Very large entries in all Senior and Junior Grades. The competition was held in the Oban High School on Saturday, May 2.
Judges reported a high standard in both P/A events. Of the MSR Barry Donaldson commented: ‘The prizewinners all played extremely well. There was very little between them. The pipes and fingers were impressive and those who failed to make the list generally had issues with pulsing and phrase structure. However a thoroughly enjoyable competition.’
P/A Ceol Mor for Cooper Salver (1st) and Dugald MacColl Memorial Trophy (2nd).
1 Brodie Watson-Massey, Port Urlar
2 Sandy Cameron, Earl of Ross’s March
3 Sarah Muir, Lament for Donald Duaghal MacKay
4 Angus MacPhee, Blind Piper’s Obstinacy
P/A MSR
1 Sarah Muir
2 Ross Conner
3 Callum Wynd
4 Cameron May
B Ceol Mor
1 Calum Carn, Nameless, Hiharin Dro o dro
2 Dan Nevans, Farewell to the Laird of Islay
3 Ben Mulhearn, Battle of Bealach nam Brog
4 John Dew, Lament for the Castle of Dunyveg
Adjudicator Robert Wallace writes…..Calum Carn gave a much improved performance of the Nameless tune, Hiharin, dro o dro to win the B grade piobaireachd. Gone were the snappy short notes from the Scottish Pipers of two weeks ago with much improved phrasing.
The pipe was still on the weak side however and flat to begin with. It came in from about half way through to give him a strong finish. On another day his pleasant Thow drone may lose out to one with more harmonics and depth such as those presented by Keith Bowes and Ross Conner.
Neither featured in the list, Keith having some finger faults in Beloved Scotland and Ross losing the place in the Stewart’s White Banner when going well, but both can be proud of the high quality instruments they produced.
Second placed went to Dan Nevans. His Farewell to the Laird of Islay was nicely controlled on another good pipe, the only downside a lack of distinction in the top hand work of the a mach.
Another quiet pipe suited to the classroom was that of Ben Mulhearn. It was bolder than at the SPA right enough so Ben’s instrument is heading in the right direction. His tune, Battle of Bealach nam Brog, was well phrased and fingered. He cut some of the low As in the ground first line but it didn’t distort the melodic line too much. A very minor skirl was noted.
John Dew mistimed the third bar of Lament for Castle Dunyveg and was overlong with the first low G in darodo, but the pipe was another in the top rank and John was well worth his prize.
Kyle Shead was the nearly man. He played a very good I Am Proud to Play a Pipe but did a little composing along the way.
B MSR
1 Angus Nicolson
2 Arran Green
3 Kris Coyle
4 Alistair Brown
C Ceol Mor
1 Scott Barrie
2 Thomas Fallon
3 Magnus Stone
4 Craig Muirhead
C MSR
1 Aaron Hughes
2 Fergus Dorrington
3 Thomas Fallon
4 Magnus Stone
Junior Piping
U12 Chanter: 1 Charles Campbell 2 George Davidson 3 Ruairidh Lee
Chanter 12-14: 1 Uileam Irving 2 Michael Iain MacMillan 3 Christopher Cannon
Novice March U14: 1 Iagan MacDonald 2 Rory Fielden 3 Caidan Gatward 4 Calvin Anderson
U15 Piobaireachd Ground: 1 Rory Fielden 2 Eilidh Raeside 3 Callum O’Reilly
U15 Piob.: 1 Alasdair Bullock 2 Kendrick Smith 3 Travis McKenna Johnston 4 Jack Folan
U15 March: 1 Alasdair Bullock 2 Larry Presslie 3 Travis McKenna Johnston 4 Jack Folan
U15 S&R: 1 Alasdair Bullock 2 Jack Folan 3 Alexander Cruickshank 4 Shaun Weir
U15 Jig: 1 Travis McKenna Johnston 2 Alasdair Bullock 3 Jack Folan 4 Larry Presslie
U15 Champion: Alasdair Bullock
U18 Piob.: 1 Hugh Anderson 2 Morla Bruce 3 Aaron Brown 4 Charlie Mack
U18 March: 1 Arran Brown 2 Hugh Anderson 3 Charlie Mack 4 Euan McCracken
U18 S&R: 1 Hugh Anderson 2 James Silcock 3 Charlie Mack 4 Morla Bruce
U18 H&J: 1 Arran Brown 2 Mark Hewitt 3 Charlie Mack 4 Morla Bruce
U18 Champion: Hugh Anderson
Judges: R Barnes, B Donaldson, I Duncan, P Hunt, L Hutt, A MacDonald, D MacKay, R MacShannon, M Robertson, J Taylor, R Wallace and J Wilson.
