by Fergus Muirhead, at the Glenfiddich Piping Championship 2016
The Glenfiddich is without question the go-to solo event in the piping calendar. Every aspiring young champion wants to play there, and most piping enthusiasts don’t feel like they have completed their event calendar until they have sat in the Great Hall of Blair Castle in Blair Atholl at least once. And now that the event is streamed world wide thousands of new lovers of the Great Highland Bagpipe get to listen to the top 10 players of the year battle it out over a piobaireachd and MSR competition for the coveted title of Glenfiddich Champion.
Willie McCallum has won the event more than any other piper and he is in no doubt that it is a special day. He said: “I think most of the pipers at the start of their career make it their goal to be at this competition. It means you’ve had a decent season and had good results in the big events. That’s the way I think about it. I want to make sure that I’m at the big show. It’s a big competition and it’s an all-round championship so you need to be good in all disciplines.”
Roddy MacLeod, another long time attendee, agreed: “It’s important because it gives every solo piper something to aim for. The top solo pipers in the world come together in that event and it’s a motivational force throughout the whole competing season.
“You want to get there at the end of the year so players are bursting a gut to win a Gold Medal or a Clasp or a top-level event and I’m quite sure that C Grade pipers and B Grade pipers who are looking at a silver medal will have as their ultimate goal to play at Blair Castle one day.”
Livestream tickets for the Glenfiddich 2024 are available here.
Both of these veterans agree that it is crucial for the younger generation of players to attend the event. Willie remembers the first time his father took him along. He said: “It’s hugely important that the younger players can get to hear the 10 best pipers from the last year playing together.
“I was here in 1976 as a young boy with my father and Ronnie McCallum. I was totally into it and it was a great experience. Pipe Major Angus MacDonald won that day. It was a day I know I would never forget and I remember thinking that I would like to be playing up there one days.”
Roddy and Willie were both in their early 20s when they first graced the Glenfiddich stage but Roddy thinks that the grading system that exists today makes that more difficult. He said: “When you come into solo piping to begin with, you will be graded by the Competing Pipers Association, beginning usually at C Grade. So to use a footballing analogy you might go in at Division 3 and have to work your way up to 2 then the Premiership. That’s where most of the competitions that get you to the Glenfiddich are at. You become a Premiership player if you win a Gold Medal but to win any of the other events like the Clasp or the Former Winners or the Bratach Gorm, then you have to already be a Premier League player.”
But entering a Gold Medal event can be almost as difficult as winning it these days. Roddy added: “You would need to be a Grade A piper to play in the Gold Medal but there are more Grade A players than there are Gold Medal spots because the numbers are capped. So you almost have to be an A+ player to even play in the Gold Medal. Then you have to win it, that’s your first step into the Glenfiddich and into other big premier grade competitions. So winning the Gold Medal is the start of a new career for a premier graded piper.”
Even though it is a tough task, there are years where a new young talent appears on the stage at Blair Castle. Roddy said: “We had Alistair Henderson making his first appearance in 2016. He’s 27 and that’s probably as quick as you could do it. Willie and I were 24 or 25 when we first played but it’s probably harder now than it was in those days. We were able to be fast-tracked through the grading system and that is not as likely to happen now.”
Alistair came to his first Glenfiddich four or five years ago but has been listening to the top players for much longer. He said: “I remember going to listen to Willie play in Inveraray Castle before I started to play, and the thought that I’m now playing against him is quite special. I went to Oban when I was younger and I’d try to listen to a couple of MSRs or piobaireachds and I definitely think it helps to be exposed to that type of piping.”
Although he attended the Gold Medal events as a spectator long before he went to Blair Castle, he believes that the Glenfiddich event is a bit different.
Alistair said: “I think there is a different vibe here. When I was at The National Piping Centre I used to look at the photographs that are taken every year by Derek Maxwell with all the famous faces. And I knew that to get there, you had to get to the top of the ladder then win one of the contests that has all of these guys in it. The winners from all of the big events are here, it’s a great venue and it’s something I’ve grown up watching. I’ve been up a few times to watch and I’ve followed it closely. It was always something I really wanted to play at and that’s why it’s extra special to be here. I knew I wanted to be there to play from the first time I sat in the hall. I had heard lots of recordings but to hear it live was quite special.”
