When young Melville Jameson began learning to play the bagpipes as a seven year old in his native Scotland, little did he imagine that one day that he would have hundreds of pipers under his overall command as chief executive and producer of the Edinburgh Tattoo.

Yet every night in August for the past eight years he has watched the magnificent spectacle of pipe and drum bands from around the world pass before his eagle eyes, filling the air with the incomparable sound of the pipes.

Although he learned to play the piano, violin and banjo "not at all adequately" in school, and admits he is "not a trained musician", Brigadier Jameson's military career has been closely associated with music - most notably as pipe president of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards on the original recording of `Amazing Grace', which became a worldwide hit and sold millions of copies in 1972.

"That was also my first introduction to showbiz, and I was able to use that experience later on," he says.

Indeed, having the ultimate responsibility of ensuring that the renowned spectacle, which now draws approximately a quarter of a million people from every corner of the earth to Edinburgh Castle each year, goes like clockwork, has also meant the former commanding officer drawing on the experiences of his long military career, during which he honed and enhanced the organisational and leadership skills first instilled in him at Sandhurst Military College.

It was at the end of his first year as Commander, 51st Highland Brigade, in Perth, Scotland that Brigadier Jameson attended a meeting which would shape his future.

"The then-producer of the Tattoo became very ill, so in December, 1994 I was summoned to the office of General Mike Scott, the General Officer Commanding in Scotland, who was also Governor of Edinburgh Castle, and, somewhat to my surprise, I was told, `We would like you to produce the military tattoo next year'. Being in the army it wasn't a question of `yes' or `no, General' but `Thank you very much, General. Good morning'," he recalls.

He might have left the General's presence with a "can do, sir" smile, but behind it was no small sense of trepidation.

"I had just seven months' notice to get the act together, which was possibly one of the greatest challenges of my life," the Brigadier says.

"On the one hand I was honoured and extremely privileged to be given such responsibility, but on the other there was a certain anxious moment. `How the hell am I going to achieve this in seven months?' "

To have some sense of just what was entailed, there are more than 1,000 people in the average cast, and they come from all over the world. There are only three full days and nights of on-site rehearsal, and a thousand logistics: accommodation of people and animals, local transportation, catering to different ethnic and religious diets, timing, precision, and more - and all that is before addressing the "business" side: administration, marketing, finance, sales...the list is almost endless.

Nonetheless, the Brigadier set about his new responsibilities like any other challenge: to be met head-on and conquered. Ultimately, all went as smoothly as it ever had.

"2002 is my eighth year and they haven't sacked me yet," he says. "I left the army in 1997 and was then offered the full-time job of producing the tattoo, and then came a new appointment as Chief Executive, which is the business side and involves the whole spectrum: marketing, advertising, ticket sales, and to maintain the production as working efficiently. Luckily, I inherited a very good organisation which had been running for many years."

Typically, the statement is deceptively understated and belies just how much responsibility is vested in Brigadier Jameson to carry on the seamless tradition to which millions look forward every year. For it is not just the 8,600 people who sit in the seats at each performance who contribute to the final audience tally, but also the seven million in the United Kingdom and an estimated 100 million around the world who view the entire show thanks to the British Broadcasting Corporation. Should Brigadier Jameson not get the balance of acts right, with a resultant decline in television audiences, the BBC could pull the plug on its contract with the Edinburgh Tattoo. Back at Broadcasting House ratings are a driving force.

Happily, however, television viewing figures reached an all-time high this year, so clearly if the Brigadier's marketing team continues on its present course it would appear he has little to fear.

The box office also tells the tale of the former commanding officer's expert leadership. When he came on board, total ticket sales were at about 95 percent, but in the last four years all 25 performances, totalling 217,000 people, were completely sold a week prior to opening night.

"This year, I hope people will be able to go to the website, select their tickets and pay for them, so that all we have to do is send them," Brigadier Jameson says.

