bright yellow tartan. It was a magnificent and spectacular sight to witness such a fabulous and colourful parade. To hear those familiar tunes played by musicians from every corner of the globe sharing and celebrating Scottish culture and heritage was a most emotional and inspiring occasion.

An estimated 70,000 people packed the sidewalks, many keen to listen to the bands but also to catch a glimpse of Sir Sean Connery, Mr. James Bond, 007, himself, grinning broadly at the top of the parade. Who could be a better ambassador than such a renowned celebrity? As he commented to the press afterwards -

"I was so proud of my country today. At long last we are starting to make our mark on the world. There is nowhere better to begin the process than here in the city of New York, the beating heart of America."

Sean Connery and his wife Sean Connery was wearing a kilt and tie made in the New York tartan, a specially commissioned design manufactured by Lochcarron of Galashiels, which was presented to the Mayor Bloomberg, as a gift from the people of Scotland. The blue and green colours represent the Hudson river and Central Park of New York City and symbolise the friendship and solidarity between the two nations, following September 11th. Mayor Bloomberg wore a baseball cap in the same New York tartan. "Today we are all a wee bit Scottish" he said, waving at the crowds.

One of the spectators I met was Sue Flanagan who had travelled down by train from her home an hour north of the city. She found the whole experience extremely emotional and uplifting.

"Since September 11th, the bagpipes have been the sound of our grief at the funerals, the sound of our heartbreak. But today for the first time I heard laughter in the bagpipe. We needed this. The New York Fire and Police pipe bands needed this. It has been an incredible healing and beautiful day. Fantastic, fantastic."
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