Your story reminded me of my childhood in Edinburgh. We lived near the barracks and frequently the pipers would practice their marching through our streets. And we'd all run behind them pretending to march, pipe, sing, whatever.

Last week at the Embro games my wife heard, apparently for the first time, the tune, "A Scottish Soldier", and asked me if I knew it. Well, of course, I did, words and all. She wanted to know the words and I realized that, as kids, we never sang more than two lines and then we'd start again. So, I had to look it up. Great Scottish lament, a pribroch, things are bad, they get worse, everybody dies in the end and they all live happily ever after (Tony McManus' definition).

Anyway, good for you. I'd be comfortable with that going on near me.