Embro, Kincardine make for weekend celebration of Ontario piping and drumming

Embro and Kincardine, Ontario – July 1-2, 2022 – Canada Day conveniently landing on a Friday allowed for back-to-back competitions, starting with the Embro Highland Games, always held on the country’s national day of celebration, and the Kincardine Scottish Festival, annually staged on the first Saturday of July. Weather was warm, sunny and all-around spectacular. Entries were smaller than pre-pandemic levels, and some events were uncontested and others not held.

At Embro, Daniel Carr was the Professional Piper of the Day and Ian K. MacDonald won the same award at Kincardine, while Matthew Page and Harvey Dawson won the aggregate Professional Solo Drumming at the same respective events.

Do you have results that you’d like to share with the piping and drumming world? You’re always welcome to send them and a few photos in the format below to us by email. Thanks!

Embro Highland Games

Bands
Grade 3 (one played)
1st Guelph
Judges: Glenna Mackay-Johnstone, Jim Scott (piping); Drew Duthart (drumming); Ken Eller (ensemble)

Grade 4 (march medley, four competed)
1st Durham Regional Police (1,1,1,1)
2nd Peel Regional Police (Gr4) (2,2,3,2)
3rd London & District (4,3,2,4)
4th Guelph (Gr4) (3,4,4,3)
Judges: Glenna Mackay-Johnstone, Jim Scott (piping); Drew Duthart (drumming); Ken Eller (ensemble)

Grade 5 (march medley, one played)
1st Durham Regional Police (Gr5)
Judges: Glenna Mackay-Johnstone, Jim Scott (piping); Drew Duthart (drumming); Ken Eller (ensemble)

Professional Solo Piping
Piobaireachd
1st Alastair Murray
2nd Tyler Bridge
3rd Callum Harper
4th Daniel Carr
5th Caleb Thibodeau
6th Andrew Hutton
Judge: Michael Grey

March
1st Callum Harper
2nd Tyler Bridge
3rd Daniel Carr
4th Caleb Thibodeau
5th Mike Allegretti
6th Andrew Hutton
Judge: Ken Eller

Strathspey & Reel
1st Daniel Carr
2nd Tyler Bridge
3rd Callum Harper
4th Alastair Murray
5th Andrew Hutton
6th Caleb Thibodeau
Judge: Ken Eller

Hornpipe & Jig
1st Daniel Carr
2nd Callum Harper
3rd Tyler Bridge
4th Caleb Thibodeau
5th Andrew Hutton
6th Mike Allegretti
Judge: Ken Eller

Professional Solo Snare Drumming
MSR
1st Kyle Wardell
2nd Matthew Page
3rd James Kirkwood
Judge: Drew Duthart

Hornpipe & Jig
1st Matthew Page
2nd James Kirkwood
3rd Kyle Wardell
Judge: Drew Duthart

Kincardine Scottish Festival

Bands
Grade 1 (medley, one played)
1st 78th Fraser Highlanders
Judges: Eddie Gorman, Ken Eller (piping); Larry Willis (drumming); Charlie MacDonald (ensemble)

Grade 2 (MSR, three competed)
1st Peel Regional Police (1,1,1,1)
2nd Toronto Police (2,2,3,2)
3rd Greater Midwest (3,3,2,3)
Judges: Eddie Gorman, Ken Eller (piping); Larry Willis (drumming); Charlie MacDonald (ensemble)

Grade 3 (MSR, one played)
1st Guelph
Judges: Eddie Gorman, Ken Eller (piping); Larry Willis (drumming); Charlie MacDonald (ensemble)

Grade 4 (medley, five competed)
1st Durham Regional Police (1,1,1,1)
2nd Niagara Regional Police (2,2,2,2)
3rd Guelph (Gr4) (3,4,3,5)
4th London & District (4,5,4,3)
5th Peel Regional Police (Gr4) (5,3,5,4)

Grade 5 (march medley, six competed)
1st Durham Regional Police (Gr5) (2,4,1,1)
2nd Cabar Feidh (1,2,2,3)
3rd Ryan Russell Memorial (3,1,6,2)
4th Peel Regional Police (Gr5) (4,5,3,4)
5th Beinn Gorm Highlanders (6,3,5,5)
6th Paris-Port Dover (5,6,4,6)
Judges: Eddie Gorman, Ken Eller (piping); Larry Willis (drumming); Michael Grey (ensemble)

Professional Solo Piping
Piobaireachd
1st Ian K. MacDonald
2nd Callum Harper
3rd Tyler Bridge
4th Alastair Murray
5th Andrew Hutton
6th Tyler Johnson
Judge: John Cairns

March
1st Ian K. MacDonald
2nd Tyler Johnson
3rd Andrew Hutton
4th Callum Harper
5th Tyler Bridge
6th Liam MacDonald
Judge: Bill Livingstone

Strathspey & Reel
1st Tyler Bridge
2nd Tyler Johnson
3rd Ian K. MacDonald
4th Andrew Hutton
5th Liam Melville
6th Alastair Murray
Judge: John Cairns

Jig
1st Ian K. MacDonald
2nd Tyler Johnson
3rd Callum Harper
4th Liam Melville
5th Tyler Bridge
6th Caleb Thibodeau
Judge: Bill Livingstone

Professional Solo Snare Drumming
MSR
1st Harvey Dawson
2nd Matthew Page
3rd James Kirkwood
4th Kyle Wardell
5th Neil Birkett
6th Blair Beaton
Judge: Larry Willis

Hornpipe & Jig
1st Harvey Dawson
2nd Neil Birkett
3rd James Kirkwood
4th Blair Beaton
5th Matthew Page
6th Kyle Wardell
Judge: Steven Hill