There are fewer venues for a games as grand as the gorunds of Chatsworth House in Derbyshire home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. The weather brought a mixed day of showers and sunshine with a temperature of around 14 celsius. Nineteen pipers entered – 12 playing in the open events and 10 in the events restricted to members of the Competing Pipers Association currently graded ‘B’ or ‘C’.
Total prize money for the day exceeded £2300. A high standard of playing was reported by all three adjudicators. Of particular note is the achievement of the day’s youngest competitor, Finlay Cameron of Roy Bridge, who was overall champion in both the Open and B/C confined events. Finlay Cameron is pictured above with brother Sandy who won the Open Piobaireachd and Eireann MacKay who featured prominently in yesterday’s prize lists.
Adjudicator Roger Huth adds: ‘As youngest competing piper of the day, Finlay Cameron was asked by RSPBA Official Walter MacGregor to perform the lament ‘Hector the Hero’ during massed bands. Sandy and Eireann went with him and the three found themselves all playing for the Drum Major of World Champions Inveraray spectacular solo display and then again in the Massed Bands.
‘The vast crowds hushed during Finlay’s Lament, realising they were hearing something very special indeed. He wasn’t announced as double solo piping champion of today’s solo events, which seems to me to make the spectators awed reaction afterwards more knowing and genuine. To witness these three great young pipers joining in with our southern pipe bands after a days gruelling slog on three solo boards was most uplifting and I salute them.’
Open Piobaireachd
1. Sandy Cameron – The Old Men of the Shells
2. Nick Hudson – The Rout of Glenfruin
3. Eireann MacKay – Lament for the Viscount of Dundee
4. Derek Midgley – The End of the Great Bridge
5. Finlay Cameron – Lament for the Iolaire
6. Roger Huth – Beloved Scotland
Open 2/4 March
1. Finlay Cameron
2. Nick Hudson
3. Dan Lyden
4. Sandy Cameron
5. Steve Watterston
6. Derek Midgley
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Open 6/8 March
1. Finlay Cameron
2. Nick Hudson
3. Eireann MacKay
4. Sandy Cameron
5. Roger Huth
6. Derek Midgley
Judge for the above events: R Livingstone
B/C Grade Piobaireachd
1. Dan Lyden
2. Finlay Cameron
3. Gwenael Dage
4. Robert Low
5. Eireann MacKay
6. Roger Huth
B/C Grade 6/8 March
1. Finlay Cameron
2. Gwenael Dage
3. Sandy Cameron
4. Steve Watterston
5. Dan Lyden
6. Eireann MacKay
Open Strathspey & Reel
1. Nick Hudson
2. Sandy Cameron
3. Finlay Cameron
4. Steve Watterston
5. Dan Lyden
6. Derek Midgley
Judge for the above events: T Johnstone
B/C Grade 2/4 March
1. Sandy Cameron
2. Finlay Cameron
3. Dan Lyden
4. Steve Watterston
5. Roger Huth
6. Eireann MacKay
B/C Grade Strathspey & Reel
1. Finlay Cameron
2. Dan Lyden
3. Sandy Cameron
4. Andrew Yu
5. Steve Watterston
6. Robert Low
B/C Grade Hornpipe & Jig
1. Finlay Cameron
2. Gwenael Dage
3. Sandy Cameron
4. Fraser Stewart
5. Dan Lyden
6. Roger Huth
Open Hornpipe & Jig
1. Dan Lyden
2. Finlay Cameron
3. Sandy Cameron
4. Gwenael Dage
5. Steve Watterston
6. Robert Low
Judge for the above events: L Ingram
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