Daniel Carr wins Piobaireachd Society Gold Medal (Canada); Bar goes to Ian K. MacDonald

Maxville, Ontario – August 4, 2023 – At a warm St. Michael & All Angels Anglican Church, Daniel Carr of Collingwood, Ontario, won the Piobaireachd Society Gold Medal (Canada) against a field of 14 other contestants. The Bar to the Medal competition for previous winners of the Gold Medal saw 11 compete, and ultimately Ian K. MacDonald  was the winner.

The Gold Medal was revealed before the Bar competition, and the winner of the Medal was offered the opportunity to compete in the Bar, though Carr declined the offer.

Thanks to generous sponsors, the competition had an overall prize purse of $7,800

Piobaireachd Society Gold Medal (Canada) (16 competed, sponsored by GFL Canada)
1st Daniel Carr ($700)
2nd Ben McClamrock ($500)
3rd Andrew Donlan ($300)
4th Dan Lyden ($200)
5th Tyler Bridge ($100)
Judges: Bill Livingstone, Jim McGillivray

Bar to the Medal (11 competed, sponsored by the Clan Donald Trust for the Gaelic Performing Arts)
1st Ian K. MacDonald  (Bar to the Medal, Sir John A. Macdonald Memorial Targe, $3,000)
2nd Bruce Gandy ($2,000)
3rd Jacob Dicker ($1,000)
4th Andrew Hayes
5th Andrea Boyd
Judges: Bill Livingstone, Jim McGillivray

The Piobaireachd Society Gold Medal (Canada) competitions have been held since 1979, beginning in Ottawa, then moving to Cambridge, Ontario, in the 1980s, and ultimately integrating with the Glengarry Highland Games in the 1990s. The event continues to be independent, not sanctioned by any piping an drumming association but overseen by Scotland’s Piobaireachd Society.

Players and their tunes:

In the Gold Medal

• Tyler Bridge, Guelph, Ontario,”Sobieski’s Salute”
• Daniel Carr, Collingwood, Ontario, “The Lament for the Only Son”
• Seumas Coyne, Los Angeles, “MacKintosh of Borlum’s Salute”
• Brendan Culver, Kentville, Nova Scotia, “The Black Wedder’s White Tail”
• Kevin Darmadi, Washington, DC, “Queen Anne’s Lament”
• Ross Davison, Ottawa, “Lament for the Only Son”
• Andrew Donlon, Washington, DC, “Queen Anne’s Lament”
• Kevin Dugas, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, “The Menzies’ Salute”
• Jeremy Freeman, Poughkeepsie, New York, “Sobieski’s Salute”
• Tyler Harris, Hamilton, Ontario, “Sobieski’s Salute”
• Tyler Johnson, Farmington Hills, Michigan, “The Black Wedder’s White Tail”
• Dan Lyden, Timonium, Maryland, “The Rout of the Lowland Captain”
• Ben McClamrock, Washington, DC, “MacIntosh of Borlum’s Salute”
• Liam Melville, “The MacDonalds’ Salute”
• Alastair Murray, Moon Township, Pennsylvania, “Lament for the Dead”
• Mary Wallace, Richmond, Virginia, “Lament for the Dead”

In the Bar to the Medal:

• Andrea Boyd, Ottawa, “The Daughter’s Lament”
• Jacob Dicker, Ottawa, “Lament for the Earl of Antrim”
• Alex Gandy, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, “The Rout of the Lowland Captain”
• Bruce Gandy, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, “Lament for the Union”
• Andrew Hayes, Ottawa, “Lament for Patrick Og MacCrimmon”
• Nick Hudson, Houston, “Lament for MacLeod of Colbeck”
• Ian K. MacDonald, Whitby, Ontario, “Lament for the Laird of Anapool”
• Scott McIntosh, Ontario, “In Praise of Morag”
• Derek Midgley, Tinton Falls, New Jersey, “Port Urlar”
• Andrew Rogers, Fredericton, New Brunswick, “John Garve MacLeod of Raasay’s Lament”