Eade, Maxwell prevail in summer World Online Championships

The Internet – August 6-13, 2020 – After more than 1,500 entries in 83 events in solo piping, snare, bass and tenor, each competitor submitting performances by recorded video with an entry fee, Brendan Eade of New Zealand and Grant Maxwell of Vancouver emerged the winners of the top events in the World Online Piping & Drumming Championships summer event, privately run by BagpipeLessons.com of Seattle.

Coincidental to the P-M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Recital Challenge being held on the same day in Glasgow, the competition held a series of “Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March” events across various solo piping categories, with the top level won by Connor Eckert of Los Angeles.

All of the performances and judges’ comments have been made available for download.

Each event had an entry fee of US$18. Nearly 50 judges were employed to assess the performances at their leisure over several days.

Because of the international nature of the event, creative categories, like “Champion Association” (Pipe Bands Australia) and Champion Country (USA) were decided based on demographics provided with entries. Performers wore a wide variety of outfits, mostly casual and unkilted, and “Special Video Awards” were given for Service Member in Uniform, School Piper or Drummer in School Band Uniform, Dress and Deportment, and Video Background.

The competition’s main sponsor was R.G. Hardie & Co., with numerous other companies contributing prizes.

Highlight results:

Piping
Professional
Piobaireachd
1st Brendon Eade, New Zealand, “The Unjust Incarceration”
2nd Calum Brown, Aberdeen, Scotland, “The Phantom Piper of Corrieyairack”
3rd Sean McKeown, Toronto, “Lord Lovat’s Lament”
4th James MacHattie, Summerside, Prince Edward Island, Canada, “Lament for Colin Roy MacKenzie”
5th John Dew, Perth, Scotland, “Rory McLoude’s Lament”
6th Ian K. MacDonald, Whitby, Ontario, “Lament for the Laird of Anapool”
Judges: Alan Bevan, Alistair Dunn

MSR
1st John Dew
2nd James MacHattie
3rd Fraser Allison, Scotland
4th Calum Brown
5th Ian K. MacDonald
6th Calum Watson
Judge: Bob Worrall

Hornpipe & Jig
1st Ian K. MacDonald
2nd Brendon Eade
3rd Calum Brown
4th Calum Watson, Glasgow
5th Austin Diepenhorst, Santee, California
6th Zephan Knichel, Surrey, British Columbia
Judge: Richard Parkes

Open 4-6 minute own-choice medley
1st Sean McKeown, Toronto
2nd Ian K. MacDonald
3rd John Dew
4th Callum Wynd, Stirling, Scotland
5th Calum Watson
6th Tyler Destremps, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Judge: Callum Beaumont

Drumming
Snare
MSR
1st Grant Maxwell, Vancouver, “Lord Alexander Kennedy,” “Blair Drummond,” “John Morrison, Assynt House”
2nd Blair Brown, Houston
3rd Harvey Dawson, Toronto
4th Mark Leishman
5th Alex Kuldell
6th Christopher Gardner
Judge: Keith Orr

Hornpipe & Jig
1st Grant Maxwell
2nd Blair Brown
3rd Harvey Dawson
4th Alex Kuldell
5th Christopher Gardner
6th Mark Leishman
Judge: Ciaran Mordaunt

Tenor
Grade 1
MSR
1st Andrea Jackson
2nd Indyana Bridgman
3rd Isaac Mulder
4th Michael Smith
5th Mitchell Olding
6th Laury-Anne Boschman
Judge: Michael O’Neil

Hornpipe & Jig
1st Andrea Jackson
2nd Indyana Bridgman
3rd Mitchell Olding
4th Isaac Mulder
5th Michael Smith
6th Laury-Anne Boschman
Judge: Alex Wilson

Bass
Grade 1 MSR
1. Allison North
2. Alex Kuldell
3. Isaac Mulder
4. Michael Smith
5. Gale Walker
Judge: Chris Pollock

Full results, links and judges’ comments can be found here.

Related

World Online Championships draw 1,650 entries from 23 countries
May 7, 2020