Argyllshire Gathering Day 1: Alasdair Henderson wins Gold; Sr. Piob. goes to Angus D. MacColl; Alex Gandy gains FWMSR; Jamie Elder wins Silver; Alistair Bevan takes MacGregor

Oban, Scotland – August 23, 2023 – The first day of the Argyllshire Gathering was devoted mainly to the piobaireachd events held at various indoor venues across the Highland town.

The Highland Society of London Gold Medal was won by Alasdair Henderson of Edinburgh, adding to his 2017 win of the sister Gold Medal competition at the 2017 Northern Meeting.

Local piping hero Angus D. MacColl of nearby Benderloch won the Senior Piobaireachd for previous winners of at least one of the Highland Society of London Gold Medals at either Oban or Inverness. It was his sixth win of the award, previously taking it in 2000, ’04, ’05, ’09, and’ 22. The competition was sponsored by the William Grant Foundation, regular supporters of piping events in Scotland, including the Glenfiddich Championships.

With the win, both Henderson and MacColl gain invitations to the Glenfiddich in October, joining reigning champ Willie McCallum, Bratach Gorm winner Bruce Gandy, and overall London winner Fred Morrison.

In the first result announced, Jamie Elder of Auchtermuchty, Scotland, won the Silver Medal, and, in the MacGregor Memorial piobaireachd competition for pipers younger than 22, Alistair Bevan of Abbotsford, British Columbia, won, and his brother, Callum, was second.

The Argyllshire Gathering ensured that no regular teachers were judging their pupils and that pipers’ Competing Pipers Association gradings were adhered to. Only judges accredited by the Solo Pipers Judges Association were employed.

The MacGregor Memorial piobaireachd competition for pipers younger than 22 was staged in two heats of 15, four pipers from each going through to a final of eight.

Later in the evening, Alex Gandy of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, won the Former Winners March, Strathspey & Reel, an event reserved for previous winners of either or both of the A-Grade March or Strathspey & Reel at Oban. It was his first time winning the prize, and he also secured a spot in the 2023 Glenfiddich Championship.

While only 16% of contestants accepted to the highly-subscribed Highland Society of London Gold Medal and Silver Medal competitions were from outside of Scotland, six of the eight finalists (75%) in the MacGregor Memorial piobaireachd competition were not residents of Scotland. The Gold and Silver events featured all-Scottish prize lists.

[Argyllshire Gathering competition orders of play.]

Piobaireachd

Highland Society of London Gold Medal (26 competed and submitted four piobaireachds from set tunes list prescribed by the Piobaireachd Society)
1st Alasdair Henderson, “The Menzies’ Salute” (£550, Highland Society of London’s Gold Medal, Brigadier Lorne Campbell of Airds VC Trophy)
2nd Sarah Muir, East Kilbride, Scotland, “Sobieski’s Salute” (£400)
3rd Darach Urquhart, Glasgow (£250)
4th Calum Watson, Bathgate, Scotland (£200)
5th Cameron Drummond, Edinburgh (£150)
Judges: Robert Barnes, Bill Livingstone, John Wilson

Senior (for previous winners of a Highland Society of London Gold Medal, 23 competed and submitted six tunes from a long list of piobaireachds set by the Piobaireachd Society to be used for the next several years)
1st Angus D. MacColl, Benderloch, Scotland, “Lament for the Earl of Antrim” (£1,000, the Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky Senior Piobaireachd Trophy and the Kilberry Cup presented by the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders)
2nd Callum Beaumont, St. Andrews, Scotland, “Lament for MacLeod of Colbeck” (£500)
3rd Stuart Easton, Palmerston North, New Zealand, “In Praise of Morag” (£300)
4th Connor Sinclair, Crieff, Scotland (£200)
5th Jamie Forrester, Haddington, Scotland (£150)
Judges: Malcolm McRae, Jack Taylor, Robert Wallace

Silver Medal (25 competed and submitted four piobaireachds from the set tunes list prescribed by the Piobaireachd Society)
1st Jamie Elder (£350)
2nd Calum Brown, Aberdeen, Scotland (£300)
3rd Ben Mulhearn, Troon, Scotland (£150)
4th Angus MacPhee, Inverness, Scotland (£100)
5th Brodie Watson-Massey, Edinburgh (£60)
Judges: Murray Henderson, Ronnie McShannon, Bob Worrall

MacGregor Memorial (submit four piobaireachds, play one selected by judges in each round; eight competed in the final after two heats of 15. The event is reserved for pipers younger than 22 as of August 23, 2023.)
1st Alistair Bevan (£110, College of Piping Trophy, R.G. Hardie Infinity Pipe Chanter donated by R.G. Hardie & Co.)
2nd Callum Bevan (£85)
3rd Gregor MacDonald, Oban, Scotland (£60)
4th Gillian Blaney, Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia (£50)
Judges: Derek Fraser, Michael Grey, Patricia Henderson, Bruce Hitchings

Other MacGregor Memorial finalists: Cameron Bonar, Surrey, British Columbia; Kayleigh Johnstone, Aurora,  Ontario; Luke Kennedy, Dundee, Scotland; and Liam Nicolson, Albury, Australia.

Light Music

Former Winners MSR (submit six of each tune type, one of each selected, twice through each tune, for previous winners of at least one of either the A-Grade March or the A-Grade Strathspey & Reel at the Argyllshire Gathering, 25 competed)
1st Alex Gandy, “Jimmy Young,” “Kirstie McCallman’s Favourite,” “Alick C. MacGregor” (£550, P-M Ronald McCallum Memorial Trophy and the Royal Scottish Pipers’ Society Silver Star)
2nd Jack Lee, Surrey, British Columbia (£400)
3rd Sarah Muir (£250)
4th Angus D. MacColl (£200)
5th Craig Sutherland, Perth, Scotland (£150)
Judges: Ian Duncan, Jim McGillivray, Willie Morrison