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President’s Newsletter

The Newsletter is issued most months with the exception of summer. If you do not receive a copy, generally out at the end of the month, please email president@piobaireachd.co.uk. The Newsletter features information and news on the Society’s activities.


Archie Kenneth Quaich 2024

Arran King receives his trophy from Music Committee Chairman Alan Forbes

This ever-popular amateur piobaireachd contest was held in the rooms of the Royal Scottish Pipers Society on 24th February. Thanks are due to them for their endless support for this contest, in rooms which are comfortable and welcoming. The bar area doubles as the final tuning room – which provides an extra bit of entertainment for those having a beer or a coffee. As ever, RSPS members did stewarding, some bar work, and helped pipers with tuning pipes (if they wished that). 

By Dr Peter McCalister

A very large entry (38) could not fit into the 25 places available so pipers went into a draw in January – and the top 25 were offered a place plus 5 reserves. In the end 21 played as there were call-off’s at the very last minute. 

I was stewarding almost all day, so I heard very few performances, but I did hear the winner, Arran King, who was asked to play the MacFarlane’s Gathering just after lunch. On a lovely bagpipe he certainly kept the tune moving. In second place, having flown from Dublin for the day, was Edmund Boland who was drawn early and played Andrew MacNeil of Colonsay. In 3rd place was Owain Woodman Carr who was drawn to play The Little Spree , second on. This was his first ever solo contest. After he played he had to head to the Murrayfield area where he was doing a piping gig in a hotel (there was international rugby on in Edinburgh, that day), and he came back just in time for the celebrations. In 4th place was Graham Farr (Catherine’s Lament) and 5th was John Forbes (Lament for the Viscount of Dundee) – the latter a piper who is regularly in the prizes, here.

Other travellers from afar included Antony Kelly from Ireland, several players from England, and two Americans – Andrea Jones from North Carolina, and Thompson McConnell from Philadelphia. Thomson told me that coming over to play at this contest had been on his bucket list for a long time. Andrea said she would come over and listen each year, even if she was not drawn to play – real piping dedication, there.

As is frequently seen in this contest, some very good performances were marred by small errors that cost the piper dear. For example, one frequent prize-winner had a drone stop early in the tune. Another got lost in a very large tune (The Sound of the Waves Against the Castle of Duntroon). A few pipers got quite “tight hands” in the crunluath variations, due to nerves. Playing frequently in competition is sometimes the only way to get used to these inevitable pressures. 

The judges were Ronnie McShannon and Finlay Johnston, for the second time. They commented afterwards to the assembled competitors that spending more time on the tuning of the bagpipe on the boards would have improved several performances, as some pipers became flustered at this moment. However the standard overall was good, and the winners particularly so. Alan Forbes, Chairman of the Piobaireachd Society’s Music Committee, kindly gave out the prizes. In summary, these were:

  1. Arran King
  2. Edmund Boland
  3. Owain Woodman Carr
  4. Graham Farr
  5. John Forbes

This contest is usually on the last Saturday in February, and will be advertised again for 2025, in the autumn of this year.


Silver Chanter

The Piobaireachd Society has agreed to take over the running of one of piping’s most iconic events, the Silver Chanter. It will do so under an agreement with Mossburn Distillers/Torabhaig Distillery and Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the Gaelic College. Both are near neighbours on the Sleat Peninsula on the isle of Skye.

The Silver Chanter will be funded by the Society and by Mossburn/Torabhaig. Both have agreed substantial financial support for the next five years. The venue will be Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, thus maintaining ‘the Chanter’s’ presence on its home island. 

The first year of the new arrangement will be 2024. There will be no Silver Chanter this year. The Society will maintain as many of the traditions associated with the competition as is possible. The date will be the Thursday evening of the Skye Gathering. It will be a black tie, gala occasion. It will be recorded.

The competition will remain invitational but with the six pipers drawn from the Dunvegan Medal, the Col. Jock MacDonald Clasp (both Skye Gathering competitions), the Gold Medals and senior piobaireachd events at Oban and Inverness, and the current Silver Chanter holder. The music will be from the MacCrimmon tune list used for the senior competition at the Skye Gathering.

Robert Wallace, President of the Piobaireachd Society, said: ‘The National Piping Centre ran the Silver Chanter successfully over the past five years. Now that their time has come to an end, our members and our General Committee were of the view that we should do whatever we could to ensure the survival of the recital/competition, and that it should be held, if viable, on the isle of Skye.

‘We believe that the sustainable model we have established will give stability to what has been, since 1968, an important fixture in the piping calendar. The original aim of the Silver Chanter was to encourage piobaireachd on Skye and I believe the Society’s decision will continue this.’


THE PIOBAIREACHD SOCIETY SET TUNES FOR 2024

The Piobaireachd Society recommends the following for competitions in 2024:

A. SENIOR COMPETITIONS

A new approach to setting tunes for the senior competitions was adopted in 2023 for a trial period of five years.   The aim is to give competitors a wider choice of tunes while still ensuring exposure for the appropriate repertoire.   If deemed successful, the period may be extended beyond five years.

Competitors will submit six tunes from the list below.   Different tunes will be selected for each competitor for the Argyllshire Gathering and the Northern Meeting in the same year.   The chosen tunes will be noted and competitors will not be permitted to submit these two tunes again for a period of at least five years.   

