One of the highlights of the Virginia International Tattoo is the pipe and drum corps, made up of military and civilian musicians from around the world.

Every year, audiences admire the sight of more than 100 men and women in their traditional kilts and the sounds of their highland instruments as they fill Norfolk Scope.

What audiences may not realize, but what every piper and drummer on the floor revels in – myself included – is that one of the pipers, Alasdair Gillies, is one of the very best in the world.

Gillies hails from Ullapool, Scotland, but has lived in Pittsburgh since 1997, when he retired from a 17-year career as a piper in the British Army. His credentials as a competitive piper may not mean much to someone outside the world of bagpipes, but another prominent bagpiper put it in layman’s terms when he called Gillies “the Michael Jordan of bagpiping.” It’s an appropriate comparison since his career paralleled Jordan’s in the ‘80s and ‘90s, but there is a significant difference: Gillies is still going strong.

Gillies returned to Norfolk this week to serve as Pipe Major of the Virginia International Tattoo for the fifth year in a row. I had a chance to ask him a few questions during a break in Thursday’s matinee performance for students at Scope.

AltDaily: For those folks who have never been to the Virginia International Tattoo, what is it exactly, and what can they expect?

Alasdair Gillies: Well, a tattoo is a military spectacular using mainly bands and various acts from different countries to represent the culture of that country and also their military heritage. A tattoo back in the day was a parade that was performed at the end of the evening to get the soldiers back to the barracks, and actually “tattoo” means for the publicans to switch off the beer taps and get the soldiers home to their bed so that they’re fit and ready to fight the next day.

About 70 years ago in Edinburgh, they put on a show on the castle esplanade, and it really evolved from there. There are tattoos now worldwide – Moscow, Basel, Nova Scotia, Virginia here for the last 14, 15 years – the Rolls Royce of tattoos being that in Edinburgh. It’s outdoors on the castle esplanade, which is probably the best backdrop you’ll ever get – the castle in the background.

What role do the pipes and drums play in the Tattoo? What is your role as Pipe Major?

The reason for the pipes and drums is the very first tattoos, that’s all it was, and they all had brass bands. It has evolved now to all sorts of acts from all different countries and all different types of cultures, but the pipes and drums were the main thing in Scottish tattoos, so every tattoo, it’s tradition that the pipes and drums sort of kick it off. They’re always the first thing on the show after the opening, and they’re always the last thing to march-off at the end.

Performing this weekend in Norfolk.

As pipe major, I’m responsible for setting the music – liaising at this tattoo with the dance instructor to set what tunes we require and the tempos – so I typeset the music and record it at the back end of the year, get it out to all the bands, and then when we arrive in Virginia, it’s up to me to sort of “gel” the pipers into the performance that we’ve got to do. I’m usually the musical role, and the Drum Major is the discipline and drill. That’s the way it works in the military, and that’s the way it works here.

How does Virginia’s show compare to the Edinburgh Military Tattoo?

It follows the same format. The main difference, really, is that we’re on an ice hockey rink here, and they have the beautiful surrounds of Edinburgh Castle. The main advantage of being on the ice rink here is that we don’t have to battle weather. Sometimes in August in Scotland, it can be ferocious – downpours, and the show goes on. If your uniform gets soaked to the skin, then you’ve got a problem for the next couple of days, but we don’t have that here. As far as organization and quality of acts and the quality of the pipes and drums, everything compares.

How did you first become involved with the show?

I believe the producer [Scott Jackson] was looking for more home-based staff. In the past, it was Canadian Pipe Majors and Drum Majors. We still have a lot of Canadian influence they bring down here – a lot of their military pipers and drummers, and we have a Canadian Drum Major – but I think when Scott found out that I was an ex-Queens Own Highlander Pipe Major and that I had a lot of tattoo experience and I was just based in Pittsburgh, he called me up and invited me down. I came down to Norfolk and basically fell in love with the place. It’s a beautiful city here, and coming from a west Highland fishing village, I really miss the ocean. We don’t have that in Pittsburgh.

What are some of your best memories from past years’ Tattoos?

Well, in the early days, I would take my son down, and doing the “lone duet” with him as a real young kid – we did “Amazing Grace” together – that was a real blast. Other things, the show we’re at today, the kids’ matinee, the enthusiasm and the cheer you get when those curtains open, that really is a great memory. We’ll not get that again. The adults tend to be more subdued than the kids. Every student matinee is a high point because of the excitement you see in their eyes and hear in their cheer.

Even in the last five years, downtown Norfolk has changed quite a bit. As a visitor, what’s your impression of the changes taking place?

It’s obviously on the up when they’re putting all this construction in. I noticed they’re putting in train lines. Actually, Edinburgh’s doing the same thing, and it’s caused mayhem. … Luckily I’m getting to know the place, and I can negotiate my way around it.

You don’t have a lot of down time when you’re in town, but what are some of your favorite things to do when you’re here?

You know, being in the military all those years, coming to a naval base, you can sense the military presence – I’ve got nothing but great times here. … Last year, we went down to Waterside and the ferry came in, and we just jumped on it and went to the other side. We get about and explore the place. … Once the show’s up and running, we have time to go out and explore. It’s hard graft the first couple of days of rehearsals, but once the show is ready, like today on, we have lots of down time and lots of time to go and see things. … There’s so much to see here.

Last question: You’ve been called the Michael Jordan of bagpiping. What do you make of that?

Well, yeah, I was called that back when I came here. Somebody once called me “the Tiger Woods of bagpiping,” but we got that taken off the Web site! … It’s nice to be associated with somebody of such stature, but basketball’s a different animal from playing bagpipes. You can’t take away his credentials, and I suppose mine are close, but I’m nothing like what Donald MacPherson was. He had 15 Senior Piobaireachds at Oban; I’ve got two. He had nine Clasps; I’ve got one. The only place I ever beat him out was the Silver Star. He had six, and I’ve got 11. I suppose in modern day, they forget about the likes of Donald MacPherson, but he really was the man. If anybody was the Michael Jordan of bagpiping, it would be him.

Alasdair Gillies will lead the massed pipes and drums at Virginia International Tattoo performances on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. For more information about the show, visit: http://www.virginiaartsfest.com/2010/tattoo.php.