The Argyllshire Gathering was founded in 1871, and its piping competitions
seem to have started in 1873. The Highland Society of London first presented
its Gold Medal for piobaireachd in that year, and the list of past winners
includes some very famous names. These include Calum Piobaire, John Maccoll,
G. S. MacLennan and D. R. MacLennan, both the Bobs of Balmoral, Wille Ross,
Donald MacPherson, to name but a few. A small handfull, ten in number, have
achieved the rare distinction of winning the Gold Medal at both Oban and
Inverness in the same year.
After 137 years the tradition continues, over two days, the last Wednesday and
Thursday in August. The first day is devoted to the ceòl mór competitions,
otherwise known as piobaireachd, which is the classical music of the
bagpipe. Although many countries have bagpipes of one kind or another,
nothing resembling ceòl mór has developed in any other country, not even in
Ireland.
The Highland Society of London’s Gold Medal is the highest award for
piobaireachd. One is presented each year at the Argyllshire Gathering, and
the only other one, since 1897, at the Northern Meeting in Inverness.
The Gold Medal this year was won by Niall Stewart, who played The Blind
Piper’s Obstinacy. This was a tune by Iain Dall Mackay (dall is
the gaelic word for blind), a pupil of Patrick Og MacCrimmon, and was, in
spite of his blindness, one of the greatest pipers and composers of ceòl mór
of the eighteenth century, indeed of all time. Andrew Hayes, one of the 14
Canadian competitors in the piobaireachd events, took second place, with The
End of the Great Bridge, a tune dating from the early part of the
'Forty-five, when a small party of Camerons routed a much larger force of
Hanoverian troops near Spean Bridge. Gareth Rudolph’s performance of The
Stewarts’ White Banner gained him third prize. James MacHattie,
from America, came fourth, with another tune from the ’Forty-five, My
King has Landed in Moidart.
The Judges were Malcolm MacRae, John Wilson, and Bill Livingston. They said
that it had been a rather disappointing competition, especially at that
level, except for the prize-winners.
The Senior Piobaireachd, for the William Grant & Sons Trophy and the
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Cup, is for those who have already won the
Gold Medal. This year the tunes set for this competition were all composed
in the twentieth century. This was won by Roderick MacLeod, with a superb
performance of The Lament for Angus my Son, composed by Duncan
Johnston. In second place, Jack Lee, from British Columbia, played The
Phantom Piper of Corryairack, the composition of the late Captain John
MacLellan. The same tune was played by Niall Matheson for third place.
Fourth prize was taken by Iain Speirs, with Roderick MacDonald’s Salute.
The Silver Medal is the passport to playing for the Gold Medal and was won by
Andrea Boyd from Nova Scotia. She played Corrienessan’s Salute.
Andrew Lee, son of Jack Lee, came second, playing Hector MacLean’s Warning,
a tune concerning the son of one Ailean nan Sop, one of the MacLeans of
Coll, and, it is said, something of a rogue. Faye Henderson, who won the
MacGregor Memorial competition last year, came third with The Massacre of
Glencoe. In fourth place, playing MacDonald of Kinlochmoidart’s
Lament (No. 1), came Duncan Grant. A fifth prize may be granted at the
judges’ discretion, if they consider a fifth competitor to be worthy of the
prize. It was awarded this year, to Cameron Drummond for his performance of
the unusually sad lament, The Little Spree. This is one of three
tunes, The Big Spree and The Middling Spree being the other
two, thought to have been composed by a member of the MacGregor
family, of Druim Charaig, one of whom was Prince Charles Edward’s piper
during the ’Forty-five.
The Last of the piobaireachd events is the MacGregor Memorial Piobaireachd
competition. This was founded in 1982 by the Highland Society of London,
following the bicentenary of the first piping competition in 1781 at
Falkirk. Its purpose is to encourage young pipers to play ceòl mór. It is
open to pipers from anywhere in the world who are under 22 years of age on
the day of the competition. Each has to submit four tunes of his or her own
choice and then play one of the tunes. The judges then compile a list of the
six whom they consider to have been the best, and each of those six plays a
second tune. They are judged on both tunes. This year, the MacGregor was won
by Ashleigh Bell, from Muir of Ord. She gave a beautiful performance of The
Lament for Mary MacLeod, a MacCrimmon tune, in memory of the great
Gaelic poetess Mairi nighean Alasdair Ruadh. Her second tune was The
Lament for Donald Duaghal MacKay, also a MacCrimmon tune, on the death
of the first Lord Reay, chief of Clan MacKay. Of this tune, too, Ashleigh
Bell gave a most musical and moving performance. The judges later said that
they had never heard the tune played better.
