400 smackeroonies up for grabs for winning ‘Eagle Pipers’ Piobaireachd’ composer

Edinburgh’s Eagle Pipers’ Society is putting on a composing competition open to all to come up with “The Eagle Pipers’ Piobaireachd,” a signature piece of ceol mor for the august organization.

The winner will receive £400 and one runner-up with get £200, making the contest one of the richest ever put on.

The competition will be judged by Euan Anderson, Iain Speirs and Tom Speirs, all of whom are members of the society.

The winner will be announced at the Captain John A. MacLellan MBE Memorial Dinner-Recital in Edinburgh on August 26th, an event that was recently taken over by the organization.

According to Eagles secretary and Highland Society of London Gold Medallist Peter McCalister, the composition will be played thereafter at an Eagle Pipers’ evening meeting, typically held once a month in the off-season at the Scots Guards Club across from Edinburgh’s Haymarket railway station.

The name of the runner-up composition would be determined later.

While the contest is open to all, there is a £40 entry fee, so the society hopes to have the event itself cover the prize money. Members of the Eagle Pipers can enter via the competition’s anonymous online entry system.

Keen composers of ceol mor who are 18 or older have until July 31st to enter. The organization will publish the tunes, but copyright remains with the composers.

All the details are here.

The Eagle Pipers’ Society’s roots go back to the 1970s as a casual piping club for those in the Edinburgh area. The organization was resurrected in 2010 after laying dormant for about 25 years, and boasts a worldwide membership who sport the club tie that they receive with their membership. They are also known for the haute cuisine meat pies served at meetings.

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