This prestigious, invitation-only contest for solo pipers aged under 22 was held on Saturday, October 10th, at Lochnell Castle, Benderloch, Argyll, courtesy the Earl of Dundonald.
The overall champion at the 6th annual competition was Thomas Fallon from Edinburgh. Thomas is 19 and this was his first appearance at the Lochnell. He is a piper with Field Marshal Montgomery.
By Robert Wallace
He is pictured above with Magnus Stone (l), from Massachusetts, winner of the Piobaireachd, and Chris McCartan (r) from Lochgilpead, winner of the MSR.
Thomas received the Lochnell Championship Cup and the Royal Scottish Pipers’ Society Bronze Star and £200.
Magnus received £120 and the Jimmy McIntosh Memorial Piobaireachd Trophy, presented by Mrs Joyce McIntosh.
Chris received £120 and the William McCallum Snr. Memorial Chanter presented by McCallum Bagpipes. Each piper had to submit four tunes of his own choice, tunes given in the final tuning room. There were eight invitees. The full results were as follows:
Piobaireachd
1 Magnus Stone, Lament for the Earl of Antrim, £120
2 Thomas Fallon, Rout of Glen Fruin, £80
3 Liam Nicolson, King’s Taxes, £60
4 Malachi Johanssen, Macleod of Raasay’s Salute, £40,
MSR
1 Chris McCartan, Arthur Bignold, John Roy Stewart, Drumlithie, £120
2 Kyle Cameron, Glasgow Skye Association, Hector MacLean, Brown Haired Maid, £80
3 Thomas Fallon, MacLean of Pennycross, Lady Louden, Broadford Bay, £60
4 Andrew Pattison, Stirlingshire Militia, Cat Lodge, Lt. Col. DJS Murray, £40
A few comments on the playing. The morning was cold and blustery and some pipers struggled to settle their instruments. Magnus Stone was a good winner in the ceòl mòr with a steady pipe and crisp hands. He was off the crotchets too quickly in Variation 2 of his tune, the Earl of Antrim, and Variation 3 did not swing at all.
Thomas Fallon needs more on the theme notes in Glen Fruin, but his good, clear chanter and solid technique saw him through. Liam Nicolson was given third for the King’s Taxes. The drones were well off by the end, but the interpretation and fingering were of first order.
The final prize went to Malachi Johannsen from California. His chanter lacked projection, particularly on the bottom hand. Its dull sound made it difficult for him to tune the drones. However he shaped up MacLeod of Raasay quite nicely, and despite leaping on to the cadences in the crunluath, was well worth his prize.
Of the others, Kyle Cameron forgot to play the doubling of Variation 1 of the MacDonald’s Are Simple when going well; Chris McCartan played the ending of Variation 1 at the end of the ground of Capt. MacDougall – again going well; Andrew Pattison had possibly the best pipe in the competition but the eloquent beauty of Beloved Scotland was missing; Thomas Baird was laboured in Lord Lovat’s Lament – interpretation and finger.
After a warming lunch, it was on with the MSR. The winner, Chris McCartan, showed why he is one of the young stars with Inveraray Pipe Band. My notes read simply, ‘A very well played MSR, on a good pipe; no major issues.’
Second went to Kyle Cameron, ‘Good steady playing on a full, harmonic pipe. Some birls unclear.’ Thomas Fallon, ‘A fine MSR; no major errors; pipe held nicely; over simplified version of the reel.’ Andrew Pattison, ‘A little forced; needs to relax but no misses and pipes good.’
Of the others Magnus played off the beat in the march and reel, Douglas’s technique was not up to his usual high standard, Liam was too clipped with his work, and Malachi’s chanter again hampered his performance, though their was a serious fumble as well.
The bench took mere minutes to arrive its decisions and I must say what a pleasure it was to share it with experts such as Dr Jack Taylor MBE and Angus MacColl.
The whole day was one of enjoyment with perfect stewarding from Christine Hill and Margaret Farmer and interesting introductions from Fear an Tigh Iain Hurst. Before the prizes were announced organiser Torquil Telfer explained to the audience the background to the competition – created to celebrate 150 years since the inauguration of the Argyllshire Gathering – and thanked the sponsors.
I then offered words of encouragement and congratulation to the pipers as they entered the tough but rewarding world of professional solo piping competition.
Each piper received substantial expenses on top of prizemoney, and the overseas pipers a hefty contribution towards air fares.
Judges for both events: AD MacColl, J Taylor, R Wallace. Sponsors were Dungallon Country House, the Piobaireachd Society, and McCallum Bagpipes. Special thanks to Lord Archie Cochrane our host, and his father the Earl of Dundonald, and to the main sponsor, Dungallon Country House.