Fraser Maitland, from Aberdeen, came second. His first tune was The Old Men
of the Shells, which might have been all about a skirmish at Sligeachan
in Skye. The Gaelic name of the tune is Bodaich Dhubha nan Slige. But
equally it might have followed a carouse, since slige, a scallop shell, was
often used as a drinking vessel. His second tune was Corrienessan’s Salute.
Alastair Lee, also from British Columbia, came third, with, first, Melbank’s
Salute. His second tune was The King’s Taxes. The judges
have a discretion to award a fourth prize, and this they did, to Gordon
Conn, from Alberta. He played, first, The Parading of the MacDonalds,
and second, The MacKays’ Banner. The judges, who expressed the
view that it had been a competition of unusually high standard, were Andrew
Wright, Tom Speirs and Ronnie Clarke, with your correspondent as reader.
The evening of the first day always culminates with the former winners’ march,
strathspey and reel, referred to by some as “the Big March”. This is for
those who have already won first prize in the A grade march or strathspey
and reel. It was won by Willie McCallum.
It is on the second day that the weather is important. Always chancy on the
West Coast, it started darkly overcast and threatening. But gradually the
western sky brightened, and even a patch or two of blue appeared. In the end
it was quite a fine day, pleasing to pipers, dancers and athletes. As
always, the pipers competing marched, with the President and Stewards and
Members of the Gathering, through Oban to Mossfield Park, where the Games
are held.
The second day is devoted to the ceòl beag competitions, comprising the
marches, strathspeys and reels, and jigs. There are also the local and
junior competitions.
It is encouraging to see that the number of entries in the local events is
steadily increasing. This is in large part due to the success of the Argyll
Piping Trust and Argyll and Bute Council Schools piping scheme, set up in
1996 at a time when there was no piping tuition available in most of the
Argyll primary schools. Now the scheme covers 47 schools, and some very
promising young pipers are beginning to emerge.
There were 12 competitors in the local march and strathspey and reel events,
an improvement on earlier years when there were only five or six. The local
march was won by MARCH and the strathspey and reel by S & R.
There is a march, strathspey and reel competition for pipers aged 16 and
under, for the President’s Medal. With the first prize goes a bursary, set
up in memory of Ian, Twelfth Duke of Argyll. This had 16 competitors.
Duke's medal
The A grade march, and the Royal Scottish pipers’ Society’s Bronze Star, were
won by Pipe Major Alan Johnston. The first prize for the strathspey and reel
includes both the Argyllshire Gathering’s Silver Star and the Angus John
MacNeil of Barra cup, and these were won by James Murray. Andrew Hayes, from
Canada, came second in both events. In the B grade march, first prize was
taken by Peter MacGregor, with Fraser Wylie winning first prize for
strathspey and reel.
Other results
A grade March
1. P/M Alan Johnston; 2. Andrew Hayes; 3. James Beaumont; 4.
Douglas Murray
A grade Strathspey and Reel
1. James Murray; 2, Andrew Hayes; 3. James Mackenzie; 4.
Iain Speirs
B grade March
1. Peter MacGregor; 2. Jamie Forrester; 3. William
Nichols; 4. Matt Pantaleoni
B grade Strathspey and Reel
1. Fraser Wylie; 2. Neil Walker; 3. Alex Gandy; 4. Cameron
Scott
Jigs
1. Gordon McCready 2. Andrew Carlisle 3. James MacHattie 4.
Ryan Canning
Local March
1. Gavin Ferguson; 2. Laura McMillan; 3. Iain Marshall.
Local Strathspey and Reel
1. Laura McMillan; 2. Gavin Ferguson; 3. Iain Marshall.
The President’s Medal: 16 and under march, strathspey and reel
1. Alasdair Dempster; 2. Ross Fergusson; 3. Scott McLean
