Cullybackey Pipe Band Annual Solos and Kingdom Thistle Piping & Drumming Solos

Cullybackey Pipe Band 30th Annual Solos were held in Cullybackey College, Northern Ireland, on Saturday 8th April, reports John Kelly.  

The senior solo piping winner was Ashley McMichael (Field Marshal Montgomery) and the senior solo drumming winner was William Glenholmes (Vale of Atholl). Ashley is pictured top with his wife Ashleigh after his victory was announced.

Novice Practice Chanter: 1 Gareth Lamont (Cullybackey) 2  Sam Purvis (Tullylagan) 3 William McFarland (Tullylagan)
Advanced Practice Chanter: 1 Rebecca Robinson (Cullybackey) 2 Lewis Smart (Broughshane & District)
Pipe Chanter: 1 Andrew Nelson (Ballyboley) 2 Adam Brimage (Matt Boyd Memorial) 3 Rebecca Hicks (Aughintober)
U-13 Piping: 1 Jake McConnell (Matt Boyd Memorial) 2 Jonathan Gibson (Marlacoo & District)
U-16 Piping: 1 Beth Preston (Pipes & Drums PSNI) 2 Emma Livingstone (Matt Boyd Memorial) 3 Jordan Gibson (Marlacoo & District)
U-18 Piping: 1 Ryan Cupples-Menendez (Pipes & Drums PSNI) 2 Timothy Wharton (Joseph Forde Memorial) 3 Samantha Coburn (Thiepval Memorial)
Junior Piping: 1 Des Smyth (New Zealand Police) 2 Scott McKay (Scottish Power) 3 Mark Hasson (Colmcille)
Intermediate Piping: 1 Sean Maloney (Closkelt) 2 Cameron Hume (Closkelt) 3 John McElmurry (Matt Boyd Memorial)
Senior Piping: 1 Ashley McMichael (Field Marshal Montgomery) 2 Rachel Maloney (Closkelt) 3 Glenn Cupples (Pipes & Drums PSNI)

Drumming champion William Glenholmes, Vale of Atholl

Novice Drum Pad: 1 Jamie Coffey (Major Sinclair Memorial) 2 Callum Hamilton (Kildoag) 3 Joel Barton-Russell (Cullybackey) Advanced Drum Pad: 1 Mark Campbell (Kildoag) 2 Matthew Roddy (Colmcille) 3 Daniel Payne (Colmcille)
U-13 Drumming: 1 Aaron McWilliams (Pipes & Drums PSNI)
U-16 Drumming: 1 Lee Montgomery (Quinn Memorial) 2 Daniel Lynn (Cullybackey) 3 Ashley Fyffe (Pipes & Drums PSNI)
U-18 Drumming: 1 Richard Black (Syerla) 2 Aaron Jess (Portavogie) 3 Matthew Millar (Cullybackey)
Junior Drumming: 1 Christopher Hasson (Colmcille) 2 Matthew McCahon (Closkelt) 3 Ben Gibson (Pipes & Drums PSNI)
Open Drumming: 1 William Glenholmes (Vale of Atholl) 2 Jason Hoy (Vale of Atholl) 3 Matthew Wenlock (Vale of Atholl)

Bass Drumming 4B: 1 Noreen Donaghy (Letterkenny)
Bass Drumming MSR: 1 Ian McClintock (Thiepval Memorial) 2 Robert Coady (McDonald Memorial) 3 Scott Cunningham (Tullylagan)
Tenor Drumming Grade 4B: 1 Demi Moore (Kildoag) 2 Evie McKeown (Major Sinclair Memorial) 3 Christin McWilliams (Major Sinclair Memorial)
Tenor Drumming Grade 4A: 1 Rebecca Patterson (Tullylagan) 2 Chelsea Greer (Tullylagan) 3 Sophie Crookshanks (McDonald Memorial)
Tenor Drumming Grade 3: 1 Abbie McElmurry (Matt Boyd Memorial) 2 Ashleigh Kane (Major Sinclair Memorial) 3 Leah McKeown (Major Sinclair Memorial)
Tenor Drumming Open Grade: 1 Ewan Glenny (Closkelt) 2 Rachael McCullough (Bleary & District)

Adrian Hoy, Cullybackey Pipe Band Chairman (right), pictured with his father Tommy and his mother Celine and Jimmy Stewart, Band President (left) at the Cullybackey Solos

• Grateful thanks to John Kelly for his excellent pictures.


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Kingdom Thistle Solo Piping and Drumming, Lochgelly, Fife, April 8

The promoters, Kingdom Thistle Pipe Band Supplies, are indebted to their sponsors for their support. These included leading bagpipe manufacturers Wallace Bagpipes and McCallum Bagpipes.

U-13 Piping:  1 Bobby Allen, North Lanarkshire Schools 2 Jack Liddle, Perth & District 3 Callum Lowther, Lochgelly High 4 Milly Fox, Kelty & Blairadam
U-16 Piping: 1 Brodie Watson-Massey, George Heriot’s 2 Christopher Happs, George Heriot’s 3 Luke Kennedy, Boghall & Bathgate 4 Ross Strain, North Lanarkshire Schools
U-18 Piping: 1 Lewis Russell, West Lothian Schools 2 Luke Kennedy, Boghall & Bathgate 3 Jordan Ednie, MacKenzie Caledonian 4 Christopher Happs, George Heriot’s
Open Piobaireachd: 1 Ceiran Ross, Shotts & Dykehead 2 Ross Millar, Inveraray 3 Jamie McDonald, 3 Scots, Black Watch 4 Calum Watson, Boghall
Open Piping MSR: 1 Calum Watson, Boghall & Bathgate 2 Ceiran Ross, Shotts & Dykehead 3 Ross Millar, Inveraray 4 John Dew, Inveraray
Open Piping H&J: 1 Ceiran Ross, Shotts 2 Ross Millar, Inveraray 3 John Dew, Inveraray 4 Jamie McDonald, 3 Scots, Black Watch
U-13 Drumming: 1 Jamie Kerr, Major Sinclair Mem. 2 MacKenzie Forrest, North Lanarkshire Schools 3 Callum Kyle, North Lanarkshire Schools 4 Tommi McAndrew, MacKenzie Cal.
U-16 Drumming: 1 Lachlan Kyle, North Lanarkshire Schools
2 Kyle Ritchie, Boghall 3 Fergus Kyle, North Lanarkshire Schools 4 Rachel Thom, West Lothian Schools
U-18 Drumming: 1 Thomas Barnes, Scottish Power 2 Lachlan Kyle, North Lanarkshire Schools 3 Kyle Ritchie, Boghall 4 Fergus Kyle, North Lanarkshire Schools
Open Drumming: 1 Calum Burns, Boghall 2 Blair Logan, Glasgow Police 3 Mark Hastings, Fife Police 4 Daniel Luby, Inveraray
U-16 Tenor: 1 Shannon Davies, Lochmaben Burgh 2 Jasmine Rapson, Kelty 3 Millie Beeson, Kelty 4 Tamsyn McAndrew, MacKenzie Cal.
U-18 Tenor: 1 Aaron Bryce, MacKenzie Cal. 2 Shannon Davies, Lochmaben 3 Alison Geal, Glasgow Police
Open Tenor: 1 Aaron Bryce, MacKenzie Cal. 2 Alison Geal, Glasgow Police


Don’t miss this opportunity for world-class piping and drumming tuition

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