PP Ed’s Blog: Piper of the Year/Mod Piping/Roseneath/SHGA

Champion piper Gordon Walker will be in Northern Ireland this weekend for the ‘Piper of the Year ‘ competition. Kenny Stewart of the organising committee has sent this: 

‘The annual Piper of the Year competition will be held in the Adair Arms Hotel, in Ballymena, on Saturday 10th October 2015. The Piobaireachd competition will commence at 12.30pm with the MSR and Jig & Hornpipe resuming at 7.00pm.

The adjudicator for the event will be Pipe Major Gordon Walker and he has consented to give a short recital at the end of the evening. This competition is promoted by the Northern Ireland Piping Society and is now in it’s 37th year.  It is an invitation only event and players, who have competed in N.Ireland during the current year, are considered for invitation on merit of prizes won. 

The event comprises three aspects of Highland bagpipe music: March, Strathspey & Reel – Piobaireachd – Jig and Hornpipe. Competitors are asked to submit their tunes for selection by the adjudicator, and the Piper of the Year is awarded to the player with the highest aggregate marks in the MSR & Piobaireachd competitions.

This type of competition is unique in Ireland in that both Senior and Junior pipers compete on an equal basis for the prestige award.’

Good luck to all the competitors and please get along and support the competition if you can. Some good piping guaranteed and P/M Walker’s playing is world-renowned. He is pictured up top with the Glasgow Highland Club medal for Ceol Mor won at the Uist & Barra Professional competition.



I have to say I agree with John Dally of Seattle’s sentiments regarding anonymous contributions to web magazines. I try to apply the same rules as the print media – no name, no publicity. Occasionally however you do get an anonymous contribution that makes a lot of sense or corrects a factual inaccuracy, and in these cases it is sensible to make exceptions. We have had our share of malicious mailings on Piping Press but nothing like what can be found elsewhere on the piping web and our advice is to ignore it and move on.


Patricia Grant of the Scottish Highland Games Association is looking for the results from Strathardle, Inverkeithing and Aberfeldy so that she can complete her tables for 2015 (once the re-scheduled contest at Roseneath on Sunday October 18 is over). Anyone with info should contact Patricia here. There’s a letter from Patricia in our Letters column. There’s also a letter regarding a RunRig tune.


On Rosneath, piping organiser Colina Helen Campbell has sent this:

Just a wee note to update you for Sunday 18 October 2015 re the above competition:

  1. Venue confirmed as the new Hermitage Academy, Cardross Road, Helensburgh G84 7LA – first building on your right as you enter Helensburgh and opposite Waitrose supermarket.
  2. We have the building from 10am to 4pm on Sunday 18 October (and from 12 noon to 4 pm on Saturday 17 October to set up).
  3. Rooms available are 3 x classrooms, Gym 1, Gym 2, Dancing Studio, Main Assembly Hall, Main dining hall – all available from 10am to 4pm plus the Games Hall available from 12 noon to 4pm. Reception Area is also available 10 to 4 for registration etc. All rooms are in the right wing of the building with the Dance Studio being off reception on the left.
  4. I believe there are also changing rooms in the gym area but will get a better idea when I go to set up etc.
  5. No ‘high heels’ allowed in the gym areas so you will need to wear flat shoes!!!
  6. I have spoken to the manager at Waitrose and they have agreed to supply lunches for 20 officials which they will send over to the school dining hall when required. They will also supply free coffee for 20 officials during the day and supply 6 volunteers to help. It’s great to have such a community minded supermarket!
  7. There is also a nice cafeteria area inside Waitrose should anyone want to go there.
  8. Plenty of car parking inside the school grounds at the front of the school, on the right as you drive in.
  9. I have spoken to the CPA who will put something on their website and Facebook so hopefully most of those in the original draw will make it plus a few extra. I may also phone round to double-check the numbers coming.

There will be no CLASP competition as they did not want another indoor competition this year but they will be at the 2016 Rosneath Games.  As we have already held the Juvenile and confined sections last month it will just be the A, B and C March, S/R and Piobaireachd on 18 October.


Mod logo.JPGAlso this Saturday we have the Mod piping in Oban. Please get along to support the competitors. It’s all happening in Oban High School from 9.00am west cost time.

Schedule:
Senior Piob: 10am Assembly Hall
Senior MSR: 2pm Assembly Hall
Senior H&J: 4pm Assembly Hall
Junior March & S/R (13 -15): 9am Room 1
Junior Piob (U-19): 1.30pm Room 1
U-13 Chanter: 9am Room 2
Novice Pipes (U-13): 11.30am Room 2
March & S/R (16-18): 11.30pm Room 2


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