City of Edinburgh Pipe Band has announced that its annual ‘Pipe Major’s Wheel of Fortune’ competition will be held next Saturday, 26 April, at Danderhall Miners Club in Midlothian.
Eight pipers will take the floor at a competition where the organisers say ‘creativity, musical expression – and fun come to the fore’. The pipers are: Sandy Cameron, John Dew, Cameron Drummond, Brian Lamond, Gordon McCready, Cameron May, Ross Miller and Sarah Muir.
The competition has three elements: MSR, Wheel of Fortune Medley, and a Joke. The actual Wheel has 12 numbers corresponding to an Allan MacDonald tune, Donald McLeod tune, female name tune, Gaelic or Irish slow air, Gordon Duncan tune, GS McLennan tune, hornpipe, own composition, piobaireachd ground, polka, two jigs, two reels.
Each competitor must play five of the 12 tune categories, four determined by pipers spinning the Golden Chanter on arrival. The final category is determined by a member of the audience spinning it as competitors take the floor.
Each piper has a Joker which they can play to deselect a category; the Golden Chanter is spun again to provide an alternative. Tunes can be played in any order, but must form a continuous medley. Pipers can add a maximum of three tunes of their own choice.
Following the medley, pipers tell a joke. For some, this is the most challenging part of the day.
Craig Sutherland won the Medley last year, with Cameron Drummond second, and Ciaran Ross third. Cameron lifted the prizes for best joke and best MSR.
Band secretary Paul White said: ‘We’re looking forward to spending an afternoon with some great pipers in Danderhall. We really appreciate their support for our competition.
‘We’ll be welcoming back some familiar faces and inviting some new friends to face the Wheel for the first time. We encourage anyone who enjoys good music and good times to join us on 26 April.’
Former ‘Wheel’ winners include: Chris Armstrong (2007), Cameron Drummond (2023), Ben Duncan (2017), Brian Lamond (2006 and 2015), Stuart Liddell (2008, 2009, 2013), Douglas Murray (2014, 2016), and Gordon Walker (2011, 2012).
Full address of the venue is Danderhall Miners Club, 88 Edmonstone Road, Danderhall, EH22 1QU. Further information: therealjpwhite@gmail.com or call 07941 679015. Entry is £15 at the door (£7.50 for U16s). Doors open 11.15am; competition starts at 12 noon. Prizes at 4.30pm.
The City of Edinburgh band was formed in 1947 and was originally known as Woolmet and Danderhall. The band took its name from the Woolmet Colliery and the Midlothian village, where it still practices.
