Northern Meeting settles on judges for the crucible of solo piping

The organizers of the 2023 Northern Meeting Solo Piping Competitions at Inverness, Scotland, on August 31st and September 1st have determined the judges for the various competitions, including the Clasp, the Highland Society of London Gold Medal and the Silver Star Former Winners’ March, Strathspey & Reel.

The event accepts around 75 “senior” competitors – those 18 and older – through an arduous and mostly subjective selection process that’s based mainly on the piper’s recent competitive track record, with a strong emphasis on results gained at solo contests in Scotland.

With the competition comprising the world’s most accomplished competitive players, determining the prizes generally comes down to personal preference and musical bias. All senior benches consist of three judges, with the aim of making the post-event consultation between adjudicators a more collaborative and decisive process.

Held at Eden Court Theatre on the banks of the River Ness, the Northern Meeting is considered by most as the greatest non-invitational all-indoor solo piping completion in the world.

Thursday, August 31st

Gold Medal: Patricia Henderson, Dr. Angus MacDonald, Malcolm McRae
Silver Medal: Bruce Hitchings, Roddy Livingstone, Niall Matheson
Silver Star Former Winners’ MSR: Robert Barnes, Murray Henderson, Iain MacFadyen
A-Grade MSR: Ian Duncan, Robert Wallace, Bill Wotherspoon

Friday, September 1st

Clasp: Alan Forbes, Colin MacLellan, John Wilson
Premier/A-Grade Hornpipe & Jig: Bruce Hitchings, Iain MacFadyen, Malcolm McRae,
B-Grade MSR: Murray Henderson, Dr. Angus MacDonald, Niall Matheson
B-Grade Hornpipe & Jig: Ian Duncan, Bill Wotherspoon

Under 18

Piobaireachd: Patricia Henderson, Roddy Livingstone
MSR: Robert Barnes, Robert Wallace

Under 15

Piobaireachd: Robert Barnes, Robert Wallace
MSR: Patricia Henderson, Roddy Livingstone

Of note, despite approximately one-third of senior competitors not being full-time residents of Scotland, only one judge – Malcolm McRae, a resident of Australia – lives outside of the country.