Casting for each year's tattoo is also his responsibility and, tongue in cheek, he describes the thousands of air miles he spends crisscrossing the globe each March for personal auditions as "one of my most arduous duties". A man of quiet charm, he is happy to say that, although such trips are "a bit of a gamble because you don't know what you are going to see", he has not had to reject too many potential acts thus far in his career.

While some people here do not believe that including the gombeys in Bermuda's representation at the 2003 tattoo is appropriate, the Brigadier unreservedly disagrees

"The Edinburgh Tattoo is not just military, it is also showbiz," he says.

"As good as they are, we don't want just military bands marching up, down and out because that can be boring, so we get them to do something special within themselves, and if there is some cultural activity that represents a country as well, that adds to the spectacle of the act. We have to keep 8,600 people on the edge of their seats for one and a half hours every night, and I want them to enjoy every act that comes onto the esplanade and then go away with a warm feeling."

In addition to Bermuda, other countries participating in 2003 include Korea and Oman. China is already booked for 2004, and others are also being lined up for 2005.

"China is very interesting because they have tremendous expertise," the Brigadier says. "Going into China and doing business with the People's Liberation Army is an interesting experience. They are very warm and friendly, and very keen to come to Scotland. The musicians are extremely competent and capable, and have a lot to offer in terms of culture."

Since it was established as a charity in 1950, and in accordance with its charter, the Edinburgh Tattoo donates all of its surplus funds to military service charities and the arts, so participants are responsible for funding their own travel to Edinburgh. Upon arrival, however, they are billeted in what Brigadier Jameson wryly calls "delightful barracks built in 1907 which haven't changed very much", and provided with food and transportation for a month.

It doesn't take long for a wonderful camaraderie to develop among the cast, with many friendships forged, particularly among Commonwealth countries. When it comes to meals, all dietary and religious needs are catered for.

While participants will have trained rigorously at home for their big moment in the spotlight, it is also Brigadier Jameson's lot to oversee their overall melding into one spectacular whole. The process begins with a briefing for heads of acts on the first Sunday night, with rehearsals beginning at 7 a.m. sharp the next day. Incredibly, only three days are set aside for these, which is why they continue until midnight each day, rain, blow or shine. Thursday night is the dress rehearsal, which 8,000 people attend. Small wonder, then, potential problems have been solved by the time the lights go up on the real thing on Friday night.

This year there was extra pressure because, it being her Golden Jubilee year, the Queen and Prince Philip attended, bringing with them clear skies in an otherwise rain-plagued event. Since it was the first time the Queen had visited as monarch, and it was also her special year, an augmented tattoo was carefully planned. Again, Brigadier Jameson's expertise was challenged, but the results were breathtaking. Not only were all the Scottish regiments included, but also the bands of all three services: the Royal Marines, the Scots Guards and the Royal Air Force. In all, more than 600 men and women formed the largest gathering of pipes and drums ever seen on the esplanade.

"It was a great honour and privilege for us that the Queen was able to come, and we tried to give her a very special opening night, which she appears to have enjoyed, because I had a letter saying it was considered to be the most wonderful way to end her extremely busy year. In addition to British troops, she was particularly pleased to see so many representatives from the Commonwealth, which is what I try to achieve," Brigadier Jameson says.

Since, in the great tradition of show biz, the Edinburgh Tattoo goes on no matter what, organisers must also provide solutions to the hundreds of rain-sodden uniforms and costumes that must be remedied before the next performance. Thus, in addition to heated drying rooms, overnight cleaning can also be arranged. This works well for almost everyone except the Scottish regiments, whose yards of thick wool tartan are not so quick to dry.

Because he has overall responsibility for the tattoo, the chief executive/producer attends every performance, yet he never fails to get "a tremendous buzz" from each and every one of them.

As for the future, Brigadier Jameson, who is married to Sarah and has two sons, Harry and Michael, says he plans to "keep on going for a few more years", after which he plans to "hand over to someone with new ideas" and enjoy family life on his farm north of Perth, Scotland.