World’s top solo pipers poised for Northern Meeting at Inverness

Following the two-day Argyllshire Gathering at Oban, Scotland, the world’s top solo pipers are girding for competition at the Northern Meeting a few hours northeast at Inverness, with the other Highland Society of London Gold Medal, the Clasp, the Silver Star MSR and other historically important events featured on September 1-2 at the elegant Eden Court Theatre on the banks of the River Ness.

Several of the events will be live-streamed, with pay-per-view tickets available from the organizers. Tickets are about the same price as attending in-person, and £15 will get you all-day access to witnessing piping history in the making.

The Northern Meeting has not been held since 2019 due to the pandemic, organizers electing not to bring any events online. The Argyllshire Gathering was able to hold a limited number of outdoor competitions in 2021.

Following his winning the Highland Society of London Gold Medal last week at the Argyllshire Gathering, Jamie Forrester of Uddingston, Scotland, goes for the elusive “Double” – winning both Gold Medals in the same year. The feat has been accomplished only 12 times in the last 150 years, with Ian K. MacDonald of Whitby, Ontario, last turning the trick in 2016.

“Inverness,” as the Northern Meeting is generally referred to by pipers, is regarded as the most non-invitational prestigious solo piping competition. Ninety-one pipers are accepted to compete in the various “senior” events for those 18 and older, some by winning qualifying contests, but most through a review of their recent competition track-record, often with a strong emphasis on results around the Scottish games.

There’s a full array of “Junior” competitions for competitors 17 and younger.

Of the 91 senior contestants, only three are women, despite females comprising approximately 25 percent of active competing pipers around the world.

Here are the orders-of-play for the pressure-packed competitions:

Thursday, September 1st

Highland Society of London Gold Medal (8:30 am, 25 competing)

• Ben Duncan, Edinburgh
• Stuart Easton, Palmerston North, New Zealand
• Sean McKeown, Bowmanville, Ontario
• Ben McClamrock, Washington, DC
• Steven Leask, Glasgow
• Alex Gandy, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
• Alastair Lee, Surrey, British Columbia
• Innes Smith, Glasgow
• Sarah Muir, Irvine, Scotland
• James Mackenzie, Back, Isle of Lewis, Scotland
• Cameron MacDougall, Nigg, Scotland
• Andrew Carlisle, Pittsburgh
• Bill Geddes, Glasgow
• James McHattie, Summerside, Prince Edward Island
• John Mulhearn, Carluke, Scotland
• Angus J. MacColl, Benderloch, Scotland
• Jamie Forrester
• Gordon Bruce, Kilwinning, Scotland
• Craig Sutherland, Crieff, Scotland
• Darach Urquhart, Glasgow
• Cameron Drummond, Edinburgh
• Nick Hudson, Houston
• Derek Midgley, Tinton Falls, New Jersey
• Gordon McCready, Renfrew, Scotland
• Sandy Cameron, Roybridge, Scotland

Silver Medal (9 am, 28 competing)

• Brodie Watson-Massey, Edinburgh
• John McDonald, Aberdeen
• Jonathon Simpson, Bo’ness, Scotland
• Matt Pantaleoni, St. Louis
• Ross Miller, Glasgow
• Kris Coyle, Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland
• Liam Kernaghan, Dunedin, New Zealand
• Calum Brown, Petercoulter, Scotland
• Jamie Elder, Auchtermuchty, Scotland
• Xavier Boderiou, Landrevarzec, Brittany
• Eddie Gaul, Dundee, Scotland
• Anna Kummerlow, Kladrum, Germany
• Alastair Murray, Moon Township, Pennsylvania
• Scott Armstrong, Auckland
• Finlay Cameron, Fort William, Scotland
• Ursa Beckford, Washington, DC
• Calum Watson, Edinburgh
• Willie Rowe, Manawatu, New Zealand
• Jacob Dicker, Hammond, Ontario
• Zephan Knichel, Surrey, British Columbia
• Ruairidh Brown, Dunblane, Scotland
• Andrew Ferguson, Dollar, Scotland
• Bobby Durning, Carollton, Texas
• Ashley McMichael, Antrim, Northern Ireland
• Alex Gehrig, Oberwil, Aargau, Switzerland
• John Dew, Glasgow
• Greig Canning, Kirkcaldy, Scotland
• Mike Fitzhenry, Paisley, Scotland

Silver Star Former Winners MSR (for winners of the A-Grade MSR or both the March and Strathspey & Reel events before the MSR was introduced, 6 pm, 17 competing)

• Callum Beaumont, Dollar, Scotland
• Iain Speirs, Edinburgh
• Roddy MacLeod, Glasgow
• Alex Gandy
• Ben Duncan
• Finlay Johnston, Glasgow
• Greg Wilson, Christchurch
• Willie McCallum, Bearsden, Scotland
• Fred Morrison, Bishopton, Scotland
• Andrew Hayes, Nepean, Ontario
• Stuart Liddell, Inveraray, Scotland
• Gordon McCready
• Jack Lee, Surrey, British Columbia
• Ian K. MacDonald, Whitby, Ontario
• Cameron Drummond, Edinburgh
• Bruce Gandy, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
• Angus D. MacColl, Benderloch, Scotland

