The season closed with our regular trip to Saint-Prex for this annual event. In sharp contrast to previous years, we had to contend with a threatening overcast sky and high winds for both the organisers and ourselves! We braved the conditions to perform on one of the jetties that thrust out above the choppy waters of Lac Leman, much to the visitors and onlookers bemusement.

As is often the case, we found ourselves booked for a number of events organised around the anniversary of the birth of Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns, on 25 January. Famed for his association with a host of classic tunes and verses, notably including Auld Lang Syne, it's always a pleasure to be involved in these themed events. 

In culinary terms, the haggis is undoubtably the star of the show, and leading it in to be presented before the hungry diners is always the centrepiece of the celebration. Tradition demands that it be suitably welcomed with a rendition of Burns' Address to the Haggis, which Ray had the honour to do on two occasions this season.

We came together to play a lunchtime concert for BrunChancy, held on Sunday, 27 January in the Salle Communale de Chancy, with a theme of Celtic music and dance, accompanied and led by members of the Geneva Scottish Country Dance Club.

A street festival in the picturesque village of Saint-Prex on the shores of Lac Leman. This event, which is unique in Switzerland, brings together many enthusiasts and their families to appreciate the diversity of classic British car manufacturing. 1,200 British cars and motorbikes from all over Switzerland, as well as from England, France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain, and some 14,000 spectators, turned up to enjoy the show and hear us play.

Kathryn was among a select group of pipers from Swiss bands chosen to accompany famed Galician musician Carlos Nuñez during his late evening performance in front of a packed 11,000 strong audience at the Guinness Irish Festival held in Sion. Her 1970's bagpipes tuned seemlessly with the full range of other instruments in the show. Half the other pipers playing on more modern bagpipes found themselves unable to tune their drones down to the common orchestral pitch and had to block them off instead!

Organized by the Société de la Restauration et du 1er Juin, this annual ceremony commemorates the arrival of Confederate troops at Port-Noir, Cologny, in 1814. Although it was only a symbolic act, this event, which would later be called "the arrival of the Swiss at Port-Noir", remains in the hearts of many Genevans as the true date of Geneva's entry into the Swiss Confederation. It was therefore a remarkable honour to be invited to participate in these formal and historically important official proceedings.

Geneva hosted the Swiss Elite Curling Championship finals on 10 February 2024. The best Swiss men's and women's teams competed at the Sous-Moulin Sports Center, in Thônex, to win the title of Swiss champions 2024. The Scottish island of Ailsa Craig was the original location where curling stones were made and this historic connection is to be celebrated whenever we are invited to pipe the winning teams up to the podium during the closing ceremony celebrations. 

Our piping year kicked off in January with Ray accompanying a magnificent haggis personally prepared and presented by chef Thierry Parrault to the assembled guests at the not-always-so-traditional Burns Supper organised by the UK Mission team at the Ambassador's Residence in Cologny. 

Ray enjoyed playing the part of the wandering minstrel bagpiper through the old streets of Saint-Prex during the Swiss Classic British Cars Meeting on 7 October 2023. He lost count of the number of visitors that wanted to be photographed with the piper, including this charming gentleman who had driven his vintage Jaguar all the way from Germany to be part of the event.

As the guest speaker, how do you grab the attention of over 1,200 attendees early in the morning at the start of promises to be a long day in conference and group discussions? You invite a bagpiper to kick-off your opening session, that's how!

Philip Jennings ensured he had everyone's undivided attention when Ray piped him up to the speakers' podium to deliver his inaugural speech as President of the Ecolint Foundation during the annual pre-term staff day hosted at the Campus des Nations in Geneva.

A solo outing for Ray to assist with this year's 1 August Swiss National Day celebrations in Prangins. Local children were quick to join his march-in of the principal guest speaker of the evening, Philip Jennings. Ray had been part of providing a similar service the previous year for the village of Cheserex. 

13 July 2023 was the 80th anniversary of two aircraft crashes on Swiss territory. ED412 crashed on a mountain above Le Bouveret, killing all seven crew, while ED531, with five Australian crew members, crashed in the canton of Valais at the Thyon ski resort. British, Australians and representatives of the local commune gathered to remember these airmen with a moving ceremony at the Le Bouveret monument. Ray acts as the Honorary Piper to the Swiss Branch of the Royal Air Forces Association, which organised this commemoration event.

A birthday on St. Patrick's Day? What better than to surprise the birthday girl and her guest with the unmistakable sounds of Celtic heritage music as they arrive to celebrate together both occasions at the Domaine du Courtil, Avully (GE), 17 March 2023.

We were honoured to be invited to play for l’Abbaye des Agriculteurs d’Echandens, which is a celebrated form of shooting competition in Vaud's history and took place over 12-15 August 2022. The Sunday banquet came alive as we made our surprise entrance between the second and third courses of a sumptious meal of traditional Vaud cuisine!

It was also a chance to perform alongside our friends from Echo de Jura and our first opportunity to turn out wearing the same family tartan. Kathryn and I share a common heritage with Watson featuring in both of our fathers' ancestry. Watson is a "sept" of Clan Buchanan, so it makes for a very easy choice of tartan for the Celtic Heritage Bagpipers.

Our second concert took place in the band's home village of Mollens before a partisan evening crowd, 7 May 2022. "Merci de votre professionalisme et de votre gentillesse. Nous sommes ravis et conquis !" Stéphanie Jaquier, Directrice de Echo du Jura - Mollens

Proud to have been present at the inauguration of the Anemos (in background), the new lifeboat serving Le sauvtage de Bellevue-Genthod, 7 May 2022.

The finale from our first concert with Echo du Jura - Mollens held in Bière, 6 May 2022. 

"...les Celtic Heritage Bagpipers, un talentueux duo de cornemuses..."
Journal de Cossonay

It was our privilege to pipe in all the medal winners for the presentation ceremony at the World Mixed Doubles and World Seniors Curling Championships 2022 in Geneva on 30 April. Understandably, we couldn’t resist the invitation to grab this photo opportunity with the medal-winning Scots team!

It was a great pleasure to partner with Kathryn Watson to pipe in the guests attending My Name'5 Doddie Foundation “Lions Legends“ dinner in Geneva, hosted by British TV and radio presenter Gabby Logan on 28 April 2022.