Big moment for siblings
Hannah Devery says emotions will run high if she strikes success at the New Zealand Pipe Band Championships.
‘‘It would mean so much to me
. . . It would be amazing. I might even shed a tear,’’ Hannah said.
The Devery family, of Tuatapere, will be well represented at the championships in Invercargill on Friday and Saturday, with Hannah, 18, and her sister Kirsten, 17, and brother Peter, 13, performing in Southland bands. They are all drummers.
Kirsten and Hannah are in the A and B juvenile bands of the ILT City of Invercargill Highland Pipe Band, respectively. Hannah is also in the City of Invercargill’s grade-4B band, while Kirsten and Peter will compete in the Waimatuku Highland Pipe Band in grade 4A.
The siblings had been practising hard in recent weeks and needed loads of concentration for the championships, Hannah said. ‘‘It’s completely different [at the championships] – the level of professionalism is so high.’’
When the City of Invercargill bands were practising on Sunday Hannah got the chance to watch the grade-2 members go through their paces.
‘‘Their technique is great . . . It’s my dream to play like that.’’
She and Peter played at the championships for the first time in Dunedin last year. Kirsten has been to five championships.
The siblings have been tutored in drumming over the past eight years by Scott Birrell, Fraser Strang and Davy Clark. ‘‘It’s fantastic how they’re going. They’re putting in the effort,’’ Clark said.
Clark is the drums tutor for the Southland Pipes and Drums Development Trust. ‘‘All the bands are working hard and shaping up. We’ll be putting up some really good performances,’’ he said.