When there still were the Highland Games in Halle (Saale) at the horse race track, I heard those mystic sounds for the first time live during a visit at this event. I was so fascinated that I decided after another visit at the Games one year later (2009): “I want to hear that more often”. What is a better idea than starting to learn that instrument. So – investigated in the internet, textbook, Example-CD and Practice-Chanter ordered – and it started. Of course it wasn’t as easy as I expected it to be. The Scottish bagpipe isn’t an instrument to learn along the way after all.

In February 2011 I read an article in the newspaper about an association’s open day in the Harz, which deals with the Scottish culture and music. There I met people, who also shared the fascination for the Scottish culture and music scene.

From now on I drove to Gernrode or Quedlingburg regularly and soon found a combatant from Allstedt. Since the one hour long drive was too much for us after a while, we decided to have our rehearsals in Sangerhausen. The adult education centre gave us the necessary rooms for it.

Since 2011 I drove to a bagpipe school in Breuberg for one week every year and visited several workshops.

Here I want to thank all the music scene’s teachers, friends and jugdes for their help and patience.

Furthermore we practiced diligently every Tuesday at the adult education centre Sangerhausen. After a newspaper article, interested persons, that wanted to join us, contacted us now and then. There were some people who didn’t give up and so our group enlarged over time.

In spring 2014 we decided to found a band and after long considerations and discussions we came to the name “Barbarossa Pipes & Drums”.

Unfortunately we had no drummers for a long time. During a workshop at the school farm Othal in 2014 with friends from "The Owltown Pipeband" Peine and "Mühlhäuser Pipes & Drums" we know, it changed and the first interested persons for the Scottish snare drum talked to us. By now there are also people who play the bass- and tenor drum.

In January 2015 the Sparkasse Mansfeld-Südharz donated us a lot of money, so that we already were able to buy some drums and accessories for the pipes.

Since then our skills have improved and we were already able to performe in front of a bigger audience.

• Church Unterfarnstedt
• Highland Games in Peine
• Police College Aschersleben

Now we need to go on, expand the repertoire, improve the playing technique and of course expand the band.

The next major goal is the Sachsen-Anhalt day in September 2016 in Sangerhausen.