A week from now pipers from all over the world will converge on the town of Oban in the West Highlands for the annual Argyllshire Gathering piping competitions.
Wednesday, August 26, sees the piobaireachd competitions with categories for the young professional, the MacGregor Memorial, the Silver Medal, Gold Medal and Senior Piobaireachd for previous winners. In the evening we hear the peak of professional ceol beag with the Former Winners’ March, Strathspey and Reel. So there is something for everyone on the first day at Oban.
The winner of any of these events enters piping’s history book and the Gold Medal winner has the singular honour of leading the pipers and stewards in the march to the games on the following day, Thursday August 27. The picture up top shows Gold Medallist Finlay Johnston leading the march in 2012. Click here for a list of other Oban Gold Medallists. Read our background article to this great gathering here.
At the games there are light music competitions for ‘B’ and ‘A’ Grade Marches and Strathspeys & Reels and a Jig contest. The games are run on traditional lines with all the usual heavy events, dancing, tug of war etc.
Back to to Day 1….The MacGregor Memorial competition is held over two legs with chosen pipers going through to a final. Here is the draw:
THE HIGHLAND SOCIETY OF LONDON, MACGREGOR MEMORIAL PIOBAIREACHD COMPETITION
HEAT 1, Regent Hotel
1 James Miller, Falkirk
2. Donald Stewart Stewarton
3 Ursa Beckford, Clifton ME, USA
4. John Dew, Crieff
5. Taylor Townsley, Airdrie
6. Charles Macdonald, Inverness
7. Jamie Kubasiewicz, Winnipeg
8. Callum Watson, Lasswade
9. Andrew Chun-kit Yu, Kowloon
10. Stuart Scott, Crieff
11. Campbell Webster, Concord NH, USA
12. Micah Wallberg, Columbia, MD, USA
13. Aaron Hossain, Oban
14. John McElmurry, Pomeroy NI, USA
HEAT 2, Great Western Hotel
1. Edward Lavender, Windermere
2. Ross Miller, Linlithgow
3. Bruce MacDonald, Portree Isle of Skye
4. Séamus Ó Baoighill, Isle Ornsay, Isle o Skye
5. Rebecca Tierney, Strathaven
6. Joshua Townsley, Airdrie
7. Holly Fredlander, Edinburgh
8. Brighde Chaimbeul, An Caol
9. Cameron Sharp, Am Ploc
10. Jacob Loughlin, Front Royal, VA, USA
11. Scott Barrie, Maybole
12. Connor Jardine, Airdrie
13. Callum Wynd, Stirling
Judges: M McRae, R Wallace, W Wotherspoon, A Wright
HIGHLAND SOCIETY OF LONDON GOLD MEDAL
1 ALASTAIR LEE, COQUITLAM BC
2 WILLIAM GEDDES, DUMFRIES
3 DECKER FORREST, ISLE ORNSAY, ISLE OF SKYE
4 JONATHAN GREENLEES, LISBURN NI
5 ANDREW CARLISLE, PITTSBURGH USA
6 DEREK MIDGLEY, NEW JERSEY, USA
7 GORDON MCCREADY, PAISLEY
