Sarah Muir is the 2025 winner of the Pipe Major’s Wheel of Fortune competition, winning the medley element of the innovative contest. Ross Miller was second and Cameron Drummond third, writes Paul White.
Cameron won the MSR, with Brian Lamond winning the prize for best joke. Sarah is pictured above on her way to winning the Medley.
The other competitors in a posse of elite pipers were Sandy Cameron, John Dew, Gordon McCready, and Cameron May. The competition, was hosted by the City of Edinburgh Pipe Band, in Danderhall Miners Club, Midlothian, on Saturday April 26.
Sarah’s winning medley featured The Mad Hornpipe, Steve Byrne’s Jig, Alison’s Song, Unknown Polka, As I Went Out Upon the Ice, Dancing Feet, a self-penned tune which has yet to be named and The Fourth Floor.
Cameron’s MSR tunes were Donald MacLellan of Rothesay, the Shepherd’s Crook and Drumlithie. Brian’s joke involved a stale marriage, an attempt to freshen it up with a wheelbarrow, and worries about passing the mother-in-law’s house.
The pipers treated our audience to a series of terrific performances, and we very much appreciated their support. Judges were Robert Barnes, Ian Duncan, and the audience. MC for the day was Gary West.
The Wheel of Fortune has 12 numbers, with each number corresponding to a type of tune. Each competitor must play five of the 12 tune categories. Four are determined by pipers spinning the Golden Chanter on arrival at the competition. The final category is determined by a member of the audience spinning the Golden Chanter as competitors take the floor.
The City of Edinburgh Pipe Band is grateful to the following sponsors and supporters who helped ensure the success of the event: The Eagle Pipers’ Society, G1 Reeds, The Gordon Duncan Trust, McCallum Bagpipes, RG Hardie & Co., and Unison Lothian Health Branch
At the end of the competition, the audience remembered the band’s former Pipe Major, Gordon Campbell, who passed away at the start of the year. Brian Lamond performed The Campbells are Coming in tribute to Gordon.
Next year will be the 20th anniversary of the Pipe Major’s Wheel of Fortune competition.
Lochaber Juniors
James Rosie and Moira Robertson report: It was a good day at our annual competition last Saturday, April 26, with some great numbers – 61 entered from all around Scotland. Good representation too from Lochaber drummers tutored by Allan Craig, but unfortunately no Lochaber pipers again which is disappointing and concerning for the local junior piping in Lochaber.
Chanter, March, 10 &U: 1 Kiro Brendon 2 Sandy MacDonald 3 Archie Ferguson 4 Caitlyn MacCraken 5 Zoe Isaac ; Chanter, March U15: 1 Abi Greenlaw 2 Bobby MacDermid 3 Chrissie Finlayson
Novice Slow Air: 1 Hamish De Vries 2 Taylor MacMillan 3 Kayli Folan 4 Eilidh Raeside ; Novice March: 1 Kayli Folan 2 Hamish De Vries 3 Eilidh Raeside 4 Taylor MacMillan ; 16 & U Slow Air: 1 Charlie Mack 2 Hugh Anderson 3 Ronald MacColl 4 Mark Hewitt 5 William Muirhead 6 Morla Bruce
U15 March: 1 James Silcock 2 Alasdair Bullock 3 Sam De Vries 4 Seonaidh Forrest 5 Finn MacDermid 6 Alfie Arthur Robertson ; U15 S&R: 1 James Silcock 2 Finn MacDermid 3 Alasdair Bullock 4 Jack Folan 5 Alfie Arthur Robertson 6 Seonaidh Forrest
U15 Piob: 1 Callan Erskine 2 Alasdair Bullock 3 James Silcock 4 Euan McCracken 5 Owen MacCreadie 6 Cailean Acamovic ; U15 Jig: 1 Sam De Vries 2 Callan Erskine 3 Seonaidh Forrest 4 James Silcock 5 Euan MacCracken 6 Oliver Kemp
U18 March: 1 Peter Mackay 2 Arran Brown 3 Lily Robertson 4 Hugh Anderson 5 Morla Bruce 6 Ronald MacColl ; U18 S&R: 1 Peter Mackay 2 Arran Brown 3 Hugh Anderson 4 Lily Robertson 5 Morla Bruce 6 Ronald MacColl
U18 Piob: 1 William Muirhead 2 Arran Brown 3 Peter Mackay 4 Lily Robertson 5 Hugh Anderson 6 Charlie Mack ; U18 Jig: 1 Peter Mackay 2 William Muirhead 3 Ronald MacColl 4 Charlie Mack 5 Lily Robertson 6 Hugh Anderson
U18 Piob Ground: 1 Finn MacDermid 2 Kendrick Smith 3 Alasdair Campbell 4 Jack Folan ; P/M Donald Macleod Memorial Piobaireachd U18: 1 Hugh Anderson 2 Alasdair Bullock 3 Ronald MacColl 4 Lily Robertson 5 Peter Mackay 6 Morla Bruce
Novice Drumming – Stick & Pad: 1 Nathan Isaac 2 Mykela Groundwater 3 Ben Stitt 4 Jack MacPherson 5 Brooke Robson 6 Tiana Sievewright ; U15 March, drumming: 1 William Muirhead 2 Aria Mcleay 3 Ross MacColl 4 Arran Scott 5 Callum MacPherson 6 Sophie MacPhee ; U18 March, drumming: 1 Aria Mcleay 2 Arran Scott 3 Ross MacColl 4 Seonaidh Anderson 5 Sophie MacPhee 6 Maya Cameron / Mara Mega
Donald Sutherland Collection – digital book
This is a digital, repeat digital, book which means you download it to your computer or tablet. This book has some very good music. It is by Donald Sutherland, a native of Rogart, Sutherland. It has been out of print for many years and is reproduced here as a service to followers of www.pipingpress.com. Tunes include Mary Horne, Kenny MacDonald’s Jig, Captain Lachlan MacPhail…
