Glenfiddich Piping and Fiddle Championships

Last updated

The Glenfiddich Piping and Fiddle Championships are musical competitions for the bagpipes and fiddle. Both competitions take place annually in late autumn, at the ballroom of Blair Castle at Blair Atholl in Perthshire, Scotland. [1] Entry to each championship is by invitation only, to those who have won various recognised major UK solo competitions held throughout the year.

Contents

In 2016, the Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship was discontinued.

The Glenfiddich Piping Championship

Glenfiddich Piping Championship
Blair interior sca11.jpg
Ballroom at Blair Castle
GenrePiping competition
FrequencyAnnually
Location(s)Blair Castle, Blair Atholl
Years active1974–present
Current ChampionCallum Beaumont
Sponsor William Grant & Sons, The National Piping Centre
Website https://www.glenfiddich.com/uk/explore/latest-events/glenfiddich-piping-championship/

The Glenfiddich Piping Championship was established in 1974, as the Grant's Piping Championship, to inspire and stimulate individual pipers, and to seek the best overall exponents of the Ceòl Mór or piobaireachd (the great music) and Ceòl Beag (the little music). [1]

The championship was founded and continues to be run by William Grant & Sons., [2] distillers of Glenfiddich and other whiskies.

Ten of the leading pipers in the world, all of whom will have won important awards since the previous October, are invited. Each of them submits a list of six piobaireachds, and is required to play one of them. They also submit lists of six marches, strathspeys and reels, and play one of each, twice through.

Qualifying Events

Competitors gain an invitation to the Glenfiddich Championship by winning one of the following events:

In the event that an individual wins more than one of these events, 2nd or 3rd place prize-winners from the event are invited, with the exception of the Gold Medal competitions. [3]

There are prizes in each discipline, and an overall championship prize.

Previous championships

Previous Glenfiddich Piping Championship Winners from the last 50 years:

Glenfiddich Piping Championship Winners
YearWinnerLocation/RegimentNotable Achievements
2024Callum Beaumont St Andrews 2nd Win
2023 Callum Beaumont Dollar
2022William McCallumBearsden9th Win, Record 11th MSR Win
2021Jack LeeCanada3rd Win, William McCallum 10th MSR Win
2020Stuart LiddellInveraray3rd Win, William McCallum 9th MSR Win
2019Finlay Johnston2nd Win
2018Finlay Johnston Milngavie
2017Jack LeeCanada2nd Win
2016Roderick J. MacLeodGlasgow5th Win, Record 10th Piobaireachd Win, William McCallum 8th MSR Win
2015Angus MacCollBenderloch4th Win
2014Stuart LiddellInveraray2nd Win
2013Iain SpeirsEdinburgh2nd Win
2012Iain Speirs Edinburgh
2011Roderick J. MacLeodGlasgow4th Win
2010Angus MacCollBenderloch3rd Win
2009 Stuart Liddell Inveraray
2008Gordon WalkerGalston2nd Win
2007 Gordon Walker Galston
2006Angus MacColl Benderloch 2nd Win
2005William McCallumBearsden8th Win (McCallum wins both individual events)
2004William McCallumBearsden7th Win (McCallum wins both individual events)
2003 Jack Lee Canada 1st Piper from North America to win
2002Roderick J. MacLeodCumbernauld3rd Win
2001William McCallumBearsden6th Win
2000William McCallumBearsden5th Win
1999William McCallum Bearsden 4th Win
1998Alasdair GilliesPittsburgh3rd Win
1997Roderick J. MacLeodCumbernauld2nd Win
1996 Pipe Major Alasdair Gillies Pittsburgh 2nd Win
1995 Angus MacColl Oban
1994William McCallumGlasgow3rd Win
1993William McCallumGlasgow2nd Win
1992 Roderick J. MacLeod Cumbernauld
1991 Pipe Sergeant Alasdair Gillies Queen's Own Highlanders
1990 William McCallum Glasgow
1989Murray HendersonEassie4th Win (Henderson wins both individual events)
1988Pipe Major Gavin StoddartRoyal Highland Fusiliers2nd Win
1987Murray HendersonEassie3rd Win
1986Iain MacFadyenKyle of Lochalsh4th Win
1985Murray HendersonEassie2nd Win
1984Iain MacFadyenKyle of Lochalsh3rd Win
1983Pipe Major Gavin Stoddart Royal Highland Fusiliers (Stoddart wins both individual events)
1982Pipe Major Angus MacDonaldScots Guards2nd Win (MacDonald wins both individual events)
1981Iain MacFadyenKyle of Lochalsh2nd Win
1980Pipe Major Iain Morrison Queens Own Highlanders
1979 Murray Henderson Eassie
1978Hugh MacCallum Stirling
1977Iain MacFadyen Kyle of Lochalsh
1976Pipe Major Angus MacDonald Scots Guards
1975 Pipe Major John D. Burgess Alness
1974James McIntosh Dundee Inaugural competition

The Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship

Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship
Blair castle - facade.jpg
Blair Castle
GenreFiddle competition
FrequencyAnnually
Location(s)Blair Castle, Blair Atholl
Years active1984–2016
SponsorWilliam Grant & Sons
Website https://www.glenfiddich.com/uk/explore/latest-events/glenfiddich-fiddle-championship/

The Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship was added in 1989 to the existing Glenfiddich Piping Championships – to reward, encourage and perpetuate the art of fiddle playing throughout the world.

Eight finalists are hand selected to compete following successes throughout the year, with each finalist giving a recital incorporating all the various styles of composition including a set of tunes by a specific composer – a new composer is chosen annually.

