Preview
Pacific Tattoo
Where: Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre
When: Saturday, July 13 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, July 14 at 2 p.m.
Tickets: $35-$50. Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre box office, online at selectyourtickets.com, or call 250-220-7777
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The first time Roger McGuire heard the mournful wail of bagpipes as a child growing up in Ottawa, he was hooked.
He saw men clad in kilts stride on stage, with smoke billowing around them, and turned to his dad.
“That’s what I want to do,” McGuire remembers telling him.
For more than 30 years, the Victoria resident has travelled the world with the Princess Mary’s Scottish Regiment, performing as a pipe major at tattoos across the world.
He performed in the popular Edinburgh Tattoo and one year found himself in a field in Hawaii, dressed in full regimental gear, performing in a tattoo.
“I do have normal interests,” McGuire said with a laugh.
Tattoos were originally a military celebration, filled with bagpipers and drums. They have evolved into musical shows featuring military bands and acts ranging from feats of strength to singing and dancing.
The term “tattoo” comes from the Dutch phrase “doe den tap toe,” which was a drum beat signalling it was time to turn off the taps at local bars and send the soldiers back to base.
In 1992, McGuire began look at hosting a tattoo in Victoria. Two tattoos had been held in the capital region in the 1980s.
He helped create the Victoria Military Music Festival Society in 1993. The first military music festival was held in Victoria in 1994 and showcased military music, with marching bands and bagpipers, but didn’t include the theatrical performances associated with tattoos.
McGuire, who grew up playing bagpipes and bassoon, kept at it until last year, when he produced the first Pacific Tattoo.
Next weekend’s event, which will feature 450 performers, is billed as the largest tattoo on the west coast of North America. Close to 100 volunteers have been involved in roles from costume design to operation of the stage lights. Still, the Victoria event is dwarfed by other Canadian productions such as the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo in Halifax, which is the largest in Canada with 2,000 performers taking part every summer.
Victoria’s show will invoke the local history of firefighters, police and first responders from 1858 to the present.
The Greater Victoria Police Pipe Band, the Victoria Fire Department and the Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy are among the local performers. McGuire chooses the music that’s played at the tattoo and helps arrange the scores, with help from Matthew Clark of the Naden Band.
The RCMP E Division and the Victoria Police Department will take part in the pageantry and skills demonstrations.
The entertainment also includes international bands — the Australian Federal Police Pipes and Drums and the Royal Netherlands Army Band.
“They’re coming here just to perform for us in Victoria,” said Dave Tarry, the director of the show.
The arena’s video board will project images showing the growth of Victoria over the years, from its beginning as a trading outpost to today’s modern city.
Former Canadian Tenors singer Ken Lavigne of Victoria will perform with the Naden Band for part of the tribute.
A floor plan of Memorial Centre sits in front of Tarry, who has spent nine months planning and mapping out the performance with military-like precision. He explains how he has divided the floor section into a grid of 30-inch spaces, all to co-ordinate the hundreds of performers who will take part in 10 performances and demonstrations. The opening sequence will feature 242 performers.
Tarry has helped organize five tattoos, including one held in Esquimalt in 1987 as well as the 1985 travelling tattoo celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Navy.
While rehearsals have been going on for months, performers will have only two and a half days to perfect their routines in the confines of the arena.
“A lot of the time, people just don't understand what goes into organizing it,” he said.
The budget is approaching the $500,000 mark. The funds cover the arena rental, lights, sound equipment and covering the costs of out-of-town bands’ accommodation and food. Some costs will be recouped through sales of tickets. The society also organizes sponsorship from local businesses to defray expenses.
“We get a lot of in-kind support, but it does add up quickly,” Tarry said.
Last year’s performance was held at Bear Mountain Arena in Colwood and Tarry admits it would’ve been nice to stay at that venue. Scheduling issues derailed that plan and forced the move to the Memorial Centre.
The problem performers face with the centre is the limited space available to house them between sets.
