Glenfiddich invitees feature veterans and relative newbies to 40th anniversary contest

Glenfiddich invitees feature veterans and relative newbies to 40th anniversary contest

The 2013 version of the Glenfiddich Invitational Solo Piping Championship marks the fortieth anniversary of the event at Blair Atholl Castle in Scotland, and will present 10 of the world’s greatest pipers based on their success at the major qualifying competitions this year.

Cameron Drummond of Edinburgh will make his first appearance at the competition on the strength of finishing fourth in the Former Winners Silver Star MSR at the Northern Meeting. Because of the prodigious success of other invitees such as Callum Beaumont and Jack Lee winning multiple qualifying events, the organizers in some cases worked down the prize lists to make their decisions.

Absent for the first time since 2005 is Roddy MacLeod, who has competed at the Glenfiddich Championship a total of 22 times. Willie McCallum returns for his twenty-sixth consecutive appearance and twenty-seventh overall.

This year’s Glenfiddich competitors:

• Callum Beaumont, Bo’ness, Scotland – winner of the Northern Meeting Gold Medal; second in the Northern Meeting Clasp; fourth in Argyllshire Gathering Senior Piobaireachd
• Alan Bevan, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada  – winner of the Argyllshire Gathering Gold Medal
• Cameron Drummond – fourth in the Northern Meeting Silver Star MSR
• Alastair Dunn, Glasgow – third in Argyllshire Gathering Senior Piobaireachd
• Bruce Gandy, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada – second in Argyllshire Gathering Senior Piobaireachd
• Jack Lee, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada – winner of the Argyllshire Gathering Senior Piobaireachd; winner of the Masters; third in the Northern Meeting Clasp; third in the Argyllshire Gathering Silver Star MSR
• Stuart Liddell, Inveraray, Scotland – winner of the Northern Meeting Clasp; winner of the Northern Meeting Silver Star MSR;  winner of the Argyllshire Gathering Silver Star MSR
• Willie McCallum, Bearsden, Scotland – SPSL overall champion; fourth in Northern Meeting Clasp; second in Argyllshire Gathering Silver Star MSR; third in the Northern Meeting Silver Star MSR
• Angus MacColl, Benderloch, Scotland – second in the Northern Meeting Silver Star MSR; third in the Argyllshire Gathering Silver Star MSR
• Iain Speirs, Edinburgh – 2012 Glenfiddich Champion; winner of the Bratach Gorm

Judges for the Piobaireachd event will be Malcolm McRae, Ronnie McShannon and Jack Taylor. MSR judges are Iain MacFadyen, Jim McGillivray and William Morrison.