WORLD DRUMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2019 RESULTS
October 19th 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.
Congratulations to our own Mikey Mc Kenna on finishing 3rd overall, to Craig Lawrie who finished in 7th position overall in the Senior Final and also to Aoife Bissett who finished 3rd in the Juv Section 5 Tenor Drumming.
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.
Overall
1st Steven McWhirter,Inverary & District
2nd Gareth McLees, Field Marshal Montgomery
3rd Michael McKenna, St. Laurence O’Toole
4th Blair Brown, St. Thomas Alumni
5th Grant Cassidy, Uddingston Strathclyde
6th Jake Jørgensen, ScottishPower
Mikey performing his MSR at the Adult Final of The World Solo Drumming Championships held in Glasgow Caledonian University on Saturday 19th October 2019 - he finished 3rd overall.
Craig performing his MSR at the Adult Final of The World Solo Drumming Championships held in Glasgow Caledonian University on Saturday 19th October 2019 - he finished 7th overall.
Stephen performing in the Adult Semi Final 2 at the 2019 World Solo Drumming Championships held in Glasgow Caledonian University on Saturday 19th October 2019.
WORLD PIPE BAND CHAMPIONSHIPS 2019 - GLASGOW GREEN
August 16th & 17th 2019
Inveraray & District marched off with the title of 2019 World Pipe Band Champions following two days of intense competition at Glasgow Green in an amazing display of pipe band virtuosity. The Grade 1 competition comprised 15 bands playing in mirrored events on both Friday and Saturday, all performances counting towards the final result. O'Toole's began the weekend well with a win in Friday's MSR competition, but it was to be Inverary's weekend and we congratulate them on their fine win in what can only be described as an endurance test. The march past began at 5:30 pm, and the final result was announced at nearly 8 pm. Bands on the field had to weather significant rain while they waited.
Grade 1 (15 competed, 2 X medley and 2 X MSR)
1st Inveraray & District (Scotland) (41 total ranking points)
2nd Field Marshal Montgomery (Northern Ireland) (44)
3rd St. Laurence O’Toole (Ireland) (58)
4th ScottishPower (Scotland) (65)
5th Simon Fraser University (Canada) (68)
6th Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate (Scotland) (93)
7th Police Scotland Fife (Scotland) (108)
8th Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia (Scotland) (120)
9th Glasgow Police (Scotland) (176)
10th Johnstone (Scotland) (177)
11th 78th Fraser Highlanders (Canada) (181)
12th Canterbury Caledonian Society (New Zealand) (182)
13th Lomond & Clyde (Scotland) (185)
14th Glasgow Skye Association (Scotland) (200)
15th Police Service of Northern Ireland (222)
Best Drum Corps : St. Laurence O’Toole
Full summaries for all grades can be found here - WPBC 2019 Summaries
The live streams for all Grade One performances can still be accessed at the following links :
MSR from Day 2 of the World Pipe Band Championships.
Links of Forth, Blair Drummond and John Morrison of Assynt House
Medley from Day 2 of the World Pipe Band Championships.
Cameron McFayden
Beth Lyall
Johnny The Tree Wrecker
Peggy Gordon
Blackley of Hillsdale
Dora MacLeod (strathspey & reel)
Medley from Day 1 of the World Pipe Band Championships.
Malcolm Ferguson
Haydee Grant
Jimmy Rollo
The Rose
Paddy Be Easy
The Boys Of Ballymote
The Sheepwife
SCOTTISH PIPE BAND CHAMPIONSHIPS 2019 - DUMBARTON
27th July 2019
Inveraray & District marched off with the title of 2019 World Pipe Band Champions following two days of intense competition at Glasgow Green in an amazing display of pipe band virtuosity. The Grade 1 competition comprised 15 bands playing in mirrored events on both Friday and Saturday, all performances counting towards the final result. O'Toole's began the weekend well with a win in Friday's MSR competition, but it was to be Inverary's weekend and we congratulate them on their fine win in what can only be described as an endurance test. The march past began at 5:30 pm, and the final result was announced at nearly 8 pm. Bands on the field had to weather significant rain while they waited. The Scottish Championships, the fourth and penultimate RSPBA major competition before the World Championships on August 16-17, were held at Levengrove Park, and Inveraray & District took home the prize. It was the second straight major championship for the 2017 World Champions, paving what would appear to be a strong path to the World Championships August 16-17 in Glasgow.
ScottishPower won the Grade 1 drumming, the first drumming championship win for the band under Lead-Drummer Jake Jørgensen.
Piping judges in almost all instances were in virtual lockstep with one another.The weather was deplorable, with constant rain leaving bands challenged to keep instruments dry and judges soaked standing out in the open for hours at a time. For the second major championship this year, the massed bands were cancelled due to bad weather, and prizes were announced to pipe majors and leading drummers at the hospitality tent.
Grade 1 (medley, 12 competed)
1st Inveraray & District (1,1,2,2)
2nd ScottishPower (4,3,1,4)
3rd Field Marshal Montgomery (ens.pref.) (3,4,5,1)
4th St. Laurence O’Toole (2,2,6,3)
5th Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia (5,6,3,7)
6th Police Scotland Fife (8,8,4,5)
Judges: Brian Switalla, John Wilson (piping); Greg Dinsdale (drumming); Alan Ronaldson (ensemble)
St.Laurence O'Toole Pipe Band - Medley @ The All Scottish Championships 2019, Dumbarton.
Cameron MacFayden, Beth Lyall, Johnny the Tree Wrecker, Peggy Gordon, Blackley of Hillsdale, Dora MacLeod (strathspey) , Dora MacLeod (reel)
ALL IRELAND PIPE BAND CHAMPIONSHIP 2019 - BALLYMENA
6th July 2019
The O’Toole's took the 2019 All-Ireland Championship in the closest of ways, winning both the Medley and MSR events by ensemble preference. Congratulations to all on some great performances on the day..........scroll down to listen to the winning MSR and Medley.
