When Butler residents gather Saturday to celebrate the annual Fall Festival, they will get chance to hear the debut of a new musical group.

Yet fans won't need to fight for front row seats to appreciate the Lion and Thistle Highlanders, whose bagpipe music is loud enough to be heard for more than a mile.

Though this will be the group's first introduction to the community, preparations for their first public appearance have been going on for more than a year.

With 26 years of bagpiping experience, Larry Morrison of Butler serves as the pipe major, or leader. The group is composed entirely of pipers he has taught.

Amanda Brewster of Butler, who holds the title of pipe corporal, is the second most experienced in the group, having begun her lessons with Morrison 5½ years ago.

Though each member studied independently with Morrison, several expressed a desire to participate in a pipe band, an outlet not available in the county.

"Pittsburgh and Westmoreland County are rife with pipe bands," said Morrison, who also noted bands in Grove City and New Castle.

After agreeing to lead the band, Morrison began conducting rehearsals in January 2006.

The group meets weekly, often at Covenant Presbyterian Church, for closed rehearsals — which Morrison said is important for players' focus.

Through their time playing together, the pipers learned to merge their sounds under Morrison's formal, yet gentle instruction.

While Brewster estimates she practices about seven hours each week, others agree their practice time varies based on work, school and family commitments.

Despite the restraints on their time, Morrison is confident in their dedication.

"Everyone always comes in with something better than the last time we saw them," he said.

Morrison believes that after more than a year of rehearsals, the band is ready for its first audience.

"He hears the good," said Brewster. "We still hear the not-so-good."

The long-term preparation is no new skill for the bagpipers, who each spent more than a year learning to play a chanter before picking up their own set of pipes.

The chanter, often used by pipers for practice, is a simple wind instrument, which allows students the opportunity to learn the same fingering used on the bagpipes.

Once a student understands how to create the proper notes, he or she can take on the more complex process of playing the bagpipes. It requires keeping the bag inflated with air and applying pressure to it with the arm to force air out the top pipes, known as drones, and the bottom pipe, also called the chanter.

Bagpipe music features two lines of notes, the melody and the ornaments, extra notes or embellishments that add depth to the melody.

"It's a lot of work," said band member Ed Wilbert, "But it's worth it."

With so much to think about, Morrison said a piper must trust his or her fingers to remember the tune.

"The fingers know best I suppose," joked Brewster.

The Lion and Thistle group has also spent time on their look.

The uniform includes a black hat, called a Glengarry, matching tunic shirts with a badge denoting the group's name and hose, or thick knee-high socks that hold a small knife.

Each player chose his or her kilt mostly based on family heritage.

With no Scottish heritage, Jamie Czech, 15, of Butler, the youngest member of the group, chose a tartan with her mother and father's favorite colors and one that closely resembled the pipe master's kilt.

The traditional uniform reflects elements that would have been useful to pipers in Scotland years ago.

The sporrin, worn over the kilt, is a small purse, at one time used for holding the day's food rations. The knife, known as a sgian dubh, was the equivalent to today's pocket knives.

Now equipped for their first performance, some of the band members have yet to overcome their nervousness.

"It's not so much seeing the people I don't know, it's the ones I know will be there that makes me nervous," said Shelley Watson of Mars, who has been learning to play for 4Z\x years.

"I think it's just staying focused,"said Czech, who said she is sometimes distracted by audiences when she practices.

The pipers have been rehearsing their marching in hopes of participating in Butler's next Veteran's Day parade. They also hope to expand by adding drummers.

During the Saturday festival, the group will perform from 1 to 1:30 p.m. at the Diamond Park stage and from 2:45 to 3:15 p.m. at the intersection of Main and Jefferson streets.

For information on performances, membership or lessons, contact Brewster at 724-290-3154 or Morrison at 724-355-0937.