78th Frasers win Georgetown to kick off Ontario season (videos)

Georgetown, Ontario – June 11, 2022 – The 78th Fraser Highlanders of Ontario won the two band Grade 1 medley event at the Georgetown Highland Games, the first in-person piping and drumming contest of the 2022 Ontario season. The band bested the 78th Highlanders (Halifax Citadel), the only other contestant. It was the first time competing for both bands since August 2019. Grade 2 was won by the Peel Regional Police against three other bands.

The Professional Piper of the Day was Andrea Boyd and the Amateur Solo Piper of the Day went to Henry Paluch, and the Professional and Amateur Solo Snare Drummer awards were won, respectively, by Kyle Wardell and Rita DeNobriga.

The weather was warm, mostly sunny and breezy all day. Thunderstorms had been predicted for the afternoon, but they held off. A relatively large crowd attended the early afternoon events. At the first massed bands, the Pipers & Pipe Band Society of Ontario presented an Honourary Lifetime Membership award to Ontario piping legend Bill Livingstone.

The next Ontario event is the Cobourg Highland Games on June 18th.

We’re pleased to provide videos of the Grade 1 and Grade 2 performances. pipes|drums sought and received advance permission from games organizers and each band to record and promote their music.

Bands
Grade 1 (medley, two competed)
1st 78th Fraser Highlanders (1,1,1,1)
2nd 78th Highlanders (Halifax Citadel) (2,2,2,2)
Best Bass Section: 78th Highlanders (Halifax Citadel)
Judges: Eddie Gorman, Terry Cleland (piping); Alan Savage (drumming); Ken Eller (ensemble)

Grade 2 (MSR, four competed)
1st Peel Regional Police (2,1,1,1)
2nd St. Andrew’s College Association (1,2,2,2)
3rd Toronto Police (Gr2) (3,4,4,3)
4th Ottawa Police Service (4,3,3,4)
Best Bass Section: St. Andrew’s College Association
Judges: Iain Symington, Peter Sinclair (piping); Dan Bist (drumming); John Elliott (ensemble)

Grade 3 (MSR, two competed)
1st Ottawa Highlanders (1,2,1,1)
2nd Guelph (2,1,2,2)
Best Bass Section: Ottawa Highlanders
Judges: Eddie Gorman, Terry Cleland (piping); Alan Savage (drumming); Ken Eller (ensemble)

Grade 4 (medley, six competed)
1st Niagara Regional Police (2,1,2,1)
2nd Durham Regional Police (1,2,1,2)
3rd Rob Roy (3,3,5,3)
4th Geuleph (Gr4) (6,4,4,4)
5th London & District (5,5,3,6)
6th Peel Regional Police (Gr4) (4,6,6,5)
Best Bass Section: Niagara Regional Police
Judges: Eddie Gorman, Terry Cleland (piping); Alan Savage (drumming); Ken Eller (ensemble)

Grade 5 (march medley, seven competed)
1st Cabar Feidh (1,1,1,1)
2nd Peel Regional Police (Gr5) (5,2,3,2)
3rd Ryan Russell Memorial (2,3,6,3)
4th Spirit of Ontario (4,6,2,6)
5th Durham Regional Police (Gr5) (3,4,7,5)
6th Paris-Port Dover (Gr5) (6,5,5,4)
7th Beinn Gorm Highlanders (7,7,4,7)
Best Bass Section: Cabar Feidh
Judges: Iain Symington, Peter Sinclair (piping); Dan Bist (drumming); John Elliott (ensemble)

Professional Solo Piping (12 competed)
Piobaireachd
1st Ian K. MacDonald, Whitby, Ontario, “Lament for Patrick Og MacCrimmon”
2nd Andrea Boyd, Toronto, “The Old Men of the Shells”
3rd Jacob Dicker, Ottawa, “MacCrimmon’s Sweetheart”
4th Liam Melville, “Lament for the Viscount of Dundee”
5th Tyler Bridge, Guelph, Ontario, “Farewell to the Queen’s Ferry”
6th Liam MacDonald, Elora, Ontario, “Too Long in This Condition”
Judge: Andrew Berthoff

March
1st Andrea Boyd
2nd Ian K. MacDonald
3rd Tyler Bridge
4th Daniel Carr
5th Jacob Dicker
6th Callum Harper
Judge: Ken Eller

Strathspey & Reel
1st Andrea Boyd
2nd Tyler Bridge
3rd Callum Harper
4th Jacob Dicker
5th Tyler Johnson
6th Caleb Thebadeau
Judge: Hector MacDonald

Jig
1st Ian K. MacDonald
2nd Jacob Dicker
3rd Tyler Bridge
4th Andrea Boyd
5th Kyle Banta
6th Tyler Johnson
Judge: John Cairns