April 6th is the Scottish Pipers’ Association’s big solo contest

The National Piping Centre’s McPhater Street, Glasgow, auditorium will be the venue for the venerable Scottish Pipers’ Association’s annual Professional Solo Piping Competition on April 6th.

There will be three Piobaireachd events. One for those classified as Premier or A-Grade in ceol mor by the Competing Pipers Association and “non-CPA-graded pipers”; another for CPA members with a B-Grade in piob; and another for players with a C-Grade in piobaireachd.

In light music, there are Open March and Strathspey & Reel events for pipers with a B-Grade and higher (plus non-CPA members), and a C-Grade March and a Strathspey & Reel.

As some pipers who achieved “Senior” level by merit of qualifying for the big former winner’s events at the Argyllshire Gathering and Northern Meeting allow their CPA membership to lapse, the Scottish Pipers’ Association competition wants to be sure that they are not restricted from competing.

According to Scottish Pipers’ Association President Logan Tannock, the CPA and Piobaireachd Society are sponsoring several events.

“We allow anyone who is a member of the SPA who does not have a CPA grade the opportunity to play in the Open competition.” – SPA President Logan Tannock

All pipers entering the Scottish Pipers Association must be active SPA members for an annual fee of £20. Entries, which will open on March 1st, will not be possible without logging in as a member.

“We allow anyone who is a member of the SPA who does not have a CPA grade the opportunity to play in the Open competition, which is also the competition that Premier and A-graded players enter,” Tannock said. “In reality, there are only a few non-CPA players who sometimes enter the competition, and most are already Premier players.”

The Scottish Pipers’ Association was founded in 1920 with John MacDougall Gillies as president, John MacKenzie as vice-president, Malcolm MacLean Currie as secretary, and John MacLeod as treasurer.

The Scottish Pipers’ Association annual professional competitions and those of the Uist & Barra Association traditionally mark the start of the new competitive solo piping year in Scotland. Most of the greatest UK-based pipers have won the top prizes at the SPA, with trophies festooned with the most famous names in the history of Highland piping.