St Patrick’s Day in the Rain

We had a busy and wet weekend with a parade on Friday around some Irish pubs in the centre of Vienna (wet with craft beer and rain), and then on the official embassy-organised parade on Saturday from Yppenplatz to the Ottakringer Brauerei in the wind and rain.

We did this with 5 new members who have never marched with us in public before, and that in the wind and rain – great practice for Scotland this summer!

The rest of the day was spent in an Irish pub watching Scotland thrash Italy and Ireland thrash England in the 6 nations rugby championships. The cherry on the cake of a great weekend.

Burns Night 2017

Every year Vienna Pipes and Drums organise a Burns Night, a great event to celebrate the life and works of Scotland’s much-loved national poet, Robert Burns. Burns suppers are held by people and organisations all around the world and our 6th annual Burns Night in Vienna was not an exception.

It was a great evening with live music, haggis, whisky, ceilidh dancing, and more dancing! Thanks to everyone for coming out to support the event and the band. Hope to see you next year!

Sychrov Highland Games, August 2016

On the 27th August 2016, 7 members of the band made a long road trip to Sychrov in the north of the Czech Republic to perform at the Sychrov Highland Games 2016. The Sychrov games are held in the grounds of the spectacular Sychrov castle, and are apparently the largest European highland games held outside Scotland. The Vienna Pipes and Drums last performed at the Sychrov games in 2007 and a return to sample the excellent Czech hospitality and beer was long overdue. Thanks to the organiser Václav Rout for the invitation, and to our new friends in the Bohemian Pipe Band who we played alongside in the massed bands.

Burns Night 2016 In Review

Robert Burns

Saturday 23rd of January 2016 marked our 5th Vienna Pipes and Drums Burns Night, held once again at the Pfarrhalle St. Florian. Guests were entertained with the music and poetry of Scotland’s national poet, along with performances by the pipe band and some of our musical friends. The Ceilidh band Alastair, led by Shetland fiddler Alastair Edwards, kept the dancing going late into the night. Our band chef Christian Holl served up an excellent haggis supper, and Graeme Hood delivered an Immortal Memory of the Bard that gave guests the chance to win a few drams from the wide whisky selection at the bar. We were especially honoured this year to have ORF “Science Buster” and Director of the Vienna Planetarium Werner Gruber deliver an entertaining and sometimes explosive lecture on the science of sound.

A big thank you to everyone who attended and made the event such a great success. The money raised from this event helps the band cover the costs of tuition, instruments, and equipment, including our teaching program for young learners.

Thanks to our sponsors for their generous support of the event: AmmersinBobby’s Foodstore, Brauunion Österreich, Britwurst, Dobibrennda distillery, and Potstill.

Here is a short video with some of the highlights of the evening: