By Pipe Major Peter MacGregor (WO2)
On the weekend of February 22-23 the sound of bagpipes, drums and bugles was once again present at Redford Barracks in Edinburgh as the 2020 Army Piping and Drumming Championships took place at the Army School of Bagpipe Music and Highland Drumming’s home of Inchdrewer House.
Solo events that would decide the holders of the much coveted titles of Army Champion Piper and Drummer took place on Saturday with personal and regimental pride at stake. The senior staff at the school remained tight lipped overnight with competitors being kept unaware of the prize lists until Sunday afternoon. Proceedings culminated in multi-instrumentalist and mini-band contests in March, Strathspey and Reel, and Medley disciplines, followed by the prize giving ceremony.
Adjudication was provided by a panel of independent expert judges, who worked throughout the day to decide the placings across no less than 20 events. A strong representation from the Army, the Army reserve, and the Scottish Universities Officer Training Corps competed over the weekend with entries noticeably increased from previous years. At the conclusion of the weekend’s competitions, the winners of the major events were as follows:
Army Champion Pipe Band 2020: The Highlanders, 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland.
Army Champion Piper 2020: Pipe Major Ben Duncan, The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.
Army Champion Drummer 2020: LCpl Will Crawford, Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland.
Open Drumming winner: DMaj Callum Marr, The Highlanders, 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland.
Senior Light Music winner: OCdt Hutcheon, Aberdeen University Officer Training Corps.
Senior Piobaireachd winner: WO2 MacKenzie, Royal Corps of Signals.
Full results:
Novice March – 1. Rfn Bimal Rai, 1 RGR; 2. Ppr Fair, 1st Bn Scots Guards; 3. Tpr Duff, Scots DG; 4. LCpl Grant, 1st Bn Scots Guards.
Novice Drumming – 1. Tpr Richmond, Scots DG; 2. Tpr Smyth, Scots DG; 3. Dmr Thomson, 4 SCOTS.
Confined Piobaireachd – 1. OCdt Hutcheon, AUOTC; 2. OCdt Chiang, EUOTC; 3. Ppr Simmons, 4 SCOTS; 4. Cpl Beaton, R Sigs.
Confined March – 1, OCdt Wallis, EUOTC; 2. OCdt Holmes, GSUOTC; 3. Ppr Killorn, 4 SCOTS; 4. OCdt Chiang, EUOTC.
Confined Strathspey & Reel – 1. OCdt Wallis, EUOTC; 2. OCdt Holmes, GSUOTC; 3. LBdr Hand, 19 Regt RA; 4. Pte Wainwright, 3 SCOTS.
Confined Drumming – 1. LCpl Elder, R Sigs; 2. LCpl Lilliequist, 1st Bn Scots Guards; 3. OCdt Young, EUOTC.
Senior Piobaireachd – 1. WO2 MacKenzie, R Sigs; 2. Cpl Jardine, Scots DG; 3. LCpl Bell, R Sigs; 4. LCpl McRobb, 1st Bn Scots Guards.
Senior March – 1. OCdt Hutcheon, AUOTC; 2. LCpl Bell, R Sigs; 3. PMaj Laing, AUOTC; 4. Cpl Black, R Sigs.
Senior Strathspey & Reel – 1. OCdt Hutcheon, AUOTC; 2. LCpl Bell, R Sigs; 3. PMaj Laing, AUOTC; 4. LCpl Fraser, 1st Battalion Scots Guards.
Hornpipe & Jig – 1. LCpl McCaskill, 3 SCOTS; 2. PMaj Duncan, Scots DG; 3. Tpr McKay, Scots DG; 4. OCdt Frame, GSUOTC.
Open Piobaireachd – 1. PMaj Duncan, Scots DG; 2. Tpr McKay, Scots DG; 3. Ppr Gillies, 4 SCOTS.
Open March – 1. PMaj Duncan, Scots DG; 2. Tpr McKay, Scots DG; 3. Ppr Gilllies, 4 SCOTS.
Open Strathspey & Reel – 1. PMaj Duncan, Scots DG; 2. Ppr Gillies 4 SCOTS; 3. OCdt Frame, GSUOTC.
Open Drummer – 1. DMaj Marr, 4 SCOTS; 2. LCpl Crawford, 2 SCOTS; 3. DMaj McCutcheon, Scots Guards.
Mixed Ensemble Medley – 1. The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards; 2. 1 Bn The Scots Guards; 3. 3 SCOTS The Royal Regiment of Scotland.
Mini Band MSR – 1. 4 SCOTS The Royal Regiment of Scotland; 2. The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards; 3. 1 Bn The Scots Guards.
Mini Band Medley – 1. 4 SCOTS The Royal Regiment of Scotland; 2. The Royal Scots Dragoon Guard; 3. 1 Bn The Scots Guards.
Champion Piper – PMaj Duncan, Scots DG.
Champion Drummer – LCpl Crawford, 2 SCOTS.
Mini Band Champions – 4 SCOTS The Royal Regiment of Scotland.
The Director of Army Bagpipe Music and his staff would like to thank the Piobaireachd Society, who set the conditions for the school to exist and thrive over 100 years ago, and the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and Army Piping Committee for their financial support of the competitions, without which these events would not be possible.
Next year’s Army Piping and Drumming Championships will be held on the weekend of February 20-21, 2021.
• If you would like a rewarding and fulfilling career as an Army piper or drummer, please get in touch with the Army School of Bagpipe Music and Highland Drumming on our Facebook page, or by telephone on 0131 310 5561. We welcome applications from commonwealth citizens and those with permanent residency in the United Kingdom regardless of gender.
