2024 Northern Meeting Day 2: Nick Hudson wins the Clasp; Henderson takes P/A HP&J; B MSR goes to Dew; MacPhee wins B HP&J

Inverness, Scotland – August 30, 2024 – The second day of the 2024 Northern Meeting featured the Clasp for previous winners of one of the Highland Society of London’s Gold Medals, which is,for most, the greatest non-invitational solo piping competition there is.

Nick Hudson of Houston won the Clasp for the first time, only a few years after gaining the Northern Meeting Highland Society of London Gold Medal in 2022 when he had to exit Eden Court Theatre quickly to return to Houston to enjoy the birth of his son. This time, he was able to savour the moment longer.

Also winning the A-Grade MSR, Hudson was awarded the Northern Meeting Quaich for best overall performance by a top-grade piper.

The B-Grade MSR was on by John Dew of Glasgow, while Alasdair Henderson of Edinburgh won the A-Grade Hornpipe & Jig, and Inverness, Scotland’s Angus MacPhee took the Hornpipe & Jig for B-Grade pipers.

Of note, Bruce Gandy placed third in the Premier/A-Grade Hornpipe & Jig, playing his compositions “Sue’s Last Frame” and “Ainsley’s Jig.”

Clasp (20 competed)
1st Nick Hudson, “The Daughter’s Lament”
2nd Iain Speirs, Edinburgh, “Scarce of Fishing”
3rd Finlay Johnston, Glasgow, “Nameless – cherede darieva”
4th Callum Beaumont, St. Andrew, Scotland, “Farewell to the Queen’s Ferry”
5th Alasdair Henderson, Edinburgh, “Lament for MacLeod of Colbeck”
Judges: Patricia Henderson, Iain MacFadyen, Jim McGillivray

Also entered: Chris Armstrong, Glasgow; Glenn Brown, Glasgow; Stuart Easton, Palmerston North, New Zealand; Bruce Gandy, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia; Roddy MacLeod, Glasgow; Jack Lee, Surrey, British Columbia; Stuart Liddell, Inveraray, Scotland; Angus D. MacColl, Benderloch, Scotland; Ian K. MacDonald, Whitby, Ontario; William McCallum, Bearsden, Scotland; Fred Morrison, Bishopton, Scotland; Connor Sinclair, Crieff, Scotland; Innes Smith, Glasgow; Craig Sutherland, Crieff, Scotland; and Greg Wilson, Tai Tapu, New Zealand.

[If you’d like to know what makes Nick Hudson’s pipes (and more) reach these incredible heights, check out the StarBox feature.]

Premier & A-Grade Hornpipe & Jig (48 entered)
1st Alasdair Henderson
2nd Cameron Drummond, Edinburgh
3rd Bruce Gandy, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
4th Stuart Liddell, Inveraray, Scotland
5th Connor Sinclair, Crieff, Scotland
Judges: Murray Henderson, Angus MacDonald, Logan Tannock

Also entered: Chris Armstrong, Glasgow; Callum Beaumont, Dollar, Scotland; Calum Brown, Peterculter, Scotland; Gordon Bruce, Kilwinning, Scotland; Sandy Cameron, Roybridge, Scotland; Greig Canning, Kirkcaldy, Scotland; Andrew Carlisle, Pittsburgh; Seumas Coyne, Glendale, California; Angus D. MacColl, Benderloch, Scotland; Andrew Donlon, Washington, DC; Ben Duncan, Edinburgh; Brendon Eade, New Zealand; Jamie Forrester, Haddington, Scotland; Alex Gandy, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia; Steven Gray, Lockerbie, Scotland; Jonathan Greenlees, Glasgow; Jenny Hazzard, Edinburgh; Nick Hudson, Houston; Liam Kernaghan, Auckland, New Zealand; Steven Leask, Glasgow; Alastair Lee, Surrey, British Columbia; Angus D. MacColl, Benderloch, Scotland; Angus J. MacColl, Benderloch, Scotland; Ian K. MacDonald, Whitby, Ontario; Cameron MacDougall, Nigg, Scotland; Peter MacGregor, Dunfermline, Scotland; James MacHattie, Summerside, Prince Edward Island; Roddy MacLeod, Glasgow; Ben McClamrock, Washington, DC; Sean McKeown, Bowmanville, Ontario; Ashley McMichael, Antrim, Northern Ireland; Derek Midgley, Tinton Falls, New Jersey; Fred Morrison, Bishopton, Scotland; Sarah Muir, Glasgow; Craig Muirhead, Stirling, Scotland; John Mulhearn, Carluke, Scotland; Willie Rowe, New Zealand; Innes Smith, Glasgow; Iain Speirs, Edinburgh; Craig Sutherland, Crieff, Scotland; Darach Urquhart, Glasgow; Calum Watson, Edinburgh; Matthew Wilson, Dollar, Scotland; Greg Wilson, Christchurch, New Zealand.

