Inveraray scorching hot at 2023 European Championship in first all-four-parters MSR; Portlethen takes Grade 2

Aberdeen, Scotland – June 24, 2023 – About 100 bands over all grades competed at the European Championships at Duthie Park, and ultimately it was Inveraray & District that came out on top, winning the Grade 1 MSR competition. It was the first time a new MSR format required submitting only one set of tunes, each piece no more than four parts. The rationale for the format change was apparently to help prop up the many classic shorter tunes that had often fallen out of favour in the top grade for six- and eight-part compositions.

It was the second consecutive European Championship title for Inveraray & District, after the band’s win a year earlier. The 2014 European Championship was the band’s first-ever major win in Grade 1.

Field Marshal Montgomery settled for second, but its drum section under new Leading-Drummer Gareth McLees was first, their second straight major drumming title after taking the title at the 2023 UK Championships.

In Grade 2, Portlethen & District was the winner under Pipe-Major Julie Brinklow, the second major championship victory in that grade in the band’s 33-year history. The band won Grade 2 at the 2019 European, their first year in the grade. No Grade 2 bands from Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland made the trip to Aberdeen.

The competition was the second of four RSPBA 2023 season championships. Earlier this year, the association elected not to stage a British Championship due to its inability to find a replacement location after Inverclyde Council decided not to renew its relationship.

The weather was mostly sunny and hot for northern Scotland, with temperatures reaching about 25°C (77°F).

Grade 1 (MSR of four-part tunes, submit one; 10 competed)
1st Inveraray & District (1,1,4,1)
2nd Field Marshal Montgomery (Northern Ireland) (3,3,1,2)
3rd Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia (2,2,5,3)
4th St. Laurence O’Toole (Republic of Ireland) (4,4,2,7)
5th Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia (5,5,8,4)
6th ScottishPower (6,6,6,6)
7th Police Scotland Fife (7,7,3,8)
8th Police Scotland & Federation (9,9,7,5)
9th Johnstone (8,8,10,9)
10th Closkelt (Northern Ireland) (10,10,9,10)
Drumming: Field Marshal Montgomery
Judges: Maurice Rhodes, Tom Brown (piping); Brian Martin (drumming); Terry Lee (ensemble)

Grade 2 (medley, 10 competed)
1st Portlethen & District (1,1,6,1)
2nd Royal Burgh of Annan (6,2,1,2)
3rd Buchan Peterson (ens.pref.) (5,5,3,3)
4th City of Edinburgh (2,4,4,6)
5th Glasgow Skye Association (ens.pref.) (3,3,7,4)
6th Uddingston (4,6,2,5)
7th Kilchoman Distillery Isle of Islay (8,7,5,8)
8th Highland Granite (7,8,8,7)
9th City of Discovery (ens.pref.) (10,10,9,9)
10th Oban (9,9,10,10)
Drumming: Royal Burgh of Annan
Judges: Robert Mathieson, Jim Campbell (piping); Alex Dudgeon (drumming); David Brown (ensemble)

Grade 3A (15 competed)
1st Coalburn IOR (3,1,3,3)
2nd Deeside Caledonia (ens.pref.) (2,3,5,1)
3rd City of London (England) (1,2,4,4)
4th Denny & Dunipace (4,4,6,5)
5th Vale of Atholl (12,9,1,6)
6th City of Inverness (5,6,10,8)
Drumming: Vale of Atholl
Judges: Mark Faloon, John Moles (piping); Lee Innes (drumming); Paul Turner (ensemble)

Grade 3B (seven competed)
1st Ross & Cromarty (1,1,5,1)
2nd Arbroath (2,2,4,3)
3rd Ayr Society (4,3,3,5)
4th Methil & District (ens.pref.) (3,5,6,2)
5th Macánta (England) (5,6,1,4)
6th Lower Clyde (6,4,2,6)
Drumming: Macánta
Judges: Ross Walker, Gordon Lawrie (piping); Allan Craig (drumming); Alan Ronaldson (ensemble)

Grade 4A (15 competed)
1st Burntisland & District (1,1,3,1)
2nd Culter & District (2,2,5,3)
3rd Uddingston Strathclyde (ens.pref.) (6,6,1,4)
4th Royal Burgh of Stirling (5,5,2,5)
5th Strathendrick (3,4,8,6)
6th Coupar Angus Burgh (8,7,7,2)
Drumming: Uddingston Strathclyde
Judges: Robert Mathieson, Jim Campbell (piping); Alex Dudgeon (drumming); David Brown (ensemble)

Grade 4B (12 competed)
1st Venlo Caledonian (The Netherlands) (1,1,1,1)
2nd Fraserburgh Royal British Legion (3,3,4,2)
3rd Irvine & District (2,2,7,3)
4th City of Aberdeen (6,5,5,4)
5th Dunoon Argyll (4,4,9,7)
6th Greyfriars (8,9,2,6)
Drumming: Venlo Caledonian
Judges: Ross Walker, Gordon Lawrie (piping); Allan Craig (drumming); Alan Ronaldson (ensemble)

Juvenile (four competed)
1st Dollar Academy (1,1,1,2)
2nd George Watson’s College (2,2,2,1)
3rd Preston Lodge High School (3,3,4,3)
4th George Heriot’s School (4,4,3,4)
Drumming: Dollar Academy
Judges: Maurice Rhodes, Tom Brown (piping); Brian Martin (drumming); Terry Lee (ensemble)

Novice A (nine competed)
1st George Watson’s College (1,1,4,1)
2nd Dollar Academy (2,3,3,2)
3rd West Lothian Schools (4,2,2,4)
4th St. Columba’s School (3,4,7,3)
5th High School of Dundee (6,5,1,6)
6th North Lanarkshire Schools (5,6,6,5)
Drumming: High School of Dundee
Judges: Maurice Rhodes, Tom Brown (piping); Brian Martin (drumming); Terry Lee (ensemble)

Novice B (16 competed)
1st Erskine Stewart’s Melville Schools (2,4,1,1)
2nd Renfrewshire Schools (1,1,7,5)
3rd Lochgelly High School (4,6,3,3)
4th Preston Lodge High School (7,7,4,2)
5th Oban High School (5,5,9,4)
6th Dollar Academy (11,8,2,6)
Drumming: Erskine Stewart’s Melville Schools
Judges: Mark Faloon, John Moles (piping); Lee Innes (drumming); Paul Turner (ensemble)

If you have competition results that you’d like the whole piping and drumming world to see and marvel at your success, just send them and a pic or two to us!