Skye Gathering Entry Details and Changes to Rules Announced

The new Piping Convenor of the Skye Gathering, Mr Cameron MacFadyen, has issued updated rules and the entry form for this year’s competitions to be held at Portree on August 8th and 9th.

Entries for the Dunvegan Medal and light music competitions will be accepted in the two months between the beginning of April and the end of May. Places in the Dunvegan Medal Competition are restricted to 25. A list of successful applicants and a reserve list (if necessary) will be circulated to all entrants at the beginning of June. In drawing up the list, the Skye Piping Committee will take CPA gradings and previous attendance and placings at the Skye Games piping competitions into account.

Derek Midgley, New Jersey, winner of the 2016 Dunvegan Medal

Entries for the Clasp Competition will be accepted up until the beginning of August. Entries for the piping events are £11 and fully completed entry forms with can be sent by post to: Cameron MacFadyen, 17/18 Borve, Portree, Isle of Skye IV51 9PE or, by email to: Cameron.macfadyen@btinternet.com. (See below for PayPal info.)

Orders of play will be posted in the Royal Hotel, Portree,  on the evening before the event and will be e-mailed to competitors at the beginning of August. Four tunes are required for both the Colonel Jock MacDonald Clasp and the Dunvegan Medal one of which the competitor will be asked to play.

If the winner of this year’s Dunvegan Medal is known by 7pm on the day, he/she will be invited to play in the Claspcompetition held later that same evening. Medal competitors are advised to prepare four of the specified tunes which could then be offered for both competitions. Tunes marked with the double asterisk are accepted for the Clasp.

List of MacCrimmon tunes:
1 Earl of Ross’s March**
2 A Flame of Wrath.
3 The Groat
4 Lament for the Only Son
5 Too Long In This Condition
6 MacLeod of MacLeod’s Lament**
7 MacLeod’s Salute
8 Lament for Donald of Laggan.
9 Lament for Donald Bàn MacCrimmon**
10 John Garve MacLeod of Raasay’s Salute**
11 MacDonald’s Salute**
12 MacCrimmon Will Never Return
13 Lament for the Duke of Hamilton**
14 Lament for MacSwan of Roaig**
15 Rory MacLoude’s Lament**
16 I Got a Kiss of the King’s Hand**
17 Lament for Mary MacLeod


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18 Lament for Donald Duaghal MacKay**
19 Lament for the Children**
20 Lament for the Earl of Antrim**
21 Glen is Mine
22 Mrs MacLeod of Talisker’s Salute**
23 Battle of Waternish**
24 King’s Taxes**
25 MacLeod’s Controversy
26 Salute on the Birth of Rory Mòr MacLeod
27 Lament for the Harp Tree**
28 Lament for MacLeod of Colbeck**
29 Pretty Dirk
30 MacCrimmon’s Sweetheart
31 MacLeod of Raasay’s Salute
32 Lament for Patrick Og MacCrimmon**

Cameron Drummond, Edinburgh,  winner of the Dunvegan Medal in 2015

Skye Gathering Piping is supported by the Royal Hotel, Portree, the Highland Society of London, and the Clan Donald Centre.

In the light music the 6/8 March contest will continue but a Hornpipe & Jig competition will replace that of two Jigs, the H&J to be played following the 6/8. Each piper plays one 6/8 march of own choice followed by a Hornpipe and Jig of own choicetunoing in between if necessary.

Two heats will be held in both March for the Kemble Star and Strathspey & Reel for the Peter MacFarquhar Star. Each piper submits three strathspeys and three reels of own choice and is asked to play one of each once through. Pipers entering both competitions will play the 2/4 March first, re-tune, then the Strathspey & Reel.

The top three performers from each heat, a total of six for each discipline, will go forward to take part in the finals in St Columba’s Church starting at 1.30pm. Pipers may submit the same tunes as submitted for the heats. If a piper is in both finals he/she will be asked to play the March and then the Strathspey and Reel together rather than making separate visits to the platform.  As in the heats, there will be the opportunity to re-tune between the March and S&R.  Finalists are asked to play their March twice through.

Prizes in the Dunvegan Medal: £140, £100, £70, £40, £20
Prizes in the Clasp: £200, £120, £100
6/8 and H&J: £60, £40, £30, £20, £15
M and S&R: £70, £50, £40, £30, £20, £10

The piper with the highest points in the Ceòl beag (light music) competitions will win the  Dr Allan MacDonald Cup plus £200

The piper with the highest points in the Clasp and/or Dunvegan Medal + Ceòl Beag competitions will win the Highland Society of London award of £250.

Points for placings in the Ceòl Mòr competitions are as follows:
1st-10, 2nd–8, 3rd–6, 4th-4, 5th–2.

Points for placings in the Ceòl Beag competitions are as follows:
1st–6, 2nd–5, 3rd–4, 4th–3, 5th–2, 6th-1.

A PayPal option should be available at http://www.skye-media.com/ during April. All cheques payable to Skye Games Committee. Regrettably, no late entries will be accepted.

Download Entry Forms and Information Sheet here.

Piping Convenor Cameron MacFadyen is the son of the famous piper John MacFadyen. He is the subject of Duncan Johnstone’s fine 6/8 march of the same name.


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