MSR
1st St. Laurence O’Toole (1,2,2,1) (ens.pref.)
2nd Field Marshal Montgomery (2,1,1,2)
3rd Police Service of Northern Ireland (3,3,3,3)
Judges: Tom Brown and Bill Garrett (Piping)
Paul Turner (Drumming)
Jim Campbell (Ensemble)
Medley
1st St. Laurence O’Toole (2,2,1,1) (ens.pref.)
2nd Field Marshal Montgomery (1,1,2,2)
3rd Police Service of Northern Ireland (3,3,3,3)
Judges: John Moles and Alan Ronaldson (Piping)
Sandy Steele (Drumming)
Ciaran Mordaunt (Ensemble)
St.Laurence O'Toole Pipe Band - MSR @ The All Ireland Championships 2019,Ballymena.
- Lord Alexander Kennedy, The Islay Ball and Mrs. MacPherson of Inveran -
St.Laurence O'Toole Pipe Band - Medley @ The All Ireland Championships 2019, Ballymena.
Cameron MacFayden, Beth Lyall, Johnny the Tree Wrecker, Peggy Gordon, Blackley of Hillsdale, Dora MacLeod (strathspey) , Dora MacLeod (reel)
EUROPEAN PIPE BAND CHAMPIONSHIP 2019 - INVERNESS
29th June 2019
Results for the Grade 1 championship, held at Bught Park,Inverness. Conditions took a nosedive about fifteen minutes before we were due into the final tuning arena and consequently we played in probably the worst of the days weather - soaked to the skin !!
Grade 1 (MSR, 12 competed)
1st Inveraray & District (2,3,1,1)
2nd Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Celedonina (3,2,2,5)
3rd Field Marshal Montgomery (1,1,11,2)
4th ScottishPower (4,4,5,3)
5th St. Laurence O’Toole (5,5,3,6)
6th Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia (6,6,4,7)
Drumming: Inveraray & District
Judges: Donald MacPhee and Tony Sloane (Piping)
Stuart Coils (Drumming)
Jennifer Hutcheon (Ensemble)
Full summaries for all grades can be found on the RSPBA website.
Listen to the O'Toole's performance below.......
St.Laurence O'Toole Pipe Band @ European Pipe Band Championships 2019,Inverness
playing The Links of Forth, Blair Drummond and John Morrison of Assynt House
UK PIPE BAND CHAMPIONSHIPS 2019 - LURGAN
15th June 2019
The UK Championship was won by St. Laurence O’Toole, taking the second major in the RSPBA’s five-championship season. The band’s second major win was achieved in convincing and rare straight-firsts style.
Due to the horrendous weather throughout the day, the march past was cancelled and the awards ceremony was reduced to only centre bands, with only pipe-majors and lead-drummers participating in the prize-giving.
Congratulations to Alen & Stephen and all the band on a great day's work.
Grade 1 (Medley, 12 competed)
1st St. Laurence O’Toole (1,1,1,1)
2nd Field Marshal Montgomery (2,2,2,3)
3rd Inveraray & District (4,3,3,4)
4th ScottishPower (5,5,5,2)
5th Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate (3,4,7,5)
6th Police Scotland Fife (6,6,6,6)
Best Drum Corp : St. Laurence O’Toole
Judges: Harry Stevenson and Tom Brown (Piping)
Ciaran Mordaunt (Drumming)
Jim Baxter (Ensemble)
Full summaries for all grades can be found on the RSPBA website - click here
Scroll down for a listen to the O'Toole's winning medley.
St.Laurence O'Toole Pipe Band - Medley @ The UK Championships, Lurgan, 2019
Cameron MacFayden, Beth Lyall, Johnny the Tree Wrecker, Peggy Gordon, Blackley of Hillsdale, Dora MacLeod (strathspey) , Dora MacLeod (reel)
BRITISH PIPE BAND CHAMPIONSHIPS 2019 - PAISLEY
18th May 2019
Results from the first major of the season at St.James' Playing Fields,Paisley, on what turned out to be a cool and intermittently rainy day.
Full breakdowns for all grade can be found on the RSPBA website - click here
Scroll down to listen to the band 's very impressive performance.
Grade 1 (MSR, 12 competed)
1st St. Laurence O’Toole (2,2,1,2)
2nd ScottishPower (1,1,3,3)
3rd Inveraray & District (5,4,2,1)
4th Peoples Ford-Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia (3,3,4,5)
5th Field Marshal Montgomery (4,5,7,4)
6th Police Scotland Fife (6,9,5,7)
Drumming: St. Laurence O’Toole
Judges: Maurice Rhodes, Bob Worrall (piping); Paul Brown (drumming); Cameron Edgar (ensemble)
Read the Pipes|Drums story here
Read the Pipingpress.com review of the Grade One competition here
St.Laurence O'Toole Pipe Band - MSR @ The British Championships,Paisley,2019
The Links of Forth, The Islay Ball and Mrs.MacPherson of Inveran
TURAS CEOIL - LIVE IN IRELAND
2nd April 2019
The band returned to the Armagh City hotel for a rerun of the Glasgow concert for those that were unable to attend the Worlds week concert - and it turned out to be yet another sellout !
Have a listen to a couple of videos from the night below.......
A taste of the concert from Armagh on the 27th - the bands medley selection from the night.Intro with background color, paddings and a video on the right.
The tune "Little Bird" by Tim Edey..........and if you would like to hear more, then grab the CD from the link above.