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8.
September
2016.
NEWS RELEASE: Red Hot Chilli Pipers Honour 'The Fallen 343' of September 11th

Pipes across the ocean as Red Hot Chilli Pipers honour ‘The Fallen 343’ of September 11th with charity single

  

In a moving tribute to commemorate September 11th and the firefighters who lost their lives that day, The Red Hot Chilli Pipers have collaborated with bagpipers from The Fire Department of New York to record a specially composed charity single, ‘343 The Fallen.’

 

Red Hot Chilli Piper and recently retired Scottish fireman Willie Armstrong teamed up with friend and Fire Department of New York Pipe Major Jimmy Lee to record the track, written by renowned bagpipe composer Roddy “R.S.” MacDonald.

 

The video and track, released this week and already hurtling up the music charts, mark the 15th anniversary of September 11th when almost 3000 people were killed in four coordinated terrorist attacks, the main one being on New York’s World Trade Center. In total, 343 New York firefighters lost their lives on September 11th 2001. This unique Scots-American collaboration is one of many commemorations planned this weekend to honour victims, first responders and recovery workers.

 

Willie and Jimmy have been firm friends since Jimmy invited The Red Hot Chilli Pipers to play a fundraising concert in 2007 in New York for families of the victims from the city’s Fire Department.

 

When Willie heard the tune ‘The Fallen’, written to honour the fallen FDNY firefighters, he was so moved he knew he had to do something special with it.

 

 

Willie gathered a few of his fellow Red Hot Chilli Pipers and, along with Jimmy and bagpipers from New York, they recorded the track. They also designed and filmed an emotional video to accompany the track. The video, filmed in Scotland and New York,honours the sacrifice that firefighters make on both sides of the pond.

   

Proceeds from the single, available on iTunes, will be split between the Scottish Fire and Rescue Family Support Trust and The FDNY Pipes and Drums. The single will be formally launched this evening, September 8th, at the Scottish Fire and Rescue Training Centre in Cambuslang, Glasgow, where the video was partly shot.

 

Willie said: “Having only retired this year from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, I wanted to give something back. Firefighters around the world risk their lives to save the lives of others and really are a humble but special breed of people. In particular I wanted to remember the 343 firefighters lost in New York on that tragic day.” 

 

Jimmy Lee said: “The Pipes and Drums of the FDNY made it their mission to play at every single funeral of the 343 firefighters who lost their lives on September 11th 2001 and we continue to play at many funerals today. We wanted to do something special to honour the 343 brothers we lost that day including two members of the pipe band. Working with Willie and the Red Hot Chilli Pipers was an incredible experience!” 

 

Buy ‘343 The Fallen’ on iTunes here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/343-the-fallen-single/id1151050432

 

View the video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XYeog6lXjAA