Alistair also thinks that the recent innovation of filming the event has made a huge difference. He said: “It’s a brilliant idea that the event is streamed worldwide now. I think that because this is such a special event and such a unique venue, it’s great that people all over the world can see that. Until I came up for the first time three or four years ago I had no idea what it was really like.”
There was a slight concern when the event was first broadcast live that it might have a negative impact on audience numbers, as people decided to watch the competition from the comfort of their own home rather than make the trip to Blair Atholl. In fact the opposite seems to be the case, with people who have seen the event online deciding that they really need to go to see it live.
Ian McIsaac from Nova Scotia in Canada is one such ping enthusiast, a regular visitor to Scotland to compete in pipe band events but a first-time visitor to The Glenfiddich. He said: “I’ve been piping for 40 years and I’ve been over here at various times and this has always been one of these events that I’ve wanted to see. It all came together over a bottle of whisky with Ken Eller. He was discussing the significance of the event and what a great time he had, and what a wonderful atmosphere exists amongst the players. My dad, who is also a piper, told me that he has had coming here on his bucket list for years. So we bought a ticket and here we are.”
Ian believes that the event represents the pinnacle of achievement for those who qualify, but that it is a really tough challenge for them all. He said: “From a piping perspective the challenges for a competitor to get here are immense. To think about what they must endure to qualify for this event is monumental.
“I spoke to Bruce Gandy on the train up here about his tune selections and how he came to pick six MSR and then six piobaireachds and then you’re told the night before by the judges that they want one particular tune from each set tomorrow. That’s just so upside down from a band perspective because you are used to playing a specific set. So that’s a lot of pressure on one player on one day. It’s a real test. The preparation is probably at a different level for these guys. They wouldn’t be in the top 10 in the world if they didn’t have that so I think they’re ready to go.”
In-person tickets for the Glenfiddich 2024 are available here.
And as well as being a real treat for Ian to see the Glenfiddich live, he’s also much more relaxed than he normally is when he visits Scotland.
Ian said: “Ken Eller arranged for us to stay at The National Piping Centre and they really have a first class operation there. Everyone in there lives, breathes and talks piping and it all adds to the excitement of the event. They have some great world-class instructors there and your paths don’t always cross if you come over for The Worlds because you are tied up with your own band routine and you don’t have a lot of free time. It’s nice to be able to sit back and enjoy this one. And the whole ambience of the hotel and Pitlochry is great.”
Willie agrees that the social side of the event is really important. He said: “All the pipers are good friends. That’s the good thing about piping, so we’re happy whoever wins. There are a lot of people who travel for the championship so you see a big number of friends from all over the word this weekend, so it’s an important thing socially.”
He did confess to still getting a little tense the night before the competition. And for Willie it was even tougher than usual as it was his first Glenfiddich without his dad who died earlier last year. Speaking on the eve of the contest he said: “ I just want o do something he will be proud of. I’ll have some dinner, then we’ll all get our tunes, and hopefully not worry about them. There have been years where I’ve been awake at 3am worrying about a variation of Donald Ban but some years you just sleep better then others. It’s always just a wee nervy night.”
The one constant about the event is Liz Maxwell who organises the whole thing on behalf of the sponsors, William Grant & Sons, and Ian McIsaac is in no doubt that it is her steady hand on the tiller that keeps everyone calm on the day. He said: “Liz is legendary to those who follow the Glenfiddich because she makes sure that this has become a world-class event. So kudos to the organisation for their support because in this day and age of identity and constant shifting of brands, Glenfiddich have stayed true to the heart and soul of Scotland which is piping. I think that’s a strong statement and speaks for itself all round the world.”
Everyone you talk to at the event is similarly full of praise for the sponsorship of the event, and of piping generally. Roddy explains the origins of their involvement: “I think it was a philanthropic move by Sandy Grant Gordon. It has always been something that the family supported and I think it was fostered through Sandy’s personal interest and his connection to his uncle Francis Collinson who had written books about bagpipes and had a strong interest in traditional music.”
