London moves Bratach Gorm to Friday, changes venue for 80th anniversary
The Scottish Piping Society of London has decided to move its prestigious Am Bratach Gorm piobaireachd competition to the Friday night, for the first time in its 80-year history making the competitions a two-day event.
The Bratach will be on November 2, while the balance of events will take place as usual on the Saturday, this year November 3.
The competitions will also change venue, with the organizing committee choosing the Caledonian Club, a private club in the Belgravia area of London for its “atmosphere, pedigree, number of rooms, accommodation and accessibility being just a few.”
“The Committee has been making step changes over the last three years to develop our annual competition,” the SPSL said in a statement. “A significant component of this has been identifying a venue which better meets the needs of the Scottish Piping Society of London and importantly our event competitors. Securing such a venue in central London is not without its challenges. Twenty-nine locations were assessed for suitability as part of our selection process, and as a Committee we have engaged with a range of competitor, adjudicator and sponsor feedback from previous years in exploring developments to our annual event.”
The Bratach Gorm is a qualifying event for the following year’s Glenfiddich Piping Championship. The event is seen, along with the Highland Society of London Gold Medals, as one of the premier achievements in a top solo piper’s career.
Similar to the Argyllshire Gathering and Northern Meeting, “London” holds a slew of events for pipers with various grades with the Competing Pipers Association, including events for previous winners.
Glenn Brown was the winner of the 2018 Bratach Gorm. Roddy MacLeod has won the prize eight times.
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