8 JENNY HAZZARD, EDINBURGH
9 CAMERON DRUMMOND, EDINBURGH
10 CRAIG SUTHERLAND, CRIEFF
11 ALASDAIR HENDERSON, DUNOON[wds id=”16″]
12 GLENN BROWN, GLASGOW
13 ALAN RUSSELL, KELTY
14 JORI CHISHOLM, SEATTLE USA
15 DONALD MACPHEE, ALEXANDRIA
16 ANDREW LEE, PRT COQUITLAM BC
17 FIONA MANSON, MELBOURNE
18 ANDREA BOYD, OTTAWA CAN
19 JAMES MACHATTIE, PEI CAN
20 JOHN ANGUS SMITH, LONDON
21 ANGUS JOHN MACCOLL, BENDERLOCH
22 JAMES TROY, VICTORIA BC
23 CHRIS ARMSTRONG, AIRTH
24 DR PETER MCCALLISTER, DUNBLANE
25 JOHN MULHEARN, GLASGOW
Judges: W Morrison, J Taylor, R Worrall
SILVER MEDAL
1 SARAH MUIR, CAMPBELTOWN
2 EDWARD MCILWAINE, VANCOUVER BC
3 COLIN CAMPBELL, INVERNESS
4 GREIG CANNING, EDINBURGH
5 JACOB DICKER, OTTAWA
6 STEVEN GRAY, LOCKERBIE
7 ERIC OULLETTE, NEW YORK
8 GEORGE STEWART, PERTH
9 MATT PANTALEONI, ST LOUIS USA
10 NICK HUDSON, PITTSBURGH USA
11 MICHAEL FITZHENRY, PAISLEY
12 MICHAEL ELDER, AUCHTERMUCHTY
13 GORDON BARCLAY, INVERNESS
14 MATT FRASER, GLASGOW
15 CAMERON MACDOUGALL, NIGG
16 ED BUSH, JOHNSTOWN, ONTARIO
17 DAVID SHEDDEN, GLASGOW
18 STEVEN LEASK, IRVINE
19 BEN MCCLAMROCK, WASHINGTON
20 MAEL SICARD –CRAS, GLASGOW
21 BEN DUNCAN, EDINBURGH
22 ASHLEY MCMICHAEL, ANTRIM
23 CONNOR SINCLAIR, CRIEFF
24 GRAHAM DRUMMOND, BATHGATE
25 URSA BECKFORD, ME
26 SANDY CAMERON, ROY BRIDGE
27 SEAN MCKEOWN, BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO
28 DARACH URQUHART, KYLE OF LOCHALSH
Judges: P Henderson, R MacShannon, A Forbes
FORMER WINNERS MARCH STRATHSPEY AND REEL
1 ALLAN RUSSELL, KELTY
2 CAMERON DRUMMOND, EDINBURGH
3 DOUGLAS MURRAY, FIFE
4 JOHN PATRICK, DENNY
5 ALASTAIR DUNN, GLASGOW
6 NIALL STEWART, KYLE OF LOCHALSH
7 GORDON WAlKER, GALSTON
8 NIALL MATHESON, INVERGORDON
9 WILLIAM MCCALLUM, BEARSDEN
10 CHRIS ARMSTRONG, AIRTH
11 STUART LIDDELL, INVERARAY
12 NEIL WALKER, PERTH, AUSTRALIA
13 GORDON MCCREADY, PAISLEY
14 NEIL SMITH, BLANEFIELD WITHDRAWN
15 ANDREW CARLISLE, PITTSBURGH
16 ALASTAIR LEE, COQUITLAM BC
17 IAIN SPEIRS, EDINBURGH
18 FINLAY JOHNSTON, GLASGOW
19 RODERICK MACLEOD MBE, GLASGOW
20 GLENN BROWN, GLASGOW
21 JAMES MURRAY, PERTH, AUSTRALIA
22 BRUCE GANDY, DARTMOUTH, NOVA SCOTIA
23 JACK LEE, SURREY BC
24 JORI CHISHOLM, SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
25 DONALD MACPHEE, ALEXANDRIA
26 ANGUS MACCOLL, BENDERLOCH
27 CRAIG SUTHERLAND, CRIEFF
Judges: J Banks, I McLellan, S Samson
The Games:
‘A’ MARCH, and ‘A’ STRATHSPEY AND REEL
Competitors marked (M) are entered for March only. Competitors marked (SR) are entered for Strathspey and Reel only. All others are entered for both.