And it’s not just the Glenfiddich who benefit from this sponsorship. Roddy said: “They support the Silver Chanter, The London Competition and the CPA events. And so the net has spread further than the Glenfiddich. It’s been a huge thing and a constant factor in the world of piping. And the world of piping has been extremely grateful and it would be a huge hole to fill without them.”
It is this type of support that has seen piping grow from strength to strength in recent years, according to Roddy. He said: “The William Grant Foundation is supporting youth events round the country and the support for youth piping is strong just now. You have the Scottish Schools Piping and Drumming Trust doing quite a lot to support piping in schools and at youth level. The National Piping Centre, through the National Youth Pipe Band and all that we do on top of that, is doing a lot to support youth piping and there is more support from local authorities. You have North Lanarkshire Schools, Kintyre Schools, Stirlingshire schools among others supporting more bands than ever before.”
While all of this work being done in schools up and down the country is having a positive impact Callum Moffat, piping instructor in Dumfries and Galloway, reckons that aspiring young pipers who have just started to learn to play need events like the Glenfiddich to look up to. Callum said: “It gives young pipers the opportunity to listen to the world’s elite on one of the biggest stages for piping and the bonus for us in the south wast is that Bob Lee, Maggie Gordon’s husband, actually donated tickets to some of the youngsters to come up here, and he put on a bus as well so today has cost them nothing.
“The standard of competition, which is so high, is an added bonus because they don’t get that back home where they only have local bands and then once a month we invite a guest artist. This month it was Calum Beaumont. Today they’re getting to hear 10 of the best.”
And the youngsters’ attendance at the competition has a positive effect when they turn up at school the next week. “They come in the following week really motivated having listened to these guys and that makes my job easier. It gives us a bit of pride because they are doing work outside of their lessons and coming back truly motivated.”
This is critical, Callum believes, because the youngsters visiting for the first time this year could be competing in 10 or 15 years. He said: “The youth of today is the future generation of piping. You can definitely see a real improvement in the schools that have piping. And it’s not just the exams that help. It’s the life skills in meeting new people, time management and building confidence. I felt I lacked some of these things when I was their age and playing in front of people, but that’s much better now with the younger generation.”
Connor Sinclair is another young player who is likely to be a competitor at Blair Castle one day. He remembers his first visit to the Great Hall. He said: “I was quite young and remember thinking, it’s huge, and with all the antlers on the wall, it was an amazing place. The best in the world are all in one room so you really want to come and hear them, and it’s so close to home. It’s the biggest event in the piping calendar. Everyone wants to play here. Hopefully I’ll play here one day. I’m only one win away.”
Connor believes that the standard of piping in Scotland is as high as it has ever been. “The standard overall is a lot better from youngsters right through. Reeds are better made so the sound is better. There are more people willing to teach. Margaret Dunn, my teacher, went through the Academy so she is more likely to have a great knowledge of how to teach and there are probably more people around who are able to teach to a higher standard.”
Roddy agreed: “Where we were younger it wasn’t cool to play the pipes, in fact sometimes you wanted to keep it quiet. But now kids are fully enjoying their piping and it’s accepted just as any other instrument would be.”
Roddy also believes that bands like the Chilli Pipers have helped the growth in popularity that the pipes are enjoying. He said: “The Chilli Pipers have done a lot. A lot of young kids latch on to their music because of their notoriety and fame and a lot of them want to emulate that and you hear them mimic their tunes. The type of pipe music they are playing is not traditional but if they are encouraging kids to pick up the instrument then thats a good thing.”
And to take us full circle Roddy, five time winner of the event, is another who visited Blair Castle as a youngster and loved the experience. He said: “I loved the whole thing and it made me desperately keen to try and get there myself and it gave me motivation to try to be as good as the guys I heard. I can only imagine that they get the same out of it as I did at that age. You want to practice and be as good as you can possibly be and I think that is what the Glenfiddich stands for – simply the best in piping.”