The Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association Northern Ireland Branch are hosting two events on April 17 and 18, 2026, at Cookstown High School, Co. Tyrone. The closing dates for both events are next week, with the Ulster Solos 2026 entry closing on Monday coming, March 23, and the UK Solo Snare Drumming Championships closing on Wednesday, March 25.
Entries to be completed via the RSPBANI website at www.rspbani.org.
COMPETITION GRADES for Ulster Solos 2026
Practice Chanter/Drum Pads
Novice and Advanced sections are intended for competitors who have never competed with a band in a competition
| Novice: | Confined to competitors who are aged under 12 as of 1 November 2025. Competitors aged 12 or over on or before 1 November 2025 will not be eligible to enter. Evidence of age must be produced on request |
| Advanced: | Confined to competitors who are aged under 13 as of 1 November 2025. Competitors aged 13 or over on or before 1 November 2025 will not be eligible to enter. Evidence of age must be produced on request |
Novice Piping/Unaccompanied Snare:
* A competitor in the Pipe Chanter/Unaccompanied Snare Grade can only remain in this grade for one competitive season (A competitive season ends with the All Ireland/JAC Solos)
Confined to competitors who are aged under 13 as of 1 November 2025. Competitors aged 13 or over on or before 1 November 2025 will not be eligible to enter. Evidence of age must be produced on request
Juvenile U14: Confined to competitors who are aged under 14 as of 1 November 2025. Competitors aged 14 or over on or before 1 November 2025 will not be eligible to enter. Evidence of age must be produced on request.
Juvenile U16: Confined to competitors who are aged under 16 as of 1 November 2025. Competitors aged 16 or over on or before 1 November 2025 will not be eligible to enter. Evidence of age must be produced on request.
Juvenile U18: Confined to competitors who are aged under 18 as of 1 November 2025. Competitors aged 18 or over on or before 1 November 2025 will not be eligible to enter. Evidence of age must be produced on request.
C Grade Confined to: (Junior) Competitors aged 18 or over who have not yet been graded ‘C’ by the RSPBANI. And competitors who have been graded C or below by the Competing Pipers Association (CPA)
B Grade Confined to: (Intermediate) Competitors who have been graded ‘B’ by RSPBANI or Joint Association Council (JAC). And competitors who have been graded B- by the CPA
A Grade Confined to: (Senior) Competitors who have been graded ‘A’ by RSPBANI or JAC. And competitors who competed in the Final of the World Drumming Solos Competitors who have been graded B, B+, or A by the CPA
Piobaireachd
U16 Confined to: Competitors who are aged under 16 as of 1 November 2025; Evidence of age must be produced on request.
U18 Confined to: Competitors who are aged under 18 as of 1 November 2025; Evidence of age must be produced on request.
B Confined to: Competitors aged 18 or over who have not yet been graded as Piobaireachd B by the RSPBANI. Competitors who have not won 1st place in a Piobaireachd B All Ireland contest. Competitors who have been graded C (Piobaireachd) or below by the CPA.
A Confined to: Competitors who have already been graded as Piobaireachd A by the RSPBANI. Competitors who have won 1st place in a Piobaireachd B All Ireland contest. Competitors who have been graded B- (Piobaireachd) or above by the CPA.
Tenor Drumming
U14 Confined to competitors who are aged under 14 as of 1 November 2025. Evidence of age must be produced on request.
U16 Confined to competitors who are aged under 16 as of 1 November 2025. Evidence of age must be produced on request.
