NEILSTON and District Pipe Band entertained hundreds of revellers as Glasgow celebrated Chinese New Year.

The group was asked to play at the annual ceremony held in George Square in front of the city’s Chinese community.

It was the first time the Neilston pipers and drummers had performed at the event and, as such, they decided to mark the occasion in style.

Neilston and District Pipe Band demonstrated fine musicianship to play ‘Kang Ding’, a well-known Chinese love song.

Members were also invited into Glasgow’s City Chambers where they met with lord provost Sadie Docherty and a number of senior officials from China.

The celebrations on January 29 gave the band’s up-and-coming stars an invaluable chance to showcase their talents to a wide audience.

Iain MacDonald, Neilston and District Pipe Band pipe major, hailed the event as a success and credited his fellow members for their showing.

He said: “We were invited to take part in the celebrations and we’ve just recently returned from Germany.

“We were out with the pipe band and dance troupe celebrating the annual Burns supper in Nuremberg. It’s the twin city of Glasgow.

“No sooner were we home than we were approached to play at the Chinese New Year celebrations at George Square.

“The pipe band had been out in Beijing about 10 years ago and I had transcribed a piece of Chinese music for the bagpipe school which we played at George Square.

“The senior officials in the Chinese community in Glasgow were there along with hundreds and hundreds of invited guests.

“There was a civic reception inside the City Chambers with lord provost Sadie Docherty. It was a good event.”

Iain, who has led the group for more than four decades, believes exposing younger members to foreign cultures can only improve their musical development.

Neilston and District Pipe Band has performed at various international festivals over the years and Iain is confident the group will continue to thrive off their hectic schedule.

“We’ve had a busy year,” he admitted.

“Before Christmas we were guests at the festive celebrations in Sicily.

“This is the first time we’ve done the Chinese New Year celebrations but we go over to Nuremberg every year. This year was the 25th anniversary of the twinning partnership.

“It was great. It was very cold but we had a great reception and we’ve been invited back to Sicily and mainland Italy in the forthcoming months.

“In August we were Scotland’s representatives at an international event in Strakonice in the Czech Republic and we’re going back next year.

“I like to encourage the younger members. One of my students from the East Renfrewshire Schools Pipe Band from Sicily was with us at the Chinese New Year celebrations and we also had someone there from the Czech Republic.

“It’s a good source of inspiration for the children.”

To learn more about the group, search for ‘Neilston and District Pipe Band’ on Facebook.