Bruce Gandy Wins Inverness Gold Medal

Inverness, Scotland – September 5, 2002 – Bruce Gandy of Halifax, Nova Scotia, won the Highland Society of London’s coveted Gold Medal for piobaireachd here today at Eden Court Theatre, venue for the Northern Meeting Piping Competitions. He played “The Rout of Glenfruin.” Second prize went to Iain Speirs of Edinburgh, narrowly missing the double win at Oban and Inverness. Speirs played “The Gathering of Clan Chattan.”

The Gold Medal event showcased 30 of the world’s top players who qualified in a very selective application process.

On Wednesday, September 4, Dr. Angus MacDonald of Skye won his second Clasp in the piobaireachd contest reserved for previous winners of a Highland Society of London’s Gold Medal.

The Northern Meeting is considered to be the solo piping world’s most prestigious non-invitational event. MacDonald won in a tightly contested event, with plenty of first rate tunes. Gordon Walker of Glasgow finished second, and Willie McCallum, Bearsden, came in third, thus spoiling his chance to win the “grand slam” of piping – all four former winners events at the Northern Meeting and Argyllshire Gathering.

In the Silver Star Former Winners March, Strathspey & Reel contest, Alasdair Gillies of Pittsburgh won his tenth title in a marathon event that saw many sterling performances under intense pressure.

In the Silver Medal, Fiona Manson of Edinburgh took top honours, and Niall Matheson of Inverness won the MSR for A Grade pipers, and thus secures a spot in future Former Winners MSR events at Inverness.

Gold Medal
1st Bruce Gandy, “The Rout of Glenfruin”
2nd Iain Speirs, “The Gathering of Clan Chattan”
3rd Allan Russell, Kelty, “Nameless Hiharin Dro o Dro”
4th Donald MacPhee, Alexandria, “Lament for MacDonald’s Tutor”
5th Alasdair Gillies, “The King’s Taxes”
Judges: Hugh MacCallum, John MacDougall, Norman Mathieson

Clasp
1st Dr. Angus MacDonald, “The Rout of the Lowland Captain”
2nd Gordon Walker
3rd Willie McCallum
4th Angus MacColl, Oban
Judges: Malcolm MacRae, William MacDonald (Benbecula), Iain MacFadyen

Silver Star MSR for Former Winners
1st Alasdair Gillies, “John MacDonald of Glencoe,” “John MacDonald’s Welcome to South Uist,” Inveraray Castle,” “John Roy Stewart,” “Johnnie MacDonald’s Reel,” “The Cockerel in the Creel”
2nd Willie McCallum
3rd Roddy MacLeod, Glasgow
4th Christopher Armstrong, Bathgate
Judges: Ronald Lawrie, John D. Burgess, Iain MacLellan

Silver Medal
1st Fiona Manson, “Salute to Donald”
2nd Jonathan Greenlees, Northern Ireland
3rd Martin Kessler, Germany
4th James Beaumont, Bo’ness
5th Simon McKerral, Glasgow
Judges: Dr. Jack Taylor, Donald MacPherson, James Young

A Grade MSR
1st Niall Matheson
2nd Greg Wilson, New Zealand
3rd Iain Speirs, Edinburgh
4th Jenny Hazzard, Edinburgh
Judges: Hugh MacCallum, Walter Cowan, Iain Morrison

B Grade March
1st D.J. McIntyre, The Highlanders
2nd Ross Cowan, Annan
3rd John Mulhearn
4th Daroch Urquhart
Judges: Donald MacPherson, Tom Speirs, Walter Cowan

B Grade Strathspey & Reel
1st Donald MacKay, Glasgow
2nd Gordon McReady, Renfrew
3rd Scott MacLeod, USA
4th Simon McKerral, Glasgow
Judges: James Young, Ronald Lawrie, Andrew Venters

A Grade Hornpipe & Jig
1st Angus MacColl, Oban
2nd Gordon Walker, Glasgow
3rd Greg Wilson
4th Chris Armstrong
Judges: George Lumsden, Iain MacFadyen, John D. Burgess

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