1 CALLUM BEAUMONT, LINLITHGOW
2 JENNY HAZZARD, EDINBURGH
3 ALASTAIR LEE (SR), COQUITLAM BC
4 JOHN MULHEARN, TROON
5 GORDON MCCREADY (SR), GLASGOW
6 EUAN MACCRIMMON, INVERNESS
7 ALASTAIR DUNN (M), GLASGOW
8 GLENN BROWN (SR), USA
9 GREG WILSON, NEW ZEALAND
10 JAMIE FORRESTER, ISLE OF MULL
11 ALASDAIR HENDERSON, DUNOON
12 JORI CHISHOLM (SR), ACHMORE
13 JOHN ANGUS SMITH, SOUTH UIST
14 COLIN CAMPBELL, INVERNESS
15 FRED MORRISON, BISHOPTON
16 ANDREW HAYES, NEPEAN, ONTARIO
17 BEN MCCLAMROCK, WASHINGTON, DC
18 JAMES TROY, VICTORIA BC
19 GRAHAM DRUMMOND, BATHGATE
20 CRAIG MUIRHEAD, STIRLING
21 DEREK MIDGLEY, TINTON FALLS, NEW JERSEY
22 RICHARD HAWKE, CHRISTCHURCH NEW ZEALAND – NON RUNNER
23 ERIC OULLETTE, SYRACUSE, NEW YORK
24 DARACH URQUHART, Â KYLE
25 FINLAY JOHNSTON (M), GLASGOW
26 IAIN SPEIRS (SR), EDINBURGH
27 JOHN LEE, Â SURREY, CANADA
28 JONATHAN GREENLEES, LISBURN
29 ANDREW CARLISLE (M), PITTSBURGH
30 NEIL WALKER(SR), PERTH, AUSTRALIA
31 ANDREA BOYD, OTTAWA, ONTARIO
32 PETER HUNT, STEVENSTON
32 ASHLEY MCMICHAEL, ANTRIM
33 SEAN MCKEOWN, Â BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO
34 MICHAEL FITZHENRY, PAISLEY
35 DR INNES SMITH, BRIDGE OF ALLAN
36 STEVEN GRAY, LOCKERBIE
37 GORDON BRUCE, KILWINNING
38 WILLIAM GEDDES, DUMFRIES
Judges (March): B Donaldson, I MacFadyen, S Samson
Judges (S&R): J Banks, W Livingstone, R MacShannon
‘B’ MARCH AND B STRATHSPEY AND REEL
1 ROSS MILLER, LINLITHGOW
2 FIONAÂ MANSON, MELBOURNE
3 FAYE HENDERSON, KIRRIEMUIR
4 GEORGE STEWART, PERTH
5 URSA BECKFORD, CLIFTON ME
6 MICHAEL ELDER (SR,) AUCHTERMUCHTY
7 ANDREW WILSON, DROMORE
8 CONNOR SINCLAIR, CRIEFF
9 ANGUS JOHN MACCOLL BENDERLOCH
10 CAMERON MACDOUGALL, NIGG
11 DONALD MACLEOD, GLASGOW (M)
12 CALUM WATSON, LASSWADE
13 NICK HUDSON, PITTSBURGH
14 DAVID SHEDDEN, GLASGOW
15 GREIG CANNING, EDINBURGH
16 EUAN DEWAR, OBAN
17 BEN DUNCAN, EDINBURGH
18 LIAM KERNAGHAN, DUNEDIN, NZ
19 ANDREW HALL, UPMINSTER
20 DAN LYDEN, TIMONIUM, MARYLAND
21 MATT PANTALEONI, ST LOUIS
22 CALLUM MOFFAT, LOCKERBIE
23 SANDY CAMERON, ROY BRIDGE
24 STEVEN LEASK, IRVINE
25 SARAH MUIR, CAMPBELTOWN
26 ANDREW LEE, PORT COQUITLAM
27 GREIG WILSON, CARDENDEN
28 MATT WILSON, DOLLAR
29 JAMES MACHATTIE, SUMMERSIDE PEI, CANADA
30 KEITH BOWES, INCHINNAN
31 DAVID WILTON, GLASGOW
32 DECKER FORREST, ISLE ORNSAY, EILEAN A CHEO
33 ALAN CLARK, ABERDEEN
34 WILLIAM ROWE, NAPIER, NZ
35 KRISTOPHER COYLE, CARRICKFERGUS
Judges (‘B’ March): W Morrison, R Wallace, J Wilson
Judges (‘B’ S&R): A Frater, I McLellan, A Wright.
Judges (Jig): A Forbes, P Henderson, B Worrall
Locals/Juniors: M McRae, J Taylor, B Wotherspoon