Since its inception over 100 years ago – celebrated at that special ceremony on January 10 – the SPA has studiously stuck to its rules of providing open annual competition for all levels of piping: juvenile, amateur and professional.
In the following picture galleries you will see some of the many winners over the years, and don’t be surprised if you notice a few changes in appearance. What is clear is the pleasure all of these pipers had in coming out on top on the day against their peers and receiving such historic trophies as those presented by the Scottish Pipers’ Association.
Featured firstly are Gavin Walker, Stuart Shedden, Niall Stewart, Finlay Johnston, Hugh Hepburn, Ewan Dewar, Ross Cowan, Keith Bowes, Peter Hunt, Allan Russell, Iain Speirs and John Angus Smith:
Before we get to the next tranche of weel kent faces, remember the following SPA dates: 7th February – Club Night and AGM; 8th February – Knockout semi-final with Steven Leask and John Patrick; 6th March – Knockout semi-final with Stuart Liddell and Callum Beaumont; 11th April – Professional contest; 2nd May 2020 – Knockout Final. The venue for all events is the Piping Centre in Otago Street, Glasgow.
Now for more pictorial goodies. Snapped are pipers from the SPA Adult Amateur contest, Donald MacPhee, Alistair Fletcher, Gordon Walker, Innes Smith, James MacPhee, Stuart Liddell, Sylvan Hamon, Andrew Carlisle, Jason Craig and Callum Beaumont:
More on the SPA’s illustrious history here. Taster: By the 1930s the Club meetings had been moved to Room 7 of the Highlanders’ Institute in Elmbank Street, Glasgow, where meetings were held on Saturday evenings from 7 to 10pm. The competition venue at this time was the MacLellan Galleries in Sauchiehall Street. The judges were now in the open instead of under cover as in the early years. For the 1933 Professional competition The Oban Times presented a Gold Medal for the Piobaireachd and this was won for the first time by P/M David Ross.
The 1934 Professional competition took place at the MacLellan Galleries with a record entry and P/M John MacDonald MBE, Inverness, as the solo judge. During the evening Miss Margaret Duncan sang Gaelic songs and Mr John Campbell contributed selections on the violin. John Wilson from Edinburgh won the piobaireachd playing Lament for Patrick Og MacCrimmon, David Ross was second, Roderick MacDonald, Glasgow Police, third and P/M Charles Smith, Black Watch, fourth.
The March was won by Owen MacNiven, Islay, John Wilson was second, Roderick MacDonald third and Charles Scott, Glasgow Police, fourth. Peter MacLeod junior, Partick, won the Strathspey and Reel, with the other prizes going to John Wilson, Angus Campbell and David Ross.
At the 1935 Professional competition John MacDonald of the Glasgow Police won the Piobaireachd, Duncan MacIntyre the March and Peter MacLeod junior the Strathspey and Reel.