Judges: Ian Duncan, Michael Grey, Stuart Samson

A-Grade MSR (9 am, 35 competing)

• Nick Hudson
• Derek Midgley
• Darach Urquhart
• Willie Rowe
• Steven Gray, Lockerbie, Scotland
• Jamie Forrester
• Gordon Conn, Calgary
• Calum Watson
• Gordon Bruce
• Craig Sutherland, Crieff, Scotland
• Glenn Brown, Glasgow
• Connor Sinclair, Crieff, Scotland
• Greig Canning
• Seamus Coyne, Claremont, California
• Ashley McMichael
• Jenny Hazzard, Edinburgh
• Matt Wilson, Dollar, Scotland
• Innes Smith, Glasgow
• Liam Kernaghan
• Calum Brown
• Sean McKeown
• Steven Leask
• James McHattie
• Sarah Muir
• Alasdair Henderson, Edinburgh
• Ben McClamrock
• Cameron MacDougall
• Stuart Easton
• Andrew Carlisle
• Angus J. MacColl
• Bill Geddes
• John Mulhearn
• Michael Fitzhenry
• James Mackenzie
• Alastair Lee

Friday, September 2nd

Clasp (for previous winners of the Highland Society of London Gold Medal, 8:30 am, 19 competing)

• Alasdair Henderson
• Greg Wilson
• Roddy MacLeod
• Connor Sinclair
• Callum Beaumont
• Willie McCallum
• Iain Speirs
• Finlay Johnston
• Fred Morrison
• Stuart Easton
• Angus D. MacColl
• Bruce Gandy
• Jack Lee
• Peter McCalister
• Craig Sutherland
• Andrew Hayes
• Ian K. MacDonald
• Stuart Liddell
• Glenn Brown

B-Grade MSR (9:30 am, 34 competing)

• Sandy Cameron
• Jacob Dicker
• Jonathon Simpson
• Ursa Beckford
• Finlay Cameron
• Jason Craig, Dollar, Scotland
• Bobby Durning
• Jamie Elder
• Andrew Hall
• Zephan Knichel
• Peter McCalister
• Dan Nevans
• Matt Pantaleoni
• Callum Wynd
• Fraser Allison
• Anna Kummerlow
• Angus MacPhee
• Ed McIlwaine
• John Dew
• Ross Miller
• Scott Armstrong
• Ruairidh Brown
• Kris Coyle
• Lachie Dick
• Andrew Ferguson
• Decker Forrest, Skye
• Eddie Gaul
• Dan Lyden
• Alastair Murray
• Ciaren Ross
• Xavier Boderiou
• John McDonald
• Brodie Watson-Massey
• Jack Williamson, Topeka, Kansas

Premier and A-Grade Hornpipe & Jig (9:30, 44 competing)

• Fred Morrison
• Cameron MacDougall
• Jenny Hazzard
• Stuart Easton
• Nick Hudson
• Steven Leask
• Calum Brown
• Matt Wilson
• Derek Midgley
• Gordon Bruce
• James Mackenzie
• Ben McClamrock
• Darach Urquhart
• Andrew Carlisle
• Gordon McCready
• Steven Gray
• Callum Beaumont
• Roddy MacLeod
• Glenn Brown
• James McHattie
• Alasdair Henderson
• Ashley McMichael
• Sarah Muir
• Alastair Lee
• Andrew Hayes
• Ben Duncan
• Willie Rowe
• Greig Canning
• Craig Sutherland
• Gordon Conn
• Iain Speirs
• Greg Wilson
• Alex Gandy
• Calum Watson
• Seamus Coyne
• Innes Smith
• Liam Kernaghan
• Jamie Forrester
• John Mulhearn
• Angus D. MacColl
• Sean McKeown
• Ian K. MacDonald
• Bill Geddes
• Mike Fitzhenry

B-Grade Hornpipe & Jig (9:30 am, 34 competing)

• Sandy Cameron
• Jacob Dicker
• Jonathon Simpson
• Ursa Beckford
• Finlay Cameron
• Jason Craig
• Bobby Durning
• Jamie Elder
• Andrew Hall
• Zephan Knichel
• Peter McCalister
• Dan Nevans
• Matt Pantaleoni
• Callum Wynd
• Fraser Allison
• Anna Kummerlow
• Angus MacPhee
• Ed McIlwaine
• John Dew
• Ross Miller
• Scott Armstrong
• Ruairidh Brown
• Kris Coyle
• Lachie Dick
• Andrew Ferguson
• Decker Forrest
• Eddie Gaul
• Dan Lyden
• Alastair Murray
• Ciaren Ross
• Xaviour Boderiou
• John McDonald
• Brodie Watson-Massey
• Jack Williamson

Stay tuned to pipes|drums for results from the 2022 Northern Meeting as they are made available.