IF there are no marches and rallies for independence because of the coronavirus pandemic, and there has not been any since last year, then it follows that you do not need a pipe band to lead those marches. Yet Saor Alba Pipes & Drums, the official pipe band of the Yes movement, has not been setting aside their chanters and drumsticks, and thanks to the wonders of online technology the group has not only kept the band together but has been able to rehearse and even add new tunes to its repertoire. “We have been practising twice a month since lockdown started,” said co-founder and band manager Jim Edwards, “and we have a lot of new songs for when we resume marching, hopefully in the run-up to the second referendum”.