The list may be expanded from year to year on the recommendation of the Piobaireachd Society.  It is unlikely that any of the tunes will be removed from the list.

The Finger LockPS 1, K
In Praise of MoragPS 1, K
The Unjust IncarcerationPS 2, K
The Bells of PerthPS 2, K
Lament for Donald Ban MacCrimmonPS 2, K
Donald Gruamach’s MarchPS 2, K
Colin Roy MacKenzie’s LamentPS 3, K
Lament for the Duke of HamiltonPS 3, K
Lament for the Earl of AntrimPS 3, K
Lament for the ChildrenPS 3, K
Patrick Og MacCrimmon’s Lament   PS 3, K
Scarce of FishingPS 3, K
The Red Speckled BullPS 4, K
Beinn a GhriainPS 4
John Garve MacLeod of Raasay’s LamentPS 5, K
Mary’s PraisePS 5, K
Lament for the UnionPS 6, K
CraigellachiePS 6, K
The Daughter’s LamentPS 6, K
The Sound of the Waves against the Castle of DuntroonPS 6, K
The End of the Little BridgePS 8, K
Lady MacDonald’s LamentPS 8, K
Nameless Cherede DarieveaPS 8, K
The Laird of Anapool’s LamentPS 9
The Rout of the Lowland CaptainPS 9
MacLeod of Colbeck’s LamentPS 10
MacKenzie of Gairloch’s LamentPS 10
The Red Hand in the MacDonald’s ArmsPS 10
The MacLeans’ MarchPS 10
The Battle of WaterlooPS 11
Mrs MacLeod of Talisker’s SalutePS 11
The MacDonalds’ SalutePS 11
Abercairney’s SalutePS 11
My Dearest on Earth, Give me your KissPS 11
Lament for the Harp TreePS 12, K
Port UrlarPS 12
Lament for AirdsPS 13
Lament for HughPS 13
Salute to MacDonald of StaffaPS 13
Good Health to You DonaldPS 13
The Sutherlands’ GatheringPS 14
Lament for King George III PS 14
Lament for Cluny MacPhersonPS 14
Sir James MacDonald of the Isles’ SalutePS 14
MacLeod of MacLeod’s LamentPS 15, K
Farewell to the Queen’s FerryPS 20th Century Piob. 2020 edition
Lament for John MacDonald, InvernessPS 20th Century Piob. 2020 edition
Lament for Pipe Major Robert ReidPS 20th Century Piob. 2020 edition
Salute to James CampbellPS 20th Century Piob. 2020 edition
Salute to the MacCrimmon Cairn at BorreraigPS 20th Century Piob. 2020 edition
The Phantom Piper of CorrieyairackPS 20th Century Piob. 2020 edition
Roderick MacDonald’s SaluteDonald MacLeod Piob. 2019 edition
A Son’s Salute to his ParentsDonald MacLeod Piob. 2019 edition
The Edinburgh PiobaireachdJohn MacLellan Ceol Mor

B. GOLD MEDAL COMPETITIONS

The Big SpreePS 1, K
Black Donald’s March (#)PS 3, K
The Blue Ribbon (#)PS 5, K
The MacDougalls’ GatheringPS 5, K
Nameless (Hiharin odin, hiharin dro)PS 5, K
The Glen is Mine (#)PS 6, K
Clanranald’s Salute (#)PS 7, K
Farewell to the Laird of Islay (#)PS 9
The Battle of Sheriffmuir (#)PS 15, K
The Gunns’ SalutePS 15

Competitors will submit six of the above tunes, one of which they will be required to play.

For the purposes of the Gold Medal competitions, tunes marked (#) require crunluaths a mach.

C. SILVER MEDAL COMPETITIONS

Lament for MacSwan of RoaigPS 1, K
The Gathering of Clan Chattan (#)PS 2, K
The Gathering of the MacNabs (#)PS 5, K
MacKintosh’s LamentPS 8, K
MacNeil of Barra’s MarchPS 10
Melbank’s SalutePS 14
The Cave of Gold (#)PS 16
Cronan Phadruig SeumasDonald MacLeod Piob. 2019 edition

Competitors will submit four of the above tunes, one of which they will be required to play.

For the purposes of the Silver Medal competitions, tunes marked (#) require crunluaths a mach.

PS = Piobaireachd Society Collection    K = Kilberry Book of Ceol Mor

The Donald MacLeod and PS 20th Century Piobaireachd collections have been corrected and re-printed recently in A4 format and it is recommended that these be used as the sources for these tunes.

Competitors are not restricted to settings in the Piobaireachd Society Collection and Kilberry Book.   Those who wish to play alternative settings should submit legible scores, indicating the origins of the settings, to competition organisers along with their tune selections.

Altogether different tunes known by the same or similar names will not be accepted as alternatives.

This announcement is without prejudice to any arrangements made by the Argyllshire Gathering or the Northern Meeting.

For the Music Committee, Ronald McShannon, 2 Ascot Avenue, Glasgow, G12 0AX


2023 Annual Conference

A report by President Robert Wallace on last weekend’s Annual Conference can be read by members here. The conference was well attended with a very high quality of contributions both written and played.


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