TWO of the three Hunt siblings from Tamworth leave Australia today to compete with the best in the business at the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow.
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Tamworth’s Hunt family – pipe major Jamie, 26, pipe sergeant Benjamin, 24, and their sister, tenor drummer Alex, 22, are all members of the Tamworth and District Highland Society Pipe Band, but unfortunately, Benjamin is unable to make the trip this time, due to work commitments.
Jamie and Alex will be part of the contingent from Pipeband Club Australia to make the trek to Glasgow.
Known as “The Worlds”, it is the biggest event in any piping fan’s calendar and, over the years, has attracted countless top-flight international pipe bands to the city for the hotly-contested event.
For Jamie, it will be his third time competing at The Worlds, and Alex’s second. It would also have been Benjamin’s second time.
Alex, a photographer, who now lives in Sydney, and Benjamin, a Tamworth-based builder, have had their fair share of good gigs over the years, too, playing for Andre Rieu on his Australian tour and twice performing on stage with John Farnham.
The Hunts were born with bagpipe music in the blood, with their father, William, being friends with pipers all his life.
Jamie was born in Brisbane and his parents, William and Rae, moved to Tamworth while he was still a baby. His siblings were both born in Tamworth.
These days they’re all happy to be members of the Tamworth and District Highland Society Pipe Band – but it wasn’t always the case.
“With dad being Scottish and knowing some hassling members of the pipe band, we joined and haven’t looked back since,” Jamie said.
“Now we all just love it. It gets in your blood. Sometimes I wonder why I love it, what makes me keep on going, but when I’ve got a bagpipe under my arm and I’m playing music, nothing else matters, really.”
The Tamworth band is really making a name for itself out in the pipe band world and is bucking the trend with its steady growth rate.
“The other bands look up to us a bit because, while piping in NSW is dying, we’re one of the thriving bands. We’re regenerating and we have several families getting involved in the band,” Jamie said.
Over the years Benjamin and Jamie have both travelled to Sydney quite often, competing and playing with various Sydney bands, exposing themselves to any number of experiences in the greater pipe band world.
They’ve brought back those experiences and the skills learned to Tamworth, helping the club continue its upward trend.
Jamie, a wastewater plant officer with Tamworth Regional Council, has been a member of the Tamworth pipe band for 16 years, while brother Benjamin has been in the band for 15 years.
“The first time we played at The Worlds was in 2006, and both Benjamin and I played with the Blacktown Pipe Band,” Jamie said.
“We didn’t place, but we were playing in third grade, which was an awesome experience.
“I went over with my sister to the 2010 Worlds, playing with the Hawkesbury-Nepean band. Alex has excelled in her tenor drumming and her talents are highly sought after by other bands.
“While Alex and I are devastated that Benjamin can’t make the trip with us, we understand his work has to come before any leisure pursuit, no matter how exciting it would be.”
The World Pipe Band Championships will be held on Glasgow Green before an estimated audience of 30,000 people on Friday and Saturday, August 14 and 15.
Thousands more pipe band followers will catch all the action via live web streaming. All up, there were 223 pipe bands competing at last year’s event.
