A group of Edmonton youth will be taking their talent on the road as they head off to compete in the World Piping Championships in Scotland.
“To win would be great but to even place would be quite an accomplishment,” Edmonton Youth Pipe Band (EYPB) manager, William Arbter, told CTV News.
Arbter said an extra challenge was the fact the band had to play against older groups.
“We are competing at an adult level instead of a youth level,” he explained.
“The average age is, I would venture, 35 to 45 years old.”
According to the EYPB website, most of the members are between 10 and 18-years-old.
However, that has not discouraged the band members.
“We want to make sure we give it our very best when we go to the Worlds and that we don’t just crash and burn but that we just soar,” Willard Farmer said.
Farmer, who is just 16-years-old, has been playing bagpipes for four years.
This trip means that his grandparents, who live in England, will be able to see him compete.
“My mom has been going through some medical issues and she is on chemotherapy right now so it will be great to see them up in Scotland,” Willard’s dad, John, said.
Regardless of the challenges, Arbter said the band would be giving the competition their best.
“I think our band has come a long way this year.
“Our kids seem very focused. They want to play the best that they can be.”
The EYPB was originally formed in 1929 by John Robertson and known as the Edmonton Boys’ Pipe Band. They changed their name in November of 2012.
With files from Stephanie Wiebe
