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Selecon Followspots Highlight 58th Edinburgh Military Tattoo
Set against the majestic backdrop of Edinburgh Castle the Edinburgh Military Tattoo is a world-famous spectacle which draws audiences of over 200,000 during its three-week long run each year in August, with a further 100 million watching on television around the world.
After extensive trials prior to this year’s celebrations the Tattoo chose to replace some of their 38-year old followspot units with four new Selecon Performer Series Rua 4º-8º followspots. The throw from the main followspot position to the Castle wall where various soloists were performing was approximately 150m and the Ruas impressive light levels certainly brightened up the action for the spellbound audiences, those within the castle walls and those at home watching from their armchairs.
The highlight of each performance is the massed pipes and drums, provided by regiments of the British Army and regiments from around the world with Scottish connections. Each evening traditionally concludes with the Beating Retreat flag-lowering ceremony, with the bugles either sounding the Last Post, or the "Sunset" bugle call of the Royal Marines, and ends with a floodlit lone piper playing a Lament from high on the Castle ramparts.
The word "tattoo" originally dates from the seventeenth century when British Army units were stationed in the Low Countries. Drummers from the garrison were sent out into the towns each evening to summon the soldiers to return to barracks. The process was known as Doe den tap toe or just tap toe and encouraged the inn keepers to "turn off the taps", stop serving beer and send the soldiers back for the night.
The Selecon Rua followspots were supplied by PRG.
3rd September 2007
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