Scottish Pipers’ Association Juvenile (8th Nov.), got underway just shortly after the advertised start time of 8.30am, writes Logan Tannock.
It was a slightly shaky start to the day, trying to identify competitors and get them settled into the correct tuning rooms. However, things quickly settled down, and apart from having to deal with the unavoidable clashes that happen at an event with so many competitions, things ran smoothly and pretty much to schedule.
Derek Fraser had the 15&U Piobaireachd to judge. There were 14 entries and it finished around 11.45 with Rory Cairns, Edinburgh, coming out on top.
Tom Johnstone was the other judge on the piobaireachd pen. Tom got underway with the 15&U piobaireachd ground, the winner Shay McNarlin. Tom then judged the 16-18&U Piob. with Arran Brown winning. When these competitions had finished, it was lunch.
Peter Hunt judged all the light music, and the 15&U March and Strathspey & Reel filled his morning. The winner of both was again Rory Cairns, which meant with three first places, he was 15&U champion.
After lunch, Derek and Tom judged the 18&U jig where Aaron Hughes came out on top. Peter continued with the 16-18&U March and S&R, Arran Brown winning both. Arran, like Rory in the 15&U, was winner of the 16-18&U overall.
The prizegiving was held quite quickly after the competitions finished and I gave a vote of thanks to all those who helped make the day a success, the competitors, their parents (because without the usually unsung support of the parents there would be no competitors), McCallum Bagpipes for donating prizes and last, but by no means least, The Piobaireachd Society. Without their grant, the competition may not have been able to go ahead.
Results:
16-18 Piob: 1 Arran Brown, Sir James McDonald of the Isles’ Lament 2 Aaron Hughes, MacCrimmon’s Sweetheart 3 Hugh Anderson, Melbank’s Salute
16-18 March: 1 Arran Brown 2 Aaron Hughes 3 Hugh Anderson
16-18 S&R: 1 Arran Brown 2 Aaron Hughes 3 Hugh Anderson
18&U Jig: 1 Aaron Hughes 2 Alex Mandache 3 Arran Brown 4 Rory Cairns 5 Rory Menzies
U15 Piob.: 1 Rory Cairns 2 Rory Menzies 3 James Silcock 4 Jack Folan 5 Mirren Silver
U15 Piob.Grnd.: 1 Shay McNarlin 2 Aaron Kane 3 Laura Shennan 4 Adam Fersia 5 Eilidh Squires
U15 March: 1 Rory Cairns 2 Rory Forbes 3 Rory Menzies 4 James Silcock 5 Shay McNarlin
U15 S&R: 1 Rory Cairns 2 Rory Menzies 3 Rory Forbes 4 James Silcock 5 Larry Presslie
Judge Tom Johnstone writes: ‘Five competed in the 15&U grounds, three of which were of excellent standard and the other two would be classed as beginners. Own choice.
‘The 16-18 Piob. had eight competitors from which I managed to compile a prize list of five. Standards varied but the top three were very good. Players had to submit two.
‘The jig contest had 18 competitors and the standard of jig playing mostly left a lot to be desired. Quite often players had submitted tunes that were too difficult and then played them far too fast. Case in point was the lad who got 2nd place playing a very steady Paddy’s Leather Breeches compared to other players with tunes such as Donella Beaton.’
Sun Belt Contest, Orlando, Florida, Nov. 8: 16&U Chanter: 1 Luca Quartarlo 2 Briar MacHattie 3 Freya Tully (7 years old); 16&U Chanter Piob. Grnd.: 1 Luca Quartarlo 2 Freya Tully 3 Briar MacHattie; 16&U March: 1 Tadgh Spillane 2 Emilia Tully 3 Alex Tully 4 Kathryn Klega-Nelson 5 Facil Vargas; 16&U D MacLeod Piob. Grnd.: 1 Emila Tully 2 Tadgh Spillane 3 Alex Tully 4 Luca Quartarlo 5 Facil Vargas; 50 and Over March: 1 James Parker 2 Margaret Saunders 3 Andrew Gallagher 4 Tony Mangiaracina 5 Sherrie Buffman
Amateur Piobaireachd: 1 Magnus Stone, Rory Macleod’s Lament 2 Flora Stone, Donald of Laggan 3 Andrew Zhao, Craigellachie 4 Mihir Zambre, Viscount of Dundee 5 Abby Long, Viscount of Dundee
Amateur MSR: 1 Andrew Zhao 2 Abby Long 3 Mihir Zambre 4 Magnus Stone 5 Gavin Guidotti
Henry Franz Memorial Slow Air: Angus MacColl
Jimmy McIntosh Mem. Piob.: 1 Angus MacColl, Lament for Patrick Og MacCrimmon 2 Nick Hudson, Craigellachie 3 William McCallum, MacSwan of Roaig 4 Finlay Johnston, Lament for the Children 5 Bruce Gandy, King’s Taxes
Medley: 1 Alen Tully 2 William McCallum 3 Angus MacColl 4 Nick Hudson 5 Bruce Gandy
Overall Champion: Angus MacColl; Best Dressed Open Piper: Glenn Brown; Judges: B Donaldson, P Glendinning, F Johnston, P Kent, W McCallum, A MacColl, K MacHattie; Prize money totalled over $7000.
Silver Chanter, Australia: The 2025 Silver Chanter Piobaireachd event was held at the Payneham RSL Club in Adelaide, South Australia, last weekend. It was adjudicated by Barry Niven; three tunes required and chosen tune given at the bench.
This year’s winner was Tam McGirr from MacLean, NSW, playing the Red Speckled Bull. Second place went to Brett Tidswell from Adelaide playing Park Piobaireachd No.2. Third was awarded to Peter Hewlett playing Lord Lovat’s Lament. Before the presentation Barry Niven addressed the audience saying how high the standard of piping was with excellent instruments on show.
The Silver Chanter contest is an annual event run by the RU Brown Piobaireachd Society of South Australia. The Society is well known for its Gold Medal and Clasp competitions held in May.
