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Glenfiddich Piping and Fiddle Championships

(Redirected from Glennfiddich Championships)

The Glenfiddich Piping and Fiddle Championships are musical competitions for the bagpipes and fiddle. Both competitions take place annually in late autumn, at the ballroom of Blair Castle at Blair Atholl in Perthshire, Scotland.[1] Entry to each championship is by invitation only, to those who have won various recognised major UK solo competitions held throughout the year.

In 2016, the Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship was discontinued.

The Glenfiddich Piping Championship

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Glenfiddich Piping Championship
 
Ballroom at Blair Castle
GenrePiping competition
FrequencyAnnually
Location(s)Blair Castle, Blair Atholl
Years active1974–present
Current ChampionCallum Beaumont
SponsorWilliam Grant & Sons, The National Piping Centre
Websitehttps://www.glenfiddich.com/uk/explore/latest-events/glenfiddich-piping-championship/

The Glenfiddich Piping Championship was established in 1974, as the Grant's Piping Championship, to inspire and stimulate individual pipers, and to seek the best overall exponents of the Ceòl Mór or piobaireachd (the great music) and Ceòl Beag (the little music).[1]

The championship was founded and continues to be run by William Grant & Sons.,[2] distillers of Glenfiddich and other whiskies.

Ten of the leading pipers in the world, all of whom will have won important awards since the previous October, are invited. Each of them submits a list of six piobaireachds, and is required to play one of them. They also submit lists of six marches, strathspeys and reels, and play one of each, twice through.

Qualifying Events

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Competitors gain an invitation to the Glenfiddich Championship by winning one of the following events:

  • The previous year's Overall Glenfiddich Championship
  • The Former Winner's Clasp at the Northern Meeting
  • The Senior Piobaireachd at the Argyllshire Gathering
  • The Former Winner's MSR at the Northern Meeting
  • The Former Winner's MSR at the Argyllshire Gathering
  • The Master's Solo Piping Competition
  • The Overall Winner at the Scottish Piping Society of London Annual Competition
  • The Bratach Gorm at the Scottish Piping Society of London Annual Competition
  • The Highland Society of London Gold Medal at the Northern Meeting
  • The Highland Society of London Gold Medal at the Argyllshire Gathering

In the event that an individual wins more than one of these events, 2nd or 3rd place prize-winners from the event are invited, with the exception of the Gold Medal competitions.[3]

There are prizes in each discipline, and an overall championship prize.

Previous championships

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Previous Glenfiddich Piping Championship Winners from the last 50 years:

Glenfiddich Piping Championship Winners
Year Winner Location/Regiment Notable Achievements
2024 Callum Beaumont St Andrews 2nd Win
2023 Callum Beaumont Dollar
2022 William McCallum Bearsden 9th Win, Record 11th MSR Win
2021 Jack Lee Canada 3rd Win, William McCallum 10th MSR Win
2020 Stuart Liddell Inveraray 3rd Win, William McCallum 9th MSR Win
2019 Finlay Johnston 2nd Win
2018 Finlay Johnston Milngavie
2017 Jack Lee Canada 2nd Win
2016 Roderick J. MacLeod Glasgow 5th Win, Record 10th Piobaireachd Win, William McCallum 8th MSR Win
2015 Angus MacColl Benderloch 4th Win
2014 Stuart Liddell Inveraray 2nd Win
2013 Iain Speirs Edinburgh 2nd Win
2012 Iain Speirs Edinburgh
2011 Roderick J. MacLeod Glasgow 4th Win
2010 Angus MacColl Benderloch 3rd Win
2009 Stuart Liddell Inveraray
2008 Gordon Walker Galston 2nd Win
2007 Gordon Walker Galston
2006 Angus MacColl Benderloch 2nd Win
2005 William McCallum Bearsden 8th Win (McCallum wins both individual events)
2004 William McCallum Bearsden 7th Win (McCallum wins both individual events)
2003 Jack Lee Canada 1st Piper from North America to win
2002 Roderick J. MacLeod Cumbernauld 3rd Win
2001 William McCallum Bearsden 6th Win
2000 William McCallum Bearsden 5th Win
1999 William McCallum Bearsden 4th Win
1998 Alasdair Gillies Pittsburgh 3rd Win
1997 Roderick J. MacLeod Cumbernauld 2nd Win
1996 Pipe Major Alasdair Gillies Pittsburgh 2nd Win
1995 Angus MacColl Oban
1994 William McCallum Glasgow 3rd Win
1993 William McCallum Glasgow 2nd Win
1992 Roderick J. MacLeod Cumbernauld
1991 Pipe Sergeant Alasdair Gillies Queen's Own Highlanders
1990 William McCallum Glasgow
1989 Murray Henderson Eassie 4th Win (Henderson wins both individual events)
1988 Pipe Major Gavin Stoddart Royal Highland Fusiliers 2nd Win
1987 Murray Henderson Eassie 3rd Win
1986 Iain MacFadyen Kyle of Lochalsh 4th Win
1985 Murray Henderson Eassie 2nd Win
1984 Iain MacFadyen Kyle of Lochalsh 3rd Win
1983 Pipe Major Gavin Stoddart Royal Highland Fusiliers (Stoddart wins both individual events)
1982 Pipe Major Angus MacDonald Scots Guards 2nd Win (MacDonald wins both individual events)
1981 Iain MacFadyen Kyle of Lochalsh 2nd Win
1980 Pipe Major Iain Morrison Queens Own Highlanders
1979 Murray Henderson Eassie
1978 Hugh MacCallum Stirling
1977 Iain MacFadyen Kyle of Lochalsh
1976 Pipe Major Angus MacDonald Scots Guards
1975 Pipe Major John D. Burgess Alness
1974 James McIntosh Dundee Inaugural competition

The Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship

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Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship
 
Blair Castle
GenreFiddle competition
FrequencyAnnually
Location(s)Blair Castle, Blair Atholl
Years active1984–2016
SponsorWilliam Grant & Sons
Websitehttps://www.glenfiddich.com/uk/explore/latest-events/glenfiddich-fiddle-championship/

The Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship was added in 1989 to the existing Glenfiddich Piping Championships – to reward, encourage and perpetuate the art of fiddle playing throughout the world.

Eight finalists are hand selected to compete following successes throughout the year, with each finalist giving a recital incorporating all the various styles of composition including a set of tunes by a specific composer – a new composer is chosen annually.

In 2016, the Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship was discontinued. A celebratory non-competitive event was held at Blair Castle in which all previous champions were invited to perform.

2015 Championship

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The Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship 2015 was won by George Davidson of Tarves in Aberdeenshire.[4] Second place went to Maggie Adamson of Fladdabister, Shetland, and third place went to Mari Black of Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

2014 Championship

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The Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship 2014 was won by Mari Black of Boston, Massachusetts, USA.[5] Second place went to George Davidson of Tarves in Aberdeenshire, and third place went to Maura Shawn Scanlin of Boone, North Carolina, USA.

2012 Championship

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The Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship 2012 was won by Maggie Adamson from Shetland. Second place went to Erin Smith of Aberdeen, and third place went to Ronald Jappy of Findochty.

Previous championships

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Glenfiddich Fiddle Championships Winners
Year Winner
2015 George Davidson
2014 Mari Black
2013 Maura Shawn Scanlin
2012 Maggie Adamson
2011 Maggie Adamson
2010 Nicola Auchnie
2009 Rebecca Lomnicky
2008 Raemond Jappy
2007 Calum Pasqua
2006 Gemma Donald
2005 Sarah Naylor
2004 Ross Thomson
2003 Stephen Cordiner
2002 Ruaridh Campbell
2001 Gillian Risi
2000 Gillian Risi
1999 Patsy Reid
1998 Patsy Reid
1997 Russell Kostulin
1996 Russell Kostulin
1995 Paul Anderson
1994 Keith Anderson
1993 Kathryn Nicoll
1992 Maureen Turnbull
1991 Maureen Turnbull
1990 Maureen Turnbull

References

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  1. ^ a b Gilchrist, Jim (3 November 2009). "Music review: Glenfiddich Piping Championship". The Scotsman. Edinburgh. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
  2. ^ "Young fiddler is finalist in prestigious national championships". The Shetland Times. 15 September 2010. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
  3. ^ "Glenfiddich Piping Championship". Competing Pipers Association.
  4. ^ "Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship". glenfiddich.com. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
  5. ^ "Glenfiddich piping and fiddle champions crowned". BBC News. 26 October 2014.
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