Steven McWhirter: 2019 World Solo Pipe Band Drumming Champion

Glasgow – October 19, 2019 – Steven McWhirter of Inveraray & District was awarded the 2019 World Solo Pipe Band Drumming Championship held at Glasgow Caledonian University. It was his ninth straight win of the title – beating his own record – and his tenth overall.

With his victory, McWhirter completed a rare quadruple success in 2019, also winning the World Pipe Band Championship, the Grade 1 Drum Corps Champion of Champions and the Grade 1 Champion of Champions band.

The adult event, which had the slogan of “Live, Loud, Unmissable,” comprised three rounds. Pre-qualified competitors got a pass to the second round after doing well in designated events held over the winter and spring. There was ultimately a final round of 12, each having to play an MSR and a Hornpipe & Jig.

At its peak, about 320 people were watching the live stream of the adult final. The first competitors started at 9 am, and the last of the results were announced by RSPBA Executive Office Ian Embelton at around 7:30 pm.

Despite collecting entry fees of as much as £15 for each of the more than 160 competitors, and array of sponsors, the legal licensing of the livestream of the event to Glasgow Life and a stated RSPBA bank balance last spring of more than £1-million, there was no prize money for the World Solo Drumming Champion or other prize winners.

In addition to the world’s best snare drummers, the event also featured piping accompaniment by top soloists such as Chris Armstrong, Calum Brown, Glenn Brown and Scott Wallace.

Overall
1st Steven McWhirter
2nd Gareth McLees, Field Marshal Montgomery (Northern Ireland)
3rd Michael McKenna, St. Laurence O’Toole (Ireland)
4th Blair Brown, St. Thomas Alumni, USA)
5th Grant Cassidy, Uddingston Strathclyde (Scotland)
6th Jake Jørgensen, ScottishPower (Scotland)

MSR Final
1st Steven McWhirter (1,1,1,1)
2nd Gareth McLees (2,2,5,3)
3rd Michael McKenna (4,3,3,2)
4th Jake Jørgensen (3,5,2,4)
5th Blair Brown (7,8,4,5)
6th Grant Cassidy (5,6,6,7)
7th Derek Cooper, Inveraray & District (9,4,8,11)
8th William Glenholmes, Lomond & Clyde (6,9,9,10)
9th Craig Lawrie, St. Laurence O’Toole (Ireland) (8,11,11,6)
10th Eric MacNeill, City of Dunedin (USA) (12,7,7,12)
11th Andrew Lawson, Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia (10,10,10,9)
12th Neil Bruce, Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia (11,12,12,8)
Judges: Gordon Craig, Gordon Parkes, Lee Innes, Bill Black

Hornpipe & Jig Final
1st Steven McWhirter (1,2,2,1)
2nd Gareth McLees (4,7,1,20)
3rd Blair Brown (2,1,5,6)
4th Michael McKenna (5,5,4,3)
5th Andrew Lawson (7,4,6,5)
6th Craig Lawrie (3,3,11,7)
7th Grant Cassidy (8,9,3,4)
8th William Glenholmes (6,6,10,8)
9th Derek Cooper (10,8,7,9)
10th Eric MacNeill (9,10,9,10)
11th Jake Jørgensen (12,12,8,12)
12th Neil Bruce (11,11,12,11)
Judges: Ciaran Mordaunt, Greg Dinsdale, Stuart Coils, Brian Martin

Juvenile 1 March (26 total competed in two heats, 12 in final)
1st Oliver Burberry, Dollar Academy
2nd Blair Tait, George Watson’s College
3rd Zac Taylor, Dollar Academy
4th Samuel Hanna, Broughshane & District
5th Aila Brodie, George Herriot’s School
6th Robbie Pate, Scottish Fire & Rescue Service
Judges: Gordon Parkes, Bill Black

Juvenile 2 March
1st Tiernan Kavanagh, Arklow
2nd Erica Wyse, Burntisland and District
3rd Paul Strickland, Uddingston Strathclyde
4th Keiren McLaughlin, Scots Guards Association
5th Nathanial Graham, Dumfries
6th  Lachlan Ian Coe, Scots School Albury, Australia
Judges: Greg Dinsdale, Lee Innes

Juvenile 3 MSR
1st Jamie Coffey, Major Sinclair Memorial
2nd Raymond Marshall, Robert Malcolm Memorial
3rd George Irvine, Dollar Academy
4th Jamie Kerry, Police Service of Northern Ireland
5th Sebastien Gillies, St. Thomas Alumni
6th Freddie Somerville, George Watson’s College
Judges: Ian Lawson, Adrian Hoy

Juvenile 4 MSR (28 total competed in two heats, 12 in final)
1st Kerr McQuillan, Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia
2nd Guy Kellas, George Watson’s College
3rd Monte Stamm, St. Andrew’s College, New Zealand
4th MacKenzie Forrest, North Lanarkshire Shools
5th Alex Buchanan, Police Service of Northern Ireland
6th Jack Murdoch, George Watson’s College
Judges: Jim Baxter, Paul Turner

Juvenile 5 MSR
1st Cameron Lawson, Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia (judges’ preference)
2nd Rachel Fairley, George Herriot’s School
3rd Ashley Fyffe, Police Service of Northern Ireland
4th Calum Copeland, City of Invercargill, New Zealand
5th Fionn Murphy, New Ross & District
6th Chloe Taylor, ScottishPower
Judges: David Brown, Duncan Millar

International Juvenile Tenor
Section 1 March
1st Ewan Rieley, Burntisland & District
2nd Megan Finlayson, Stonehouse
3rd Anna Irvine, Dollar Academy

Section 2 March
1st Sophie Lewis, Burntisland & District
2nd Jenna Young, Uddingstone Strathclyde
3rd Hanna Riding, Strathendrick

Section 3 MSR
1st Eleanor Whyte, Turriff & District
2nd Kali Currie, Royal Burgh of Annan
3rd Gemma Dandy, Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia

Section 4 MSR
1st Eilidh Ferries, Buchan Peterson
2nd Emily Davidson, Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia
3rd Adam Montgomery, Quinn Memorial

Section 5 MSR
1st Cameron Sinclair, Police Scotland Fife
2nd Jamie Blair, Ravara
3rd Aoife Bissett, St. Laurence O’Toole

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