A new toy arrived yesterday and I'm keen to play. I've purchased a camcorder in recognition of my unofficial role as the Edinburgh Contemporary Choir's film maker. Since my wife joined the choir I've tried to take footage of their public performances and stick them up on YouTube so that choir members can show off their achievements to friends and family, and making that effort has been well received. But all have been filmed using my phone so far, with the limitations that implies. The new toy should provide a step up in quality and result in something that's a bit better to watch.
For that to happen I need to start getting the hang of what the new kit can do, which means getting out and using it. And it so happened that today presented an ideal opportunity. The main road at the foot of ours was to be closed off for a period to allow a procession to make it's way along. Vaisakhi Nagar Kirtan it said on the parking restrictions sign, which Google showed up to be a Sikh celebratory procession in which all the community were encouraged to join in and blue and orange were the key clothing colours. Sounded like a perfect subject for a bit of filming, especially as the sun was shining.
We went down to await the arrival of the crowds. A few metres away some cars from a local takeaway and delivery service drew up and unloaded supplies. Clearly intended as a refreshment station for the marchers. But their largesse went beyond that and we had several offers of water, soft drinks, fruit and crisps. It's all part of the Sikh approach to life as this leaflet we were given made clear.
Here's a short video showing the food providers preparing for their distribution task.
A motorbike cop stopped by us to direct any oncoming traffic and was immediately offered a bottle of water, which he was happy to accept. In a strong Ulster accent he told us that the procession wasn't very long, but it was very slow, not least because of the road sweepers preceding the barefoot contingent.
What that meant in reality became clear when the colourful crowd made it's way past and this video is the result.
As you'll see I haven't quite got the hang of things yet, and I'm just playing about a bit to see how things turn out, but at least the subject matter is both interesting and full of colour and life. Look out for the bare footed marchers and the sophisticated mobile DJ set up. What I do hope it conveys is even a part of the sense of joy and solidarity that the procession radiated. It was impossible not be grinning from its influence.
With a bit more practice the results will get better. I get the feeling that this blog, and my others, will be providing links to YouTube more often in future
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