While the show goes on, bands that aren’t performing will be next door in the Victoria Curling Club.
Both McGuire and Tarry hope the emotional connection Victoria shares with Britain helps to pave the way to grow the tatt oo.
“I really think this is the best place to have an event like this,” McGuire said. “The Highland Games [each May] shows there’s a community that has embraced piping.”
He knows it will take time to grow the event, but hopes spectators will make the tattoo an annual tradition.
When the second edition of the Pacific Tattoo wraps up next Sunday, Tarry will take a well-earned two-week break. Then he’ll be back planning for next year’s show.
“Me and Roger [McGuire] are already planning out 2014 and 2015,” he said.
Dancers keen to share tradition
Music streams out of an iPod speaker in a corner of the Burnside Community Centre as 23 Highland dancers practise their moves for the Pacific Tattoo.
A head taller than most of the other dancers, Jean Campbell switches between encouraging young dancers and sharing jokes.
At 29, Campbell is the oldest in the group, but her experience provides inspiration to the aspiring dancers alongside her.
“Not everyone has danced with a team before and she really encourages us,” said Bryn McKay-Pettyjohn, 14.
Campbell remembers when she caught the dancing bug. She was four years old and living in Edmonton.
“I remember going to the Highland Games and falling in love with the performances there,” the Victoria High teacher said.
Campbell grew up on the Prairies and was introduced to the pastime by her Scottish parents. She’s competed in national dance competitions and the Highland Games, but never made the jump to performing in tattoos.
Highland dancing, unlike its Irish “River Dance” counterparts, has its roots in battles and diplomacy from the Medieval ages.
Highland dancing started as a form of sword dancing — where dancers would dance around swords laid on the ground — and then evolved in to dancing before combat.
Traditionally performed only by men, women were allowed in the early 20th century and now make up a large majority of the performers.
Modern Highland dancing is a mixture of traditional dancing and modern ballet.
With participants’ ages ranging from seven to 29, Campbell helps provide a balancing influence to the younger dancers.
For teachers, Campbell provides a calming influence on the dance floor.
“She’s great out there,” said Theresa Mackay, the instructor of Dansko, the studio training the dancers. “I know it’s her background, but it’s great having her out there to help.”
Injuries have taken their toll on Campbell. She’s broken an ankle, developed tendinitis, achilles tendinitis and had compartment surgery, all before she’s 30. Despite the setbacks, she’s enjoyed her time dancing. She’s hoping to sign her daughter up when she turns four.
Campbell hopes the tattoo performances encourage more people to sign up.
“I love being able to show people what Highland dancing is,” she said.
Pacific Tattoo the youngest in Canada
At two years old, the Pacific Tattoo is a relative newcomer to the realm of Canadian tattoos.
“Some of them have $14-million budgets,” said Roger McGuire, producer of the Victoria tattoo, which has a $500,000 budget. “We’re nowhere near that. One day we hope to be.”
The Pacific Tattoo is 33 years younger than the Royal Nova Scotia Tattoo and 20 years younger than the Hamilton Tattoo.
The Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo started in 1979 as a gathering of Scottish clans, and as a tribute to the visiting Queen Mother.
“You have to do it well. If you don’t, you’re dog meat,” said Ian Fraser, who served as CEO and show director in Halifax until 2007 when he stepped down to become artistic director.
The Nova Scotia tattoo was the first tattoo in the world to earn a Royal designation in May 2006, and remains only tattoo in Canada with the designation.
With more than 2,000 performers, armed with a 200-page script, the Nova Scotia tattoo has grown from military performances to include skits and other performances.
“People think you can just throw pipes and bands together,” said Fraser. “That’s not how it works.”
He admits tattoos aren’t for every community and is still surprised when people admit they have no idea what one is.
Fraser estimates the financial benefit to Halifax to be in the $20-million range, but warns the organizers of the Pacific Tattoo to start slowly and ignore thinking of finances — just put on a successful show first.