A BUDDING musician has been invited to join a national pipe band which aims to develop some of the country’s top pipers and drummers.

Clara Wilberforce, who has been playing the snare drum since she was in P6 at King’s Meadow Primary School, has linked up with the National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland’s development band.

That came after a rigorous audition process, which saw the 15-year-old perform to a group of judges.

Proud mum Juliet told the Courier it had been an eventful period from the audition to finding out that Clara had been successful.

She said: “She went to the National Piping Centre in Glasgow and she did her audition and she came out and said ‘I did so badly, I messed up’.

“She was so disappointed and I said to her that she was very young.

“She was terribly disappointed but I said ‘never mind, you are young and will get another chance another year’.

“She had been in tears and she felt she let herself down.

“We forgot all about it and then suddenly emails were coming through to her and myself.

“She came tearing down the stairs screaming at the top of her voice that she got into the development band.

“She was running round the house, up and down the stairs screaming with joy.”

Her first event will feature Phil Cunningham and Aly Bain at the Phil and Aly RSNO St Andrew’s Day Concert at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on November 25.

Music runs in the family, with older brother Ninian, playing the pipes, while Juliet plays the piano and dad Marcus is a member of Haddington’s Siancio Singers.

Clara, who is in S5 at Knox Academy and studying Higher maths, English, geography and human biology, is also a member of the school’s pipe band as well as Haddington Pipe Band, where she is a senior drummer.

Her mum, who praised the efforts of Davey Barnes, who runs Knox Academy Pipe Band, and Dave Henry, drum teacher, said Clara “loves the drumming” and she had made a number of good friends through music and boosted her confidence.

Alastair Bruce, chairman of Haddington Pipe Band, congratulated Clara, who lives in the town, on the achievement.

The youngster won the band’s Niall Fairgrieve Award in 2014 for most improved drummer and has continued to impress.

Mr Bruce said: “We are absolutely delighted.

“She has done really well and she is an excellent drummer.

“She is onto the development band and that will open up lots of opportunities for her in the future.”

The achievement was highlighted by school interim headteacher, Lauren Rodger, in her newsletter.

She added: “Anyone seeing Clara perform here at Knox will know that she is a natural percussionist and we’re delighted for her.”