Next year’s annual Winter Storm has been cancelled.
This will be the second consecutive year the popular event has been cancelled outright due to the on going COVID-19 pandemic.
Organisers said today in a statement: “In view of the continuing impact of COVID-19 on global travel, the Midwest Highland Arts Fund (MHAF) Board of Directors has decided that Winter Storm – the pipes and drums event, which was scheduled to take place January 13-16, 2022, in Kansas City, Missouri – is cancelled.
“The success of the workshops, competitions, and concerts at Winter Storm relies heavily on international participants, including adjudicators and faculty, students, competitors, sponsors, and volunteers. Winter Storm has annually hosted more than 1,000 individuals from all over the world since 2002. Precautions taken because of COVID-19 also forced the cancellation of the event in 2021.”
The four-day piping and drumming event takes place in Kansas City, Missouri and is organised by the Highland Arts Fund since its inception in 2002.
Organisers hope to hold the event in 2023 from January 12-15.
Meanwhile, the Lorient Interceltic Festival kicks off in the Breton town this weekend. The festival is taking place in person although the line-up over the ten-days has been reduced considerably.
No pipe bands will feature this year. The festival usually opens with a large street parade on this Sunday but this year it will take place inside the Stade du Moustoir.
Ian K. MacDonald [pictured] of Whitby, Ontario has continued his recent run of successes in online competitions by winning the Professional Piobaireachd and MSR at the recent online Glengarry Highland Games. The police officer also scooped the Best-Dressed Piper award.
The games are usually held in the ontario town of Maxville over three days in August, and attract over 20,000 people.
Professional
Piobaireachd – Ian K. MacDonald; 2. Bobby Durning; 3. Gordon McCready.
Judge: John Wilson.
MSR – 1. Ian K. MacDonald; 2. Sean McKeown; 3. Daniel Carr.
Judge: Terry Lee.
Freestyle – 1. Daniel Carr; 2. Sean McKeown; 3. Ian K. MacDonald.
Judge: Michael Grey.
Senior Amateur Piobaireachd – 1. Charles David Mitchell; 2. Mitchell Arnold; 3. Mark McClennan.
Judge: Brian Williamson.
Grade 1
MSR – 1. Joseph Biggs; 2. Caleb Thibodeau; 3. Ben Peterson.
Judge: John Cairns.
Hornpipe & Jig – 1. Kate Runciman; 2. Ben Peterson; 3. Thomas Bruce.
Judge: Bill Livingstone.
Intermediate Amateur Piobaireachd – 1. Joseph Biggs; 2. Graham MacMaster; 3. Katherine Miller;
Judge: Jim McGillivray.
Grade 2
March – 1. Katherine Miller; 2. James Doucette; 3. Kathleen Lasseter.
Judge: Lynda MacKay.
Strathspey & Reel – 1. Eddie Boland; 2. Katherine Miller; 3. Kris Bawden.
Judge: Tyler Bridge.
Jig – 1. Kris Bawden; 2. Andrew Hill; 3. Eddie Boland.
Judge: Allan MacKenzie.
Junior Amateur Piobaireachd A – 1. Trent Harris; 2. Zachary Dwyer; 3. Kathleen Lasseter.
Judge: Doug MacRae.
Junior Amateur Piobaireachd B – 1. Eddie Boland; 2. Ray Cai; 3. David Brown.
Judge: Calum MacDonald.
Grade 3
March – 1. Ray Cai; 2. Zachary Dwyer; 3. Adam Walker.
Judge: Norman MacDonald.
Strathspey & Reel – 1. Adam Walker; 2. Zachary Dwyer; 3. Caleb John MacPherson.
Judge: Norman MacDonald.
Novice Piobaireachd – 1. Dominic Kilpatrick; 2. Kaiden Peter Sabbadin; 3. Lou Lanaro.
Judge: Ellen Mole.
Grade 4
March A – 1. Andrew William Scannell; 2. Aubre Scott; 3. Alec MacDonald.
Judge: Heather Purvis.
March B – 1. Sheila Stewart; 2. Kaiden Peter Sabbadin; 3. Allan Kerr.
Judge: Allan MacKenzie.
Grade 5
March – 1. Gordon Tait; 2. Mia MacInnes; 3. Iain Douglas Lynch.
Judge: Michael MacDonald.
Practice Chanter – 1. Zoe Smith; 2. Jack Thomson; 3. Christine Proulx.
Judge: Heather Purvis.
The Grade 3 Oban Pipe Band of Argyll in Scotland has appointed Andy Matthews as its new Pipe Major.
Andy replaces Daniel Johnstone who was in post for only a few seasons. The band has also appointed Niall Jordan as Pipe Sergeant.
Andy began playing with the local school band before joining the Oban band just under a decade ago. After a short period with Shotts he has now returned to the Oban band.