• PART 71 •
BY JEANNIE CAMPBELL MBE.
In 2006 the gathering took place on 23rd and 24th August. The Gold Medal began at 8.30am in the Great Western Hotel, the Silver Medal at 9am in the Corran Halls, the MacGregor Memorial at 9am in the Regent Hotel and the Senior at 10am in the Royal Hotel.
The set tunes for the Gold Medal were Lament for the Only Son (played five times), Isabel Mackay (played five times), Fair Honey (played four times), The Old Men of the Shells (played four times), Mackintosh of Borlum’s Salute (played four times), Lord MacDonald’s Lament (played three times), Nameless Hihirin hodin hihorodovea,(played twice), Duntroon’s March (played twice). There were 29 competitors each submitting four tunes from the list.
The set tunes for the Silver Medal were Grain in Hides and Corn in Sacks, MacCrimmon Will Never Return, Weighing from Land, Duke of Atholl’s Salute, Battle of Strome, Chisholm’s Salute. Again four were required. There were 30 competitors.
The set tunes for the Senior were MacLeans’ March, Lament for the Laird of Anapool, My Dearest on Earth Give Me Your Kiss, Port Urlar, Lament for the Harp Tree, The Daughter’s Lament. There were 18 competitors, each submitting four tunes.
Jeannie Campbell wrote in the Piping Times: “The Gold Medal began on time at 8.30 in the morning on the first day of the Gathering, which is perhaps not the best time of day to either play or listen to piobaireachd, but with 30 players on the programme an early start was necessary. One of the judges commented that the event was like the curate’s egg, good in parts, but as there was a marked difference between the tuning rooms and the hall consequently getting the bagpipe settled in three minutes was a work of art in itself. The winner was Greg Wilson, number five on the programme but who played last, having chosen to play in the Senior Piobaireachd before the Gold Medal.
“The Gold Medal, Silver Medal, Senior Piobaireachd and MacGregor Memorial were all held simultaneously at different venues around Oban. The Former Winners MSR started at 4pm but with 24 pipers on the programme and the tunes played twice over this too was a marathon event and continued until 9.30pm. Probably very few, except the judges, heard the entire competition. Most of the listeners took at least one break to eat, but this was something which was denied to the judges. Afterwards one of them told me they had nothing but a glass of water throughout the entire evening. The end of the competition was followed by the presentation of the prizes won during the first day.
“As always the second day began with the march of the pipers and officials from the town to the Games field, with the Gold Medal winner as the Pipe Major, and the Duke of Argyll leading the members and stewards of the Gathering. The day was fine and sunny with tourists and visitors attending in large numbers.
“The piping competitions took place on five platforms, with the usual heavy and field events taking place all around them. There were 42 entries for the A events, 36 for the B events, six for the local events and five for the junior local MSR. This year’s guest pipe band was Paris and District under PM William Thomas and leading drummer Peter Donald who was originally from Oban. They entertained the crowd during the lunch break.”
The full results were:
Gold Medal: 1. Greg Wilson, Lord MacDonald’s Lament; 2. Stuart Shedden, Old Men of the Shells; 3. Jori Chisholm, Fair Honey; 4. Ian K. MacDonald, The Old Men of the Shells; 5. Glen Brown, Lord MacDonald’s Lament. Judges Tom Speirs, Malcolm McRae and James McGillivray.
Senior: 1. Roderick MacLeod, My Dearest on Earth; 2. Iain Speirs, Port Urlar, 3. Niall Mathieson, MacLeans’ March; 4. Murray Henderson, My Dearest on Earth.
The other pipers who played were: Jack Lee & Angus MacColl, The Daughter’s Lament; Greg Wilson & Colin MacLellan, Lament for the Harp Tree; Dr Angus Macdonald, MacLeans’ March; Stuart Liddell, Port Urlar; Robert Wallace, Lament for the Laird of Annapool. Judges Andrew Wright, John MacDougall, Kincraig and John Wilson, Glasgow.
Silver Medal: 1. Callum Beaumont, 2. Colin Clansey, 3. Andrew Douglas, 4. Margaret Houlihan, 5.Willie McIntyre. Judges: Iain MacFadyen, Jack Taylor and Walter Drysdale.
MacGregor Memorial Piobaireachd: 1. Cameron Scott, 2. Nathan Drysdale, 3. Keegan Sheehan, 4. Alasdair Henderson. Judges: Jimmy Banks and Bruce Hitchings.
FW MSR: 1. Roddy MacLeod, 2. Alan Russell, 3. James Murray, 4. Gordon Walker. Judges: Ronald Lawrie, Bob Worrall, Neill Mulvie.
A Grade March: 1. Gordon McCready, 2. Niall Mathieson, 3. Ian K MacDonald, 4.John Angus Smith. Judges: Tom Speirs, Jimmy Banks and Jim MacGillivray.
A Grade Strathspey and Reel: 1. Douglas Murray, 2. James Murray, 3. Alistair Dunn, 4. Glen Brown. Judges: Bob Worrall, Neill Mulvie and John Wilson.
B Grade March: 1. Andrea Boyd, 2. Douglas Campbell, 3. Bill Geddes, 4. Brian MacKenzie. Judges: Malcolm McRae, Ronald Lawrie and Bruce Hitchings.
B Grade Strathspey and Reel: 1. Andrea Boyd, 2. Bill Geddes, 3. Alan Johnston, 4. Douglas Campbell. Judges: Robert Wallace, lain MacFadyen and John MacDougall.
Open Jig: 1. Ian K MacDonald, 2. Stuart Liddell, 3. Gordon Walker, 4. Angus MacColl. Judges: Andrew Wright, Walter Drysdale.
Local Junior MSR: 1. Fiona Mitchell, 2. Ross Ferguson, 3. Raymond Kennedy. Judges: Neill Mulvie, Robert Worrall.
Local March: 1. Gavin Ferguson, 2. Alistair Currie, 3. Emma Law. Judges: John MacDougall, Iain MacFadyen.
Local S&R: 1. Emma Law, 2. Gavin Ferguson, 3. Nick MacLean. Judges: Andrew Wright, Walter Drysdale.