B-Grade MSR (27 entered)
1st John Dew, Glasgow
2nd Bradley Parker, Glasgow
3rd Brodie Watson-Massey, Edinburgh
4th Jack Williamson, Topeka, Kansas
5th Ruairidh Brown, Dunblane, Scotland
Judges: Mike Cusack, Ian Duncan, Niall Matheson

Also competing: Fraser Allison, Balfron, Scotland; Keith Bowes, Erskine, Scotland; Finlay Cameron, Roybridge, Scotland; Kris Coyle, Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland; Jacob Dicker, Maxville, Ontario; Bobby Durning, Carrolton, Texas; Stuart Easton, Palmerston North, New Zealand; Jamie Elder, Auchtermuchty, Scotland; Andrew Ferguson, Dollar, Scotland; Eddie Gaul, Dundee, Scotland; Andrew Hall, Glasgow; Eireann Iannetta-Mackay, Burrelton, Scotland; Zephan Knickel, Surrey, British Columbia; Dan Lyden, Tmonium, Maryland; Angus MacPhee, Inverness, Scotland; Cameron May, Lesmahagow, Scotland; Christopher McLeish, Glasgow; Ross Miller, Linlithgow, Scotland; Dan Nevans, Glasgow; Matt Pantaleoni, St. Louis; Jonathon Simpson, Bo’ness, Scotland; Callum Wynd, Dunblane, Scotland

B-Grade Hornpipe & Jig (27 entered)
1st Angus MacPhee
2nd John Dew
3rd Callum Wynd, Dunblane, Scotland
4th Zephan Knichel, Surrey, British Columbia
5th Keith Bowes, Irvine, Scotland
Judges: Angus MacDonald, Ronnie McShannon

Also entered: Fraser Allison, Balfron, Scotland; Ruairidh Brown, Dunblane, Scotland; Finlay Cameron, Roybridge, Scotland; Kristopher Coyle, Northern Ireland; Jacob Dicker, Maxville, Ontario; Bobby Durning, Carrollton, Texas; Stuart Easton, Palmerston North, New Zealand; Jamie Elder, Auchtermuchty, Scotland; Andrew Ferguson, Dollar, Scotland; Eddie Gaul, Dundee, Scotland; Andrew Hall, Glasgow; Eireann Iannetta-Mackay, Burrelton, Scotland; Dan Lyden, Timonium, Maryland; Cameron May, Lesmahagow, Scotland; Christopher McLeish, Glasgow; Ross Miller, Linlithgow, Scotland; Dan Nevans, Glasgow; Matt Pantaleoni, St. Louis; Bradley Parker, Glasgow; Jonathon Simpson, Bo’ness, Scotland; Brodie Watson-Massey, Edinburgh; and Jack Williamson, Topeka, Kansas.

With the conclusion of the Clasp, the 10 invitees to the 2024 Glenfiddich Solo Piping Championships on October 26th at Blair Castle, Blair Atholl, Scotland, are:

• Chris Armstrong – Argyllshire Gathering Formers Winners MSR
• Callum Beaumont – 2023 Glenfiddich Champion
• Alan Bevan – Masters Champion
• Cameron Drummond – Argyllshire Gathering Gold Medal
• Alasdair Henderson – Argyllshire Gathering Senior Piobaireachd
• Nick Hudson – Northern Meeting Clasp
• Finlay Johnston – Overall champion at Scottish Piping Society of London competitions
• Stuart Liddell – Northern Meeting Silver Star MSR
• Roddy MacLeod – 2023 Bratach Gorm winner
• Craig Sutherland – Northern Meeting Gold Medal

Juniors

Under 18 (17 entered)
Piobaireachd
1st Fraser Hamilton, Paisley, Scotland
2nd Niklas Helmcke, Germany
3rd Malachi Johannsen, Modesto, California
4th Thomas Fallon, Edinburgh
5th Hector Finlayson, Kyle of Lochalsh, Scotland
Judges: Bruce Hitchings, Colin MacLellan

MSR
1st James Fraser, Aberdeen, Scotland
2nd Fraser Hamilton, Paisley, Scotland
3rd Maggie Mcconnachie, New Zealand
4th Hector Finlayson, Kyle of Lochalsh, Scotland
5th Thomas Fallon, Edinburgh
Judges: Alan Forbes Jack Taylor

Also competing: Hamish Addison, Banff, Scotland; Ranulph Birch, Edinburgh; Arran Green, Stirling, Scotland; Grace Kelman, Inverness, Scotland; Henry Kesterton, Ratho, Scotland; Leon Lee, Edinburgh; Craig Mitchell, Peterculter, Scotland; Calum Pearson, Peterhead; Lucas Paterson, New Zealand; and Lewis Stewart, Peterculter, Scotland

Under 15 (10 entered)
Piobaireachd
1st Kai Hay, Buckhaven, Scotland
2nd Rory Menzies, Aberdeen
3rd Lorne McIntyre, Haddington
4th Rory Cairns, Edinburgh
5th Lachlan Rennie, Broughty Ferry
Judges: Alan Forbes Jack Taylor

MSR
1st Kai Hay
2nd Lachlan Rennie, Broughtyferry
3rd Hamish Stephens, Blairgowrie, Scotland
4th Rory Menzies, Aberdeen
5th Seonaidh Forrest, Isleornsay, Scotland
Judges: Bruce Hitchings, Colin MacLellan

Also competing: Sam de Vries, Isle of Skye, Scotland; Callan Erskine, Perthshire; and Archie Leonard, Edinburgh.