In 2016, the Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship was discontinued. A celebratory non-competitive event was held at Blair Castle in which all previous champions were invited to perform.

2015 Championship

The Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship 2015 was won by George Davidson of Tarves in Aberdeenshire. [4] Second place went to Maggie Adamson of Fladdabister, Shetland, and third place went to Mari Black of Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

2014 Championship

The Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship 2014 was won by Mari Black of Boston, Massachusetts, USA. [5] Second place went to George Davidson of Tarves in Aberdeenshire, and third place went to Maura Shawn Scanlin of Boone, North Carolina, USA.

2012 Championship

The Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship 2012 was won by Maggie Adamson from Shetland. Second place went to Erin Smith of Aberdeen, and third place went to Ronald Jappy of Findochty.

Previous championships

Glenfiddich Fiddle Championships Winners
YearWinner
2015George Davidson
2014 Mari Black
2013Maura Shawn Scanlin
2012Maggie Adamson
2011Maggie Adamson
2010Nicola Auchnie
2009Rebecca Lomnicky
2008Raemond Jappy
2007Calum Pasqua
2006Gemma Donald
2005Sarah Naylor
2004Ross Thomson
2003Stephen Cordiner
2002Ruaridh Campbell
2001Gillian Risi
2000Gillian Risi
1999Patsy Reid
1998Patsy Reid
1997Russell Kostulin
1996Russell Kostulin
1995Paul Anderson
1994Keith Anderson
1993Kathryn Nicoll
1992Maureen Turnbull
1991Maureen Turnbull
1990Maureen Turnbull

Related Research Articles

The Northern Meeting is a gathering held in Inverness, Scotland, best known for its solo bagpiping competition in September.

Pibroch, piobaireachd or ceòl mòr is an art music genre associated primarily with the Scottish Highlands that is characterised by extended compositions with a melodic theme and elaborate formal variations. Strictly meaning 'piping' in Scottish Gaelic, piobaireachd has for some four centuries been music of the great Highland bagpipe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Lee (piper)</span> Canadian musician

Jack Lee is a Canadian bagpiper and has been the pipe sergeant of the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band since its inception in 1981. The band has won the World Pipe Band Championships six times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jori Chisholm</span>

Jori Lance Chisholm is an American professional bagpipe player and teacher who lives in Seattle, Washington. Chisholm is a successful solo competitor winning the United States Gold Medal four times and has placed in the top three in Scotland's Argyllshire Gathering Gold Medal competition. He played with the six-time Grade One World Champion Simon Fraser University Pipe Band and was a featured solo performer for the band on multiple occasions. Chisholm has performed in front of sold-out audiences with The Chieftains and with ex-Grateful Dead rocker Bob Weir and his band Ratdog, and has been featured as a soloist or band member on over 20 recordings. His debut solo album Bagpipe Revolution was nominated for Album of the Year by Pipes|Drums magazine. He writes the "Sound Technique" column for the National Piping Centre’s bi-monthly Piping Today Magazine. The New York Times featured Chisholm's online teaching program, BagpipeLessons.com, and described him as a "top-tier teacher" in a front-page story about the growth of Skype music lessons. A cover story in American Profile Magazine named Chisholm one of the "world's elite pipers."

This article defines a number of terms that are exclusive, or whose meaning is exclusive, to piping and pipers.

Stuart Liddell MBE is a Scottish bagpipe player, playing Great Highland bagpipe. As well as competing in solo competitions, he is the Pipe major of the Inveraray and District Pipe Band.

Margaret Houlihan is an Irish bagpiper, originally from Cullen, County Cork, now living in Scotland.

John Davie Burgess was a Scottish bagpipe player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scottish Piping Society of London</span>

The Scottish Piping Society of London is a Society of bagpipers, formed in 1932. The Society aims to support and promote the heritage of Scottish Highland bagpiping.

Roderick J. (Roddy) MacLeod is a Scottish bagpiper, director of the annual Piping Live! Festival and former principal of the National Piping Centre.

Alasdair Gillies was a Scottish bagpiper and tutor, and one of the most successful competitive solo players of all time.

Faye Henderson is a bagpipe player from Scotland. In 2010, she became one of the youngest ever winners of a Highland Society of London Gold Medal, as well as the first ever female winner.

Murray Henderson is a bagpipe player and reed-maker from Scotland.

Angus D. MacColl is a Scottish bagpipe player.

Willie McCallum is Scottish Highland bagpipe player.

The Argyllshire Gathering is a Highland games held in Oban, Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">G. S. McLennan</span> Musical artist

Pipe Major George Stewart McLennan was a Scottish bagpipe player. He was a successful solo piper, as well as a pipe major and composer.

Donald MacPherson was a Scottish bagpipe player, and one of the most successful competitive solo pipers of all time.

In competitive solo bagpiping, a Gold Medal is awarded at the Northern Meeting and Argyllshire Gathering for pibroch playing. The prize is one of the most prestigious awards a solo player can receive, and by winning it a player qualifies for a number of restricted competitions.

References

  1. 1 2 Gilchrist, Jim (3 November 2009). "Music review: Glenfiddich Piping Championship". The Scotsman . Edinburgh. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
  2. ↑ "Young fiddler is finalist in prestigious national championships". The Shetland Times. 15 September 2010. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
  3. ↑ "Glenfiddich Piping Championship". Competing Pipers Association.
  4. ↑ "Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship". glenfiddich.com. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
  5. ↑ "Glenfiddich piping and fiddle champions crowned". BBC News . 26 October 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.