Cambuslang man plays bagpipes at top of Sydney Opera House

Feb 24 2010 by John Hutcheson, Rutherglen Reformer

A Cambuslang man became an Aussie television star after playing the bagpipes atop the Syndey Opera House.

A CAMBUSLANG man became a television star in Australia as he scaled the Sydney Opera House to play the bagpipes.

Christopher Mitchell was part of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo who returned to Australia following the massive success of the 2005 event, also held in Sydney.

And to mark the show's opening at Sydney Football Stadium on Thursday, February 4, three members of the Royal Regiment of Scotland climbed the city’s most famous landmark.

Fusilier Christopher was joined by Corporal Stuart Gillies and Lance Corporal Ryan Gonsales as they became the first pipers to play on top of the Sydney Opera House.

And they did their country proud as they played the pipes live on Australian national television.

The 20-year-old has been playing the bagpipes for about 18 months but has already performed at tattoos all over the globe.

The former Spittal Primary School pupil admits that although it was a memorable experience, climbing the Opera House was quite scary.

He said: “We’ve been to different tattoos throughout the world.

“The Australian tattoo happened five years ago and it was a success so it came back.

“This has been the biggest tattoo that’s ever happened as there were 1500 performers. Edinburgh Castle only holds an audience of about 7000 so this is by far the biggest one as it holds 22000.

“It was a good experience but it was scary. We’re the first pipers who have ever gone on top of the Opera House. Hopefully we’ll do Edinburgh and Switzerland again as they were fantastic experiences.”

Christopher’s mum Jacqueline couldn’t have been more proud of her son.

She said: “We didn’t know he would be playing on top of the Opera House until he arrived in Australia and he phoned to tell us.

“I heard him playing the bagpipes when he was doing the tattoo in Edinburgh and he was superb. We’re all very proud of him.”

The Tattoo, with 1500 performers, came to Sydney as part of its 60th anniversary celebrations.

Billed as “The Edinburgh Military Tattoo – Celebrating 60 Years of Valour, Mateship and Glory” the event took as its central theme the close relationship between Australian and British defence forces who have fought alongside each other in numerous conflicts. A one million Australian dollar mock-up of Edinburgh Castle was made for the event.