Steven McWhirter: 2018 World Solo Drumming Champion

Glasgow – October 20, 2018 – Steven McWhirter won the 2018 World Solo Drumming Championships, held again at Glasgow Caledonian University. It was McWhirter’s eighth consecutive title – breaking his own record – and his ninth career win of the world’s biggest solo pipe band snare drumming competition, edging him closer to Jim Kilpatrick’s record of 16.

The event for the first time saw competitors move to the second round after pre-qualifying in RSPBA branch events held over the winter and spring.

There was ultimately a final round of 12, each having to play an MSR and a Hornpipe & Jig, the overall champion determined from aggregate points. Only four of the 16 drummers who pre-qualified went through to the Final.

The Hornpipe & Jig event called for contestants to play a “dot-cut” piece first, and then a hornpipe in a round style.

McWhirter’s Hornpipe & Jig performance featured a creative break to his second jig, “The Mason’s Apron,” where Inveraray & District piper Daniel McDermott cut out his chanter for effect. In addition to virtuoso snare performances, the event featured stellar performances from several of the world’s top solo pipers, including Chris Armstrong, Glenn Brown, Eric Ouellette, and Matt Wilson.

At most, about 350 people were watching the livestream of the event at one time. The contest started at 9 am, and the last of the results were announced at around 7:30 pm.

Overall
1st Steven McWhirter, Inveraray & District (17 overall points)
2nd Gareth McLees, Field Marshal Montgomery (22)
3rd Michael McKenna, St. Laurence O’Toole (23)
4th Jake Jørgensen, ScottishPower (40)
5th Grant Cassidy, St. Laurence O’Toole (48)
6th Blair Brown, St. Thomas Alumni (54)

The MSR result counts double in the overall tabulation.

MSR
1st Steven McWhirter (1,1,5,1))
2nd Michael McKenna (2,3,1,3)
3rd Gareth McLees, (3,2,2,2)
4th Blair Brown (4,9,3,6)
5th Grant Cassidy (5,11,4,5)
6th Craig Lawrie, St. Laurence O’Toole (7,6,6,7)
7th Jake Jørgensen (8,10,7,4)
8th Derek Cooper, Inveraray & District (11,4,9,10)
9th Jason Hoy, Vale of Atholl (10,5,10,11)
10th Eric MacNeill, City of Dunedin, USA (9,8,8,12)
11th Gavin Noade (Field Marshal Montgomery) 6,12,11,9)
12th Gavin Orr (Inveraray & District (12,7,12,8)
Judges: David Brown, Greg Dinsdale, Ciaran Mordaunt, Mick O’Neill

Hornpipe & Jig (two of each)
1st Steven McWhirter, “Rona Blair,” “Andrew & Colin Lee,” “Ronnie’s Blue Brozzie,” “The Mason’s Apron”  (3,1,2,3)
2nd Jake Jørgensen, “Tam Bain’s Lum,” “From Maui to Kona,” “The Cameronian Rant,” “The Electric Pumpkin” (4,2,4,1)
3rd Gareth McLees, “Joshua and Adam McLees,” “Indigenous,” “Shaker the Baker,” “Bovis” (2,6,3,2)
4th Michael McKenna, “Lucy Cassidy,” “Mr. & Mrs. J. Duncan,” “Johnny the Tree Wrecker,” “The Driver’s” (1,7,1,5)
5th Grant Cassidy, “Rona Blair,” “As Good as it Gets,” “Donald Sutherland,” “Nelson Mandela’s Welcome to Glasgow” (5,3,9,6)
6th Derek Cooper, “Willie Bishop,” “Duncan Johnstone,” “Biddy from Sligo,” “Dunrovin Farm” (10,5,7,4)
7th Gavin Orr, “Tam Bain’s Lum,” “Ducking and Diving,” “Donald Cameron’s Powder Horn,” “John Patterson’s Mare” (7,10,6,8)
8th Blair Brown, “Barry Ewen,” “Trevor Buckley,” “Partners in Time,” “Michael MacDonald’s Jig” (8,9,8,7)
9th Craig Lawrie, “Donald Black,” Half-Pipe Delia,” “Strathmora,” “The Mason’s Apron” (6,4,11,12)
10th Gavin Noade, “Tam Bain’s Lum,” “Stevie’s First Bar,” “MacMillan’s Jig,” “Morning Blossom” (9,11,5,9)
11th Eric MacNeill, “P-M George S. Allen,” “Chasing Shadows,” “Michael MacDonald’s Jig,” “Inspector Donald Campbell of Ness” (11,8,10,11)
12th Jason Hoy, “Michael Grey,” “The Royal Bindi Express,” “Ronnie’s Blue Brozzie,” “Dunrovin Farm” (12,12,12,10)
Judges: Paul Brown, Gordon Craig, Arthur Cook, Paul Turner

Juvenile 1 March
1st Samuel Hanna, Broughshane & District
2nd Varun Ravikumar, George Heriot’s School
3rd Freddie Somerville, George Watson’s College
4th Damon Wright, Maryborough Highland, Australia
5th Adam Bell, Irvine & District
6th Robbie Pate, ScottishPower
Judges: Gordon Craig, Greg Dinsdale

Juvenile 2 March
1st MacKenzie Forest, North Lanarkshire Schools
2nd Michael Mathieson, Isle of Skye
3rd Grace Feeny, North Lanarkshire Schools
4th Jason Henry, North Lanarkshire Schools
5th Kyle Johnstone, Strathendrick
6th Ross Stevenson, Strathendrick
Judges: Iain Lawson, Allan Craig

Juvenile 3 MSR
1st Blair Beaton, 78th Fraser Highlands, Canada
2nd Ewen MacDonald, Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate
3rd Kerr McQuillan, Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia
4th Erin McWilliams, Police Service Nothern of Ireland
5th Sebastian, St. Thomas Episcopal School, USA
6th Jamie Coffee, Major Sinclair Memorial
Judges: Ciaran Mordaunt, Paul Turner

Juvenile 4 MSR
1st Connor Lawlor, St. Laurence O’Toole
2nd Ashley Fife, Police Service Nothern of Ireland
3rd Daniel Mulcahy, Closkelt
4th Rachel Fairley, George Heriot’s School
5th Lee Montgomery, Quinn Memorial
6th Tristan Jacquel, George Heriot’s School
Judges: Paul Brown, Adrian Hoy

Juvenile 5 MSR
1st Rachel Thom, Glasgow Police
2nd Lachlan Kyle, North Lanarkshire Schools
3rd Chloe Taylor, ScottishPower
4th Ben Gibson, Police Service Nothern of Ireland
5th Louise Bentley, New Zealand Police
6th Olivier Gardner, ScottishPower
Judges: Bill Black, Gordon Craig

International Juvenile Tenor
Section 1 March
1st Gemma Dandie, Scotland
2nd Josh Cunningham, Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia
3rd Sarah Happs

Section 2 March
1st Indyana Bridgeman, Scots School Albury, Australia
2nd Gena Muir, North Lanarkshire Schools
3rd Georgia Paul, George Heriot’s School

Section 3 MSR
1st Adam Montgomery, Quinn Memorial
2nd Roma Millar, Preston Lodge High School
3rd Catherine Farquhar, George Watson’s College

Section 4 MSR
1st Aofie Bissett, St. Laurence O’Toole
2nd Jamie Blair, Ravara
3rd Melissa Parry, George Watson’s College

Section 5 MSR
1st Holly Harrison, Inveraray & District
2nd Abbie Johnston, Shotts & Dyehead Caledonia
3rd Fraser Pate, Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia