Review: 2026 Worlds Grade 1

On Friday I wrote that after hearing all of the Grade 1 Medley I had three bands out on their own and one I would back to take the title. The three were St Laurence O’Toole, Fife Police and Simon Fraser University – and my cash was on SFU.

Not only did P/M Bevan’s boys (and girls) take the Friday Medley, but they also won the Saturday one too and the Sat MSR. SLOT and Fife should maybe have been higher up in the final reckoning. Over the three sections I heard they were better than fifth and sixth.

By Robert Wallace

More generally, having listened to about 85% of the performances over the two days, I can say with confidence that I have never heard such a high standard in Grade 1.

The Saturday Medley was a case in point. Even the bands that didn’t make the list reserved their best for last with impressive music from Scottish Power, Shotts, Federation, 78th, Hawthorn, Ravara and St Thomas.

And what about the innovation on show? Shotts got the biggest cheer of the day when they turned to face the audience for their final tune. The pipe volume doubled, the crowd roared. Here was proper interaction from musician to listener.

Don’t tell me that the circle is the ideal performance shape for a Grade 1 pipe band. Patent nonsense, and Shotts and their brave P/M, Emmett Conway, following Robert Mathieson lead of 15 or so years ago, proved it.

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Of course nothing will happen. The powers that be, for all their audience friendly noises, will simply brand it a gimmick and carry on as before. We’ve been doing the circle for 100 years so let’s keep it. Other things might change but playing with your backside facing your listeners is sacrosanct. Why?

Further innovation from Hawthorn. The Aussie band did a few stick tricks towards the end of their second medley. And then we had the World Champion SLOT corps under Stephen Creighton at one point reversing the hickory to alter the tone of their drums. The crowd loved all of this. We want more.

Simon Fraser were worthy winners of the 2026 World Pipe Band Championship. As already noted, they took three of the four first prizes after a shaky start which saw them not even in the top six for the Friday MSR.

Well, they comprehensively turned that around didn’t they? This was a more confident outfit from the band of the last few years. Gone was the caution, up were the tempos yet not a gracenote missed, and they gave expression to their music throughout.

To that we can add that both medleys, not one, both, were listenable, not over complicated and offered musical progression and fitting finale. SFU’s sound – chanter definition, drone depth, drum to pipe balance – was impossible to fault.

My result from the Friday Medley: 1 SFU 2 SLOT 3 Fife Pol. 4 FMM 5 Boghall 6 Inveraray. SFU first for all the reasons mentioned above. SLOT – big sound, pleasing music – rich drum tone. Fife superb fingerwork, sound and great finish. FMM brilliantly played but for me over complex content. Boghall – precision playing but slowish at start and careful in reels. Inveraray – smooth run but S&Rs sluggish.

Saturday MSR; my result: 1 Inveraray 2 SFU 3 SLOT; couldn’t really separate the other prizes but they had to go to FMM, Boghall and Fife. One of the issues with sitting in the stand is that you just don’t get the fine detail.

Inveraray were a different band on the Saturday. They went for it, with the very difficult Argyllshire Gathering outstanding. Perfect tone (16 pipers) and dazzling fingerwork. With that they just nudged SFU off the top spot in my book.

First on, the BC team had really set the standard, but they opened the door slightly with a careful MacAlister’s Dirk. SLOT: my ear kept being drawn to the drumming and how it worked so well with the pipes. It was the same with Alex Duthart’s corps all those years ago.

Saturday Medley. What a whizz banger of a contest this was. Every band seemed to raise their game for the climax of the Championship. I raise my balmoral to every one of you. From the 13th place to the winner, this was really top class pipe band music. It was eye wateringly good. A pity there had to be a prize list in a way.

First on again, SFU were absolutely electric. Their chanter sound seemed even better than in their earlier runs. Tiring? Not a chance. The blowing, the crisp fingers, and the content were enthralling. I said to myself when they finished, ‘who is going to beat that’?

My list: 1 SFU 2 FMM 3 equal Inveraray, Fife, SLOT, Boghall. FMM’s performance was as good as anything in their winning years. They really couldn’t have done any better.

SLOT’s early content was perhaps a little weak. Beautiful finish from Boghall but would an up tempo finale not work better? Fife? Couldn’t fault it other than the drum sound seemed light when compared to the pipes. (All things being equal, David Wilton’s band will surely take a major next year.) Inveraray, did they suffer from Dream Valley fatigue? No matter, it was beautifully presented.

To all the bands who played in the 2026 Saturday Grade 1 Medley, I say take a bow. You provided marvellous entertainment for the thousands present and, thanks to the BBC, it rang round the world.

You were part of what should be known hereafter as the ‘Gold on the Green’ contest, a never to be forgotten exposition of our music, the best ever heard at the World Pipe Band Championships.