Joint Committee expands UK solo piping judges list

Scotland’s Joint Committee for Judging has added four new pipers to its list of approved adjudicators, while also altering the status of two judges already on its list.

 

Appointed to “Approved” status in both Piobaireachd and Light Music are Patricia Henderson, Stuart Shedden, Duncan Watson and William Wotherspoon. Willie Morrison’s status has been elevated to “Senior” in both domains, while Tom Johnstone has been upgraded to “Accredited” in Piobaireachd and “Approved” in Light Music.

 

The Joint Committee for Judging defines Senior as “Those who have competed successfully at the highest level and can demonstrate sufficient knowledge and experience in judging. Eligible to judge any competition.”

 

The Approved level is described as “Those knowledgeable and experienced with notable success in competition (amateur or professional) but not necessarily at the highest (i.e., Gold Medal) level. Eligible to judge any competition, normally with Senior judges, but not major competitions except with a senior judge or judges.”

 

Accredited status is defined, “Those with recognized knowledge and/or experience. Eligible to judge local games/competitions, but not eligible to judge adult events at major competitions.

 

Shedden and Wotherspoon have each won a Highland Society of London Gold Medal at the Northern Meeting, in 1998 and 1978, respectively. Henderson and Watson were successful solo competitors mainly in the 1970s and ’80s, winning prizes in Gold Medal contests.

 

The UK does not have a formal examination process for solo piping judges, relying instead on the Joint Committee for Judging to develop a list. The Joint Committee comprises representatives from An Comunn Gaidhealach, the Argyllshire Gathering, the Competing Pipers’ Association, the Isle of Skye Highland Games, the Northern Meeting, the Piobaireachd Society, the Scottish Pipers’ Association, the Scottish Piping Society of London and “representative judges” already on the committee’s list.

 

The full list of judges is available at the Competing Pipers’ Associations website. is available at the Competing Pipers’ Associations website.