Bruce Gandy wins Bratach Gorm, Fred Morrison overall championship at Scottish Piping Society of London solo competitions

London – November 5, 2022 – Bruce Gandy of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, won the Bratach Gorm for piobaireachd and Bishopton, Scotland’s Fred Morrison took home the overall championship at the 82nd Scottish Piping Society of London Solo Piping Competition held in the heart of the city at the Caledonian Club.

It was the second time Gandy has won the coveted award for piobaireachd, which he last won in 2003. Both he and Morrison gain an invitation to the 2023 Glenfiddich Championship.

Morrison won two of the three Premier-grade light music events, was second in the other, and took a third in the Premier & A-Grade Piobaireachd.

The Bratach Gorm is reserved for winners of at least one of the Highland Society of London Gold Medals at Inverness or Oban and winners of the Gillies Cup piobaireachd at London.

The overall winner in the Junior events was Overall Junior Prize was Kyle Cameron of Ullapool, Scotland. He received the Jim Caution Memorial Quaich.

Results were announced at about 8:30 pm.

Bratach Gorm (13 competed)
1st Bruce Gandy, “The Unjust Incarceration”
2nd Iain Speirs, Edinburgh, “Colin Roy Mackenzie’s Lament”
3rd Alan Bevan, Abbotsford, British Columbia, “Salute to the MacCrimmon Cairn at Boreraig”
4th Jamie Forrester, Haddington, Scotland, “The Phantom Piper of Corrieyairick”
5th Callum Beaumont, Dollar, Scotland, “The Daughter’s Lament”
Judges: Colin MacLellan, Jack Taylor, Bob Worrall

Also competing: Glenn Brown, Alasdair Henderson, Nick Hudson, Finlay Johnston, Andrew Hayes, Ian K. MacDonald, Peter McCalister, and John-Angus Smith.

Premier Grade
MMSSRR (London Medallion & John MacFadyen Quaich, 20 competed)
1st Callum Beaumont
2nd Fred Morrison
3rd Alan Bevan
4th Sarah Muir, Irvine, Scotland
5th Ben Duncan, Edinburgh
Judges: Robert Barnes, Peter Hunt, Richard Parkes

2/4 March (P-M J.B. Robertson Silver Rose Bowl, 20 competed)
1st Fred Morrison
2nd Callum Beaumont
3rd Alan Bevan
Judges: Robert Barnes, Peter Hunt, Richard Parkes

Also competing in both of the above events: Calum Brown, Glenn Brown, Seumas Coyne, Steven Gray, Jonathan Greenlees, Andrew Hayes, Alasdair Henderson, Finlay Johnston, Steven Leask, Angus J. MacColl, Ian K. MacDonald, Ashley McMichael, Derek Midgley, Fred Morrison, and Iain Speirs.

Hornpipe & Jig (Mary Flora Beaton Cup, 23 competed)
1st Fred Morrison
2nd Alasdair Henderson, Dunoon, Scotland
3rd Callum Beaumont
Judges: Dixie Ingram, Colin MacLellan, Bob Worrall

Also competing: Seumas Coyne, Andrew Donlon, Steven Gray, Ben Duncan, Steven Leask, Iain Speirs, Jonathan Greenlees, Glenn Brown, Bruce Gandy, Matt Wilson, Peter Macgregor, Andrew Hayes, Alan Bevan, Ian K. MacDonald, Finlay Johnston, Calum Brown, Fred Morrison, Angus J. MacColl, Ashley McMichael, Sarah Muir, Derek Midgley.

