by KEN A. CAMERON
Chairman, Lochaber Piping Society
After all the forced dearth of “real” events over the last couple of years, holding a proper in-person event so soon after relaxation of the COVID rules could have gone either of two ways – maybe we wouldn’t get many contestants as they had got out of the habit, or on the other hand we would find everybody mad-keen to get back into it. Fortunately it was the latter and we had a very welcome 43 entrants, spread pretty well across the classes.
With entrants taking part in multiple classes, there were a total of 128 individual performances on the day. Competitors were so keen, they entered from Dumfries, Lochgilphead, Uig (Skye), Peterculter, Mull, Benbecula, Inverness and many parts in between. Perhaps due to the enforced gap and the opportunity for plenty of practice, the adjudicators all commented very favourably on the high standard of playing through all the classes.
RESULTS:
11-13yrs. on Practice Chanter (Confined)
1. Jamie Smith Fort William
14 & under on Practice Chanter
1. Bethany MacIntosh Elgol
2. Morla Bruce Alexandria
3. Peter Martin South Peinduin
4. Calum McDiarmid Portree
5. Sam de Vries Ardvasar
6. Cody McGuigan Oban
16 & under SLOW AIR
1. Gregor Grierson Dumfries
2. Lewis Maxwell Alva
3. Logie Johnstone Isle of Mull
4. Laura Robertson Fort William
5. Grace Kelman Inverness
6. Fraser Hamilton Paisley
PIOBAIREACHD – GROUND ONLY
1. Giacomo Cecchini-Fraser Portree
2. Seonaidh Forrest Isle Ornsay
3. Calum MacAskill Tomonie
14 & under MARCH
1. Fraser Hamilton Paisley
2. Arran Green Stirling
3. Craig Mitchell Peterculter
4. Lewis Stewart Peterculter
5. Seonaidh Forrest Isle Ornsay
6. Grace Kelman Inverness
15-18yrs. MARCH
1. Lewis Maxwell Alva
2. Kyle Cameron Rosemarkie
3. Catriona Norman Callander
4. Laura Robertson Fort William
5. Gregor Grierson Dumfries
6. Camron Blue MacPhail Lochgilphead
14 & under STRATHSPEY & REEL
1. Fraser Hamilton Paisley
2. Arran Green Stirling
3. Joseph Townsley Glenrothes
4. Craig Mitchell Peterculter
5. Grace Kelman Inverness
6. Lewis Stewart Peterculter
15-18yrs. STRATHSPEY & REEL
1. Lewis Maxwell Alva
2. Logie Johnstone Isle of Mull
3. Archie Maclean Inverness
4. Catriona Norman Callander
5. Camron Blue MacPhail Lochgilphead
6. Innes Munro Oban
14 & under PIOBAIREACHD
1. Fraser Hamilton Paisley
2. Grace Kelman Inverness
3. Craig Mitchell Peterculter
4. Lewis Stewart Peterculter
5. Rory Menzies Aberdeen
6= Arran Green Stirling
6= Charles MacLennan Inverness
15-18yrs. PIOBAIREACHD
1. Kyle Cameron Rosemarkie
2. Archie Maclean Inverness
3. Camron Blue MacPhail Lochgilphead
4. Calum Dunbar Inverness
5. Logie Johnstone Isle of Mull
6. Gregor Grierson Dumfries
14 & under JIG
1. Fraser Hamilton Paisley
2. Grace Kelman Inverness
3. Arran Green Stirling
4. Lewis Stewart Peterculter
5. Seonaidh Forrest Isle Ornsay
6. Rory Menzies Aberdeen
15-18yrs. JIG
1. Lewis Maxwell Alva
2. Calum Dunbar Inverness
3. Archie Maclean Inverness
4. Laura Robertson Fort William
5. Logie Johnstone Isle of Mull
6. Camron Blue MacPhail Lochgilphead
P/M DONALD MACLEOD PIOBAIREACHD
1. Calum Dunbar Inverness
2. Lewis Maxwell Alva
3. Kyle Cameron Rosemarkie
4. Innes Munro Oban
5. Camron Blue MacPhail Lochgilphead
6. Archie Maclean Inverness
NOVICE DRUMMING on Stick & Pad
1. Maria Stewart Kyle of Lochalsh
15-18yrs. DRUMMING
1. Ewan Allen Livingston
Our adjudicators were: John Dew, Connor Sinclair, Craig Muirhead and Euan Dewar, who covered all the piping and chanter classes, while Cameron Lawson judged the drumming for us.
Three of the piping judges – Craig, John and Connor – generously gave their time to play alongside our own Angus Nicolson at a recital held the evening before the competition. An appreciative and enthusiastic audience numbering around 60 attended. Angus was Fear an Tigh for the evening and kicked off by playing some cracking sets with tunes ranging from very local across the range to Cape Breton. Following him were performances by Craig and John, with Connor closing the evening. The individual playing styles and programme content ensured a fine evening’s entertainment.
Society Members worked hard to organise and put on these two events and we believe it furthers our aim to foster Piping in the Lochaber area. However, hard work alone doesn’t cover all that is required for a successful and enjoyable competition and we are deeply conscious of the part played by the generosity of our sponsors. The main financial support comes from Jahama Highland Estates, major landowners and employers in the area. Further financial support was also granted by The Piobaireachd Society and prizes-in-kind, so well appreciated in junior competitions, were generously donated by The National Piping Centre, McCallum Bagpipes, R.G. Hardie & Co, Pipe Dreams and The Piobaireachd Society. We are most grateful for all these contributions.
Next in our sights is The Lochaber Gathering in late August – an event that went down so well last year when we grabbed a short window of opportunity to host it.
