EDINBURGH, Aug 5 — As we approach the castle, we feel the electricity in the air. The walls loom above us, atop a storm-swept crag. The scene would have been dark and gothic — in the penny dreadful rather than a pure architectural sense — but for the surreal green light washing over these medieval stones.
It’s as though Dr Bruce Banner had decided to cheer Edinburgh Castle up somewhat... with Hulk-friendly gamma rays.
We are packed like sardines in a river of people, slowly moving upstream like salmon eager to spawn. No one seems to mind; everyone’s chattering eagerly about the spectacle to come. We’re here to watch the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
Held once a year throughout the month of August, the Military Tattoo is a celebrated showcase of military bands and performances held at the castle’s esplanade. Not limited to the Scots, the tattoos are performed by the British Armed Forces, Commonwealth and international military teams.
Each year has its own theme. To commemorate Her Majesty The Queen’s 90th year, 2016’s theme was “Tunes of Glory” with nods to The Battle of Jutland and the Great Arab Revolt. Last year, the Military Tattoo was titled “Splash of Tartan”, to promote the year of History, Heritage and Archaeology, with many of the ancient Scottish clans being represented. It’s all very impressive sounding.
But nothing beats the real experience, as we discover once we have found our seats in the makeshift stadium constructed just for the Military Tattoo. The castle itself acts as a backdrop for the show; illuminated by scenes of medieval times and warfare. Edinburgh Castle is truly a castle for the ages.
And then it begins: the slow march of the military band emerging from the castle keep. The flutists, the trombonists, the symphony that would have been a cacophony if it weren’t for the strict and well-practised directions of the lead, the captain of this marching band the virtuoso conductor.
The tah-rah-tum-tum beats a tattoo upon our skin, giving us goosebumps. The Military Tattoo as an event, as an extravaganza, arose all the way back in the 17th century. In those days, the military had to find a way to get soldiers back to their lodgings from their drinks before it was too late at night. And so a regiment’s Corps of Drums would play a signal to tavern owners to turn off their taps on their kegs of ale (or doe den tap toe in Dutch).
Tap toe become “tattoo” over the centuries. From a way to guard against inebriated soldiers to becoming the formal last duty call of the day, today — tonight, in fact — it is an august ceremony, an evening of entertainment brought to us by the best military musicians around the globe.
Make that more than 1,200 of them. The pipers and drummers make up most of this not-so-motley crew, at over 250 performers. The headline act, appropriately named the Massed Pipes and Drums, create a veritable wall of sound. We can’t help but wonder how hundreds of musicians could play in unison and in perfect pitch, no less.
Marching through the castle gatehouse, the Massed Pipes and Drums traditionally perform a pipe band set. What a way to start the show with great fanfare! The Scottish pipers and drummers are also joined by the Pipers’ Trail — individual musicians from around the world, even those without any military connections.
And then the sailors come out! First a solitary navy man in the iconic white tunic, complete with seaman’s beret, skipping away merrily. He’s soon followed by two rows of sailors in alternating black and white tunics, a feast of sight and sound paying tribute to the UK’s rich maritime history. The walls of the castle are emblazoned with an image of the Royal Navy’s HMS Queen Elizabeth, the very picture of a majestic vessel.
Then it’s time for the tartans to come out and play. The castle is enveloped in a pattern of criss-crossing bands, the reds and the greens of various proud clans proclaiming their highland heritage. Dancers in tartan skirts, bagpipers marching in their tartan kilts, revolving around one another in ordered chaos.
We are in awe of the re-enactment of the Viking invasions of the islands centuries before. Smoke and battle and the trilling tempo maintained throughout by the Hjaltibonhoga Shetland Fiddlers. It’s like the very best action movie trailer, albeit performed live before our very eyes.
Then again, they’ve had practice with these splendid pageants. The very first military tattoo took place in Edinburgh almost 70 years ago. Performed at the Ross Bandstand, Princes Street Gardens, in 1949, it was simply called “Something About a Soldier.” Today the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo accommodates an audience of 8,800 every night on its stands, meaning over 200,000 guests would watch the event in the course of one month.
The guests hail from many of the nations of the world, and so do some of the performers, from France to Japan. Right now the castle wall is lit by a kaleidoscope of rainbow colours; it’s the Indian Naval Band’s turn. Sari-clad dancers demonstrate the vibrant and colourful traditions of India’s coastal communities. We hear gasps of astonishment as some of these dancers transform into human peacocks; a couple of those gasps are our own.
What a show!
It ends, naturally, with a bang. Fireworks bursting into flames in the sky over the castle. A moment of silence from the audience. The only sound the crackle of the light and smoke show above our heads, allowing us the minutes till the last fireworks fizzles out to contemplate the evening we’ve shared.
Departing as we arrived, this stream of humans as slow as before, a turgid sea. Yet we are chattering as excitedly as before. Oh the spectacle we have seen! Oh the pipers and oh the marching band! The light and dancing and fireworks! The beat of the drums, the rhythm of tapping feet and bodies in flight, the tattoo of the night in our ears and in our hearts.
Edinburgh Castle looms once more, behind us now rather than ahead, returning to gloom and darkness as the lights go out. Till next year, then, till the next Military Tattoo.
Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
August 3-25, 2018, with performances on Mon-Fri 9pm and Sat 7:30pm & 10:30pm
The Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle, Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NG, United Kingdom
www.edintattoo.co.uk
