December heralds the coming of the festive season, celebrated in the famous carol The Twelve Days of Christmas.

Remember that bit about eleven pipers piping?

Well, the village of Sutton Forest will reverberate to the music of the Great Highland Bagpipes on Sunday from noon to 3pm - when members of the newly-formed South Coast and Southern Highlands Piping Society visit the village for a recital and competition.

The pipers will perform, in concert and individually, in the grounds of the landmark Scottish gallery A Little Piece of Scotland.

The program of entertainment starts with all the pipers playing together in an impromptu Pipers’ Band - the tunes selected including Scotland the Brave; Green Hiils of Tyrol; The Battle’s O’er; and Cock o’ the North.

This will be followed by competitive solo piping in four grades - novice (slow air); restricted elementary (4/4 march); intermediate (jig); senior (slow airs). Three medals will be awarded in each grade.

The medal competition runs in parallel with a Pipers’ League, with points being awarded towards an end-of-season trophy for the best piper in each grade.

Some of the players will have rarely played solo in public before - but they will be well encouraged by their more senior colleagues, and supported by lovers of the unique musical sound of the bagpipes - a sound that always brings a leap to your heart and a spring to your step.

The public is invited to come along to hear some very fine bagpiping by pipers who rate among Australia’s best - and give encouragement for the future of the new society.

Sponsors for the day’s piping are Nerida Barnsley of A Little Piece of Scotland and Duntroon Publishing, producers of Celtic World.

Its editor, Pipe Major Bruce Campbell, is a former professional piper with service in the Royal Scots Guards, Royal Scots, Sultan of Oman’s Royal Band and the Royal Australian Regiment (of which he was Pipe Major).

He has also won prizes in 1st Grade in Scotland, Holland, England, Dubai, Oman and Australia, both as Pipe Major and Solo Piper.

He is an accredited piping instructor and welcomes the interest of anyone wanting to learn to play the Great Highland Bagpipes.

Lessons are by invitation only but you can call Pipe Major Campbell on 0415 647 423 to discuss your ambition to join the ranks of the bagpiping fraternity.

Meanwhile, at Sutton Forest the local folk are also on the lookout for milking maids, leaping lords, ladies dancing, various calling birds - and one solitary partridge.