"Don't Rain On My Parade"

[rhythmaning]

Walking along Princes Street this lunchtime, I heard the high pitched bee-buzz of tightly drawn snares and the boom of bass drums. Then I heard pipes – not drone of bagpipes, but the light sound of massed tin-whistles.

The Apprentice Boys of Derry, marching.

They were marching down the Mound – a long way from Derry, if you ask me. They had been in the Church of Scotland’s Assembly House. There were several large black limousines parked outside – perhaps the leaders were too big to march.

The drum majors – for there were no majorettes, no women at all march, just a few hurrying on the pavement beside, carrying the sandwiches – the drum majors were throwing their batons high in the air where the wind caught them, scattering the crowd as the majors tried to retrieve them – I saw one blow into Princes St Gardens, another drift over the railings protecting the Royal Academy, the drum major almost piercing himself as he hauled his legs over the iron as he hunted for the errant stick.

There were many bands; the rhythm of one interrupting those before and after. The “boys” themselves marched between the bands. The drummers were young – maybe they are the apprentices (though for what are they apprenticed? Plumbers? Electricians?); the boys were anything but, stout and greying, some supported by walking sticks, others marching with furled umbrellas in case another shower blew through.

Despite the booming drums and light pipes, they seemed to lack energy. There was none of the drunken exuberance I have seen in Glasgow’s orange marches: they take their sectarianism seriously on the west coast. There didn’t seem to be much excitement: they were going through the motions. I imagined the conversations they might have had: “No surrender!” “What do you mean? We’ve already surrendered! Paisley shares jokes McGuinness…”

There was a fair crowd. Everyone loves a parade. I wished I had had my camera. Then I realised I had my phone. It was too bright for me to see the screen, so I just took some random snaps. Most of them captured marchers feet; but a few seemed ok…