McWhirter wins 2012 World Solo Drumming for third career title

Glasgow – October 20, 2012 – Steven McWhirter, leading-drummer of Grade 1 Inveraray & District, won his third World Solo Drumming Championship, and his second straight title, against a crowded array of most of the planet’s best pipe band drummers. The Final round, which comprised MSR and Hornpipe & Jig events, was additionally notable for the absence of former-winner Gordon Brown – who was recently released from hospital after emergency surgery for a life-threatening ruptured ulcer – and perennial contender Reid Maxwell, who both failed to get through to the final events after receiving an exemption from playing in the heats. There were three heats of between 17 and 22 contestants, narrowed to two semi-final sections of 14 and 15 players, and ultimately a final of 12. Left out of the entire event was 16-time World Solo winner Jim Kilpatrick who is under suspension by the RSPBA for a comment he made on Facebook in July 2012.

1st Steven McWhirter
2nd Barry Wilson, ScottishPower
3rd Blair Brown, House of Edgar-Shotts & Dykehead
4th Andrew Lawson, House of Edgar-Shotts & Dykehead
5th Michael McKenna, St. Laurence O’Toole
6th Eric Ward, Strathclyde Police

Also in the Final but not making the prizes were Craig Brown, Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia; Stephen Creighton, St Laurence O’Toole;  Aaron McLean, Field Marshal Montgomery; Chris McNicholl, Strathclyde Police; Gavin Noade, Field Marshal Montgomery; Cameron Ward  Strathclyde Police.

Here’s a video of Steven McWhirter performing with Pipe-Major Stuart Liddell at the 2011 Pipes+Drums recital event at Piping Live! in August 2011.