Bagpipes of Scotland

The original meaning of military tattoo is a military drum performance. It dates from the seventeenth century when the British Army was fighting in the Low Countries (Belgium and the Netherlands). Drummers from the garrison were sent out into the towns at 9:30pm each evening to inform the soldiers that it was time to return to the barracks. The process was known as doe den tap toe (Dutch for "turn off the tap"), an instruction to innkeepers to stop serving beer and send the soldiers home for the night. The drummers continued to play until the curfew at 10:00pm. Over the years, the process became more of a show. One of the best known Tattoos is held in Scotland on the Esplanade in front of Edinburgh Castle each August and forms the centrepiece of the annual Edinburgh Festival. The Edinburgh Military Tattoo was first staged in 1950; it combines the traditional sounds of the bagpipes and drums with the modern aspects of the armed forces. This historic recording documents the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Live performance - All selections newly remastered [Note: This product is an authorized CD-R and is manufactured on demand]