The cream of the world’s solo pipers gather in the West Highland town of Oban today Aug 27 for the annual Argyllshire Gathering competitions.
Judges met last night to select tunes to be played in the piobaireachd events. The selected tunes are given to each piper by the steward in the final tuning room.
There are four categories of piobaireachd competition: the MacGregor Memorial for pipers under 22, the Silver Medal, the Gold Medal and the Senior Piobaireachd.
Admission to these events is free to members of the Piobaireachd Society, a leading sponsor of the Gathering. Results will be available on Piping Press from late afternoon.
Piping Steward John Campbell, Kilberry, said: ‘Once more we have the finest pipers in the world gathering in Oban for our annual competitions. I wish them all the very best of luck and whatever the outcome, I hope they enjoy their experience.’
The march to the Games 2024:
All events are oversubscribed with a stringent selection process in place to decide who gets to play and who doesn’t.
The MacGregor is over two heats with four from each going forward to a final. It is an exacting test for aspiring professionals. Two judges are allocated to each heat and they come together to form a panel of four for the final. There are four prizes, first prize £110. The draw, venue and time:
Next in seniority is the Silver Medal. Five prizes, first prize £350:
The Gold Medal draw, five prizes, first prize £550:
The Senior Piobaireachd is for those who have already won at least one Highland Society of London Gold Medal. There have been four withdrawals from the list below – Callum Beaumont, Christopher Armstrong, Innes Smith and Douglas Murray. First prize in this event is £1,000:
The Former Winners’ March, Strathspey and Reel is held in the Argyllshire Gathering Hall at the conclusion of the Senior Piobaireachd (approx. 3pm). First prize in this event is £550. Six tunes of each required.
The winner of the Gold Medal has the honour of acting as Pipe Major leading the pipers to the Games at Mossfield Park on the Thursday. Here there are the light music competitions including for Intermediate MSR (P/M RG Hardie Memorial Trophy) – pipers must have competed in the MacGregor Memorial.
Check out these pictures from the 2024 AG…..
For seniors there are B and A Grade March, Strathspey and Reel and Jig (Open) competitions (four tunes of each required). There is also a raft of junior and local competitions including the much prized Duke of Argyll’s Medal.
Short leets are held for all senior events except the Jig. The panel for the heats of both A and B March and Strathspey and Reel swap round for the final so that the March panel will judge the Strathspey and Reel final.
Judges: E Anderson, R Barnes, B Donaldson, I Duncan, A Forbes, D Fraser, M Henderson, P Henderson, B Hitchings, P Hunt, S Liddell, A MacDonald, R MacShannon, D MacPhee, M Robertson, J Taylor, R Wallace, J Wilson, W Wotherspoon.
The above draws are accurate as of today August 26 and take into account late withdrawals and omissions. Stay tuned to PP over the next few days for all results and reaction.
