Our poll on the best band never to have won a World Championship title proved very popular with hundreds of opinions lodged. Participants were asked to choose between four bands, P/M Harry McNulty’s Power of Scotland band of the 1980s, P/M Ian Duncan’s Vale of Atholl, P/M Craig and Ross Walker’s Boghall and P/Ms Davy Barnes and Robert Mathieson’s Polkemmet.
Thanks to everyone who took part and if you’d like to read more about these great bands and their history at the Worlds click here.
President Tom Johnstone on last Saturday’s SPA KO: ‘The contest on Saturday evening was moderately attended considering the merit of the two players. Both are former winners of the event and as expected both played extremely well. Angus MacColl lost the draw and played first. He played to his usual exacting standard for around 45 minutes without stopping.
‘After the interval John Patrick played for about the same length of time on what could be described as a slightly ‘brighter’ instrument and stopped after each selection to give commentary. The audience vote was very close but it went to John Patrick. The contest was broadcast on Livestream as usual and should still be available to view for around 30 days. Donations via the SPA website are welcome www.scottishpipersassociation.co.uk
We have been asked to pass on the details of Janet MacKenzie’s funeral. They are a follows: Venue: Dalnottar Crematorium, Old Kilpatrick (also known as Clydebank Crematorium). Date: Friday March 18 at 2.30pm. Janet was the wife of respected former RSPBA adjudicator Malcolm MacKenzie.
Chairman Bernard Bouhadana reports on the Copenhagen Winter Competition: ‘This year saw a big boost in the number of competitors due in no small part to the effect of the big prize money offered to the aggregate winners of the professional piping, snare and tenor drumming competitions. It is believed that the prize in each category of 10,000 Danish krone (about £1000) is the biggest single solo monetary award offered anywhere in the world.
‘We have a vision to make the Copenhagen Winter Competition a destination for solo pipers everywhere and one way to help make that happen is to offer up great prize money. We are considering an invitation-only contest in 2017 to bring in even more players at the highest level.’Furthermore we would like to build a platform of competition here in Denmark which could be considered part of a piper’s track record and which may therefore help them gain a place at Oban or Inverness. There was a much bigger emphasis on piobaireachd this year – any piping prize depended on participation in the piobaireachd.’
In addition to the cash prizes, McCallum Bagpipes sponsored the event with prizes to all other prize winners.
Piping: 1st Graham Drummond, Scotland 2nd Anna Kummerlöw, Germany 3rd Gavin Hardie, Finland; Judge: Michael Grey
Snare Drumming: 1st John Henderson, Scotland 2nd Louise Overgaard, Denmark 3rd Anders Jensen, Denmark; Judge: Stephen Creighton
Tenor Drumming: 1st Jordan Bailie, Scotland 2nd Cameron Dunsmore-Bennett, Denmark 3rd Marie Vinther, Denmark
Judge: Tim Djursing