Between a very hectic, full, exhausting, exhilarating, exciting, frustrating, fantastic, and frantic several days here in Scotland
Since the group arrived on Saturday and Sunday, the corps has been in rehearsals every day and for most of the day. MCV has been very well received by the Tattoo producers and they appear to be well pleased with our performances to date. Some members of the corps are involved with parts of the show outside of our 6-minute spot that we’ve been rehearsing for. We have four fifers and our Guidon waltzing with five of the highland dancers as part of the “Music at War” vignette (MCV members are the gentlemen in the waltzing even though four of us are really women), 10 fifers, bass drummers and color guard members are shooting “muskets” in a very brief recreation of the battle of Waterloo, and the entire snare drum line is up on the battlements playing a call to war at the start of the vignette. It has been very interesting putting the pieces of that vignette together, but it has actually come together pretty well. We’ll see come opening night!
Monday, July 30th, the corps played a short concert for the Lord Provost of Edinburgh
Today, Wednesday the 1st of August, the entire cast of the show did two run-throughs of the Tattoo show this morning and we’ll do two more up at the Castle (with lights, sound, etc). These should be the final rehearsals before the Dress Rehearsal performances on Thursday. Today’s second morning run-through was performed for a small audience of local citizens as well as a special guest – the Princess Royal, daughter of Queen Elizabeth II. 
And you may notice from the photo here that a contingent of MCV had the honor of being presented to Her Royal Highness at the show. She greeted each one of us individually and directed questions to each of us. She spent several minutes with our representatives and was very easy to talk to – making us all very at ease and comfortable about speaking with her. She was very surprised to hear, despite the praise that the producers of the show gave us, that this was only our second tattoo experience for MCV.
For those of you who didn’t know, there’s a webcam at the Castle. Today, Wednesday, look for the show run-throughs starting at about 2pm and 4 pm Eastern Daylight Time. MCV appears at about 17 minutes into the show and the vignette that some of the members are in (called Music at War) follows about 27 minutes after that (just before the finale).
Cheers!!
Hi! I am so so excited to see the photo of your group wearing the Lands’ End jackets in the presence of Royalty. I assisted Jim MacConduibh in the embroidery and order for the jackets. He gave a wonderful decription of your performances and this special trip to Scotland. If you are interested in sending me photos, I would love to share them with our catalog advisors and see if they would use them in one of our catalogs.
Mary Kay / Lands’ End Business Outfitters
Sounds like you’re good to go. Wishing you all the best. Would someone – when the time is right – and the hour allows – and the city is quiet – do me a favor?
Mary loved Edinburgh, just loved it.
If even a couple of bars of Sweetness could be played, I would appreciate it. I would like to think that the echoes of that would bounce around the ancient city for a bit, before heading out to the cosmos.
I think that will happen with your performance, too. It will drive the sound into the mortar and stone, along with so many other sounds that allow that place to vibrate like it does.
Good luck – “Break a leg” and travel safe.
Mark