C Grade Confined to competitors aged 16 or over as of 1 November 2025
B Grade Confined to competitors who have placed 1st in C Grade at a previous All Ireland Solos
A Grade Confined to competitors who have placed 1st in B Grade at a previous All Ireland Solos
PLAYING REQUIREMENTS
| DRUMMING | PIPING | |
| Novice | Four parts of Quick March, in any time signature | Four parts of Quick March, in any time signature |
| Advanced | Four part 2/4 March or 6/8 March | Four part 2/4 March or 6/8 March |
| Unaccompanied/Novice Piping | Four parts of Quick March, in any time signature | Four parts of Quick March, in any time signature No drones to be sounded |
| Juvenile U14 | Four part 2/4 March | Four part 2/4 March |
| Juvenile U16 | March, Strathspey and Reel | Four part 2/4 March |
| Juvenile U18 | March, Strathspey and Reel | March, Strathspey and Reel |
| C Grade (Junior) | March, Strathspey and Reel | March, Strathspey and Reel |
| B Grade (Intermediate) | March, Strathspey and Reel | March, Strathspey and Reel (2 of each to be submitted) |
| A Grade (Senior) | March, Strathspey and Reel (2 sets to be submitted) Hornpipe & Jig (at least 4 parts each) | March, Strathspey and Reel (3 of each to be submitted) |
| Hornpipe & Jig | Hornpipe & Jig (at least 4 parts each) Confined to over 18s only |
| PIOBAIREACHD | |
| U16 Piobaireachd | Ground & 1 Variation |
| U18 Piobaireachd | Piobaireachd (1 tune to be submitted) |
| Piobaireachd B | Piobaireachd (1 tune to be submitted) |
| Piobaireachd A | Piobaireachd (2 tunes to be submitted) |
| BASS/TENOR DRUMMING | |
| Juvenile U14 Tenor | Four parts of Quick March, in any time signature |
| Juvenile U16 Tenor | March, Strathspey and Reel (each tune to be at least 4 parts) |
| C Grade Tenor | March, Strathspey and Reel (each tune to be at least 4 parts) |
| B Grade Tenor | March, Strathspey and Reel (each tune to be at least 4 parts) |
| A Grade Tenor | March, Strathspey and Reel (each tune to be at least 4 parts) |
| Open Bass Drumming | March, Strathspey and Reel (each tune to be at least 4 parts) |
RSPBA UK Solo Snare Drumming Championships 2026
The RPSBA United Kingdom Solo Drumming hosted by The Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association Northern Ireland Branch will take place on Friday 17th April in Cookstown High School. Start time tbc but the event will take place in the afternoon/evening.
In addition to the Adult Grade, where competitors play for the Bobby Rea cup and one of six coveted semi-final spots in the upcoming World Solo Drumming championships, there will be 5 Juvenile grades – in line with the grades at the World Solo Drumming
Playing Requirements
| JUVENILE SECTION | CRITERIA | PLAYING REQUIREMENTS |
| 1 | Aged under 14 years on the 1st November 2025 and registered with a Band Graded; Novice Juvenile or Grade 4. | 8 Parts of Quick March tempo in 2/4 time signature, tunes from the RSPBA Approved List |
| 2 | Aged 14 years and over and under 18 years on the 1st November 2025 and registered with a Band Graded; Novice Juvenile or Grade 4. | 8 Parts of Quick March tempo in 2/4 time signature, tunes from the RSPBA Approved List |
| 3 | Aged under 14 years on the 1st November 2025 and registered with a Band Graded; Novice Juvenile, Grade 4, Juvenile, Grade 3, Grade 2 or Grade 1. | March, Strathspey and Reel, to be played without stopping in between tunes. Minimum of FOUR parts each tune. |
| 4 | Aged 14 years and over and under 16 years on the 1st November 2025 and registered with a Band Graded; Novice Juvenile, Grade 4, Juvenile, Grade 3, Grade 2 or Grade 1. | March, Strathspey and Reel, to be played without stopping in between tunes. Minimum of FOUR parts each tune. |
| 5 | Aged 16 years and over and under 18 years on the 1st November 2025 and registered with a Band Graded; Novice Juvenile, Grade 4, Juvenile, Grade 3, Grade 2 or Grade 1. | March, Strathspey and Reel, to be played without stopping in between tunes. Minimum of FOUR parts each tune. |
| Adult Snare | Open to those Aged 18 years or over on the 1st November and registered with a Band Graded; Grade 4, Grade 3, Grade 2 or Grade 1 | March, Strathspey and Reel, to be played without stopping in between tunes. Minimum of FOUR parts each tune. Two MSRs to be submitted and will be drawn on the line. |
For further details on playing requirements click here.
Rules
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- Contest run under RSPBA rules.
- All competitors must be registered members of an RSPBA Pipe Band or Overseas Pipe Band Association that is affiliated to the RSPBA.
- All competitors must wear band uniform.
- Contests to be adjudicated by RSPBA approved drumming adjudicators.
- SIX places for the World Solo Drumming Semi-Final event will be awarded at this qualifying event
- The highest placed players who have not already pre-qualified for the 2026 Adult World Solo Drumming Championship shall be granted a semi-final place.
- Entry fee for this event is £10 (Adult grade) and £5 (Juvenile grades), which is non-refundable.
- Closing Date – Wednesday 25th March 2026
- No late entries will be accepted.
- Further entry fee payable for World Solo Drumming Event 2026.
- Draw will be published on RSPBANI branch website
- Entries via RSPBANI branch website (below)
- Results available here after the event has completed
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