McQuillan a blizzard of success at 2024 Livi Invitational Solo Drumming

Livingston, Scotland – November 23, 2024 – An unusual early season snowstorm causing travel and transit chaos across central Scotland couldn’t keep the annual Livi Invitational Solo Drumming Competition from putting on a great show by some of the world’s greatest pipe band snare drummers, all in aid of Cedarbank School for Learning Disabilities and the Dogs Trust.

Ultimately, Kerr McQuillan of Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia took the top prize, winning the MSR event and placing second in the audience-judged Freestyle competition, which Les Galbraith of Glasgow Skye Association won.

The event, organized by the well-known RSPBA judge Jim Baxter and held at Dean’s Bowling Club in Livingston, has always been in aid of designated charities.

MSR
1st Kerr McQuillan
2nd Craig Lawrie, Uddingston
3rd Cam Lawson, Inveraray & District
Judges: David Brown, Brian Martin

Freestyle
1st Les Galbraith
2nd Craig Lawrie & Kerr McQuillan (duo)
3rd Greg Fullerton, Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia
Judges: the audience

Also competing: Darren Brown, Inveraray & District;  Hollie Chalmers, Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia; MacKenzie Forrest, Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia; Tommi McAndrew, Simon Fraser University; and Chloe Taylor, Police Scotland & Federation.

Calum Burns, Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia, and Simon Grant, City of Edinburgh, were unable to attend the event.

Since live piping was a required aspect of the MSR event, the competition takes the unique approach of awarding prizes for the best accompaniment.

MSR Piping
1st John Dew, Inveraray & District
2nd Craig Munro, Uddingston
3rd Donald Stewart, Glasgow Skye
Judge: Ian Bowden

Gordon Stafford was to have also judged the piping, but the snowstorm prevented him from attending.

“Since the piper is playing for a drummer, it’s more in the pipe band mode, rather than the pipe solo mode, so I ask pipers from that background to judge, rather than piping society judges,” Baxter said.

Jim Baxter was named Drummer of the Year in the 2021 pipes|drums New Year’s Honours for his charitable, organizational, instructional and adjudication work for the art.