Premier & A-Grade
Piobaireachd (William Gillies Cup, 25 competed)
1st Finlay Johnston, “My Dearest on Earth Give Me Your Kiss”
2nd Iain Speirs, “MacLeod of Colbeck’s Lament”
3rd Fred Morrison, “Scarce of Fishing”
4th Bruce Gandy, “The MacDougalls’ Gathering”
5th Callum Beaumont, “Lament for Patrick Og MacCrimmon”
Judges: Ian Duncan, Alan Forbes, Roddy Livingstone

Also competing: Alan Bevan, Glenn Brown, Andrew Donlon, Ben Duncan, Jamie Forrester, Jonathan Greenlees, Alasdair Henderson, Andrew Hayes, Nick Hudson, Steven Leask, Angus J. MacColl, Ian K. MacDonald, James MacHattie, Peter McCalister, Sean McKeown, Ben McClamrock, Derek Midgley, Sarah Muir, John Mulhearn, Innes Smith, and John-Angus Smith.

A-Grade
Piobaireachd (R.G. Lawrie Ram’s Horn Snuff Mull, 14 competed)
1st Innes Smith, Glasgow, “Lament for the Viscount of Dundee”
2nd Derek Midgley, Mill Town, New Jersey, “Port Urlar”
3rd Sarah Muir, “The Old Men of the Shells” #1
4th Ed McIlwaine, Vancouver, “The Battle of the Pass of Crieff”
5th Ben Duncan, “The MacDougalls’ Gathering”
Judges: Roger Huth, Bill Wotherspoon

Also competing: Calum Brown, Ruairidh Brown, Andrew Donlon, Jonathan Greenlees, Steven Leask, Angus J. MacColl, James MacHattie, Ben McClamrock, Sean McKeown, and John Mulhearn.

MSR (Strachan Memorial Cup, 17 competed)
1st John Mulhearn, Glasgow
2nd Nick Hudson, Houston
3rd Gordon Conn, Calgary
4th Andrew Ferguson
5th Jenny Hazzard, Edinburgh
Judges: Dixie Ingram, Roderick MacDonald, Richard Parkes

Also competing: Greig Canning, Lachie Dick, Andrew Donlon, Michael Fitzhenry, Jamie Forrester, James MacHattie, Peter MacGregor, Ben McClamrock, Sean McKeown, Craig Muirhead, Ciaren Ross, Innes Smith, and Matt Wilson.

B-Grade
Piobaireachd (John Roe Plate, 23 competed)
1st Ashley McMichael, Northern Ireland, “Lord Lovat’s Lament”
2nd Gordon Conn, “The Mackays’ Banner”
3rd Ciaren Ross, Clackmannan, Scotland, “Patrick Og MacCrimmon’s Lament”
4th Jonathan Simpson, Bo’ness, Scotland, “Lament for the Viscount of Dundee”
5th Bradley Parker, Glasgow, “The End of the Great Bridge”
Judges: Derek Fraser, Hugh Jamieson

Also competing: Duncan Beattie, Greig Canning, Kristopher Coyle, Seumas Coyne, John Dew, Lachie Dick, Jamie Elder, Andrew Ferguson, Michael Fitzhenry, Alexander Gehrig, Steven Gray, Gordon Conn Andrew Hall, Angus MacPhee, John McElmurry, Ashley McMichael, Craig Muirhead, Alastair Murray, Dan Nevans, Peter Skae, and Brodie Watson-Massey.

MSR (London Scottish Hodden Grey, 16 competed)
1st John Dew, Perth, Scotland
2nd Angus MacPhee, Inverness, Scotland
3rd Bradley Parker
4th Andrew Hall, London
5th Jamie Elder, Auchtermuchty, Scotland
Judges: Robert Barnes, Bill Wotherspoon

Also competing: Ruairidh Brown, Kristopher Coyle, Alastair Donaghy, Andrew Ferguson, Jamie Elder, Peter McCalister, Edward McIlwaine, Alastair Murray, Dan Nevans, Bradley Parker, Jonathon Simpson, Peter Skae, and Brodie Watson-Massey.

Grade A & B Hornpipe & Jig
1st Bradley Parker
2nd Jenny Hazzard
3rd Angus MacPhee
Judges: R.S. MacDonald, Jack Taylor

Junior
Piobaireachd
1st Kyle Cameron
2nd Duncan Winters

MSR 
1st Duncan Winters
2nd Kyle Cameron

Slow Air & Jig 
1st Kyle Cameron
2nd Duncan Winters