Veteran piper wins
Grahamstown piper Chris Terry marked his 70th birthday last week by winning a prestigious national competition for the 16th time – after a 22-year break.
The 59th Annual Solo Highland Bagpipe Competition was held on Saturday 25 March at The View, the Headquarters of the Transvaal Scottish Regiment.
Affectionately known as the 100 Guineas because that was the winning prize along with the LM Miller Memorial Trophy, it is the most prestigious solo piping event held each year in South Africa.
This year it was adjudicated by a world renowned piping judge from Canada, Bob Worrall.
Terry gave up serious competing in 1996 and has usually judged the competition himself unless it has been done by an invited overseas judge. Last year one of his piping friends turned 70 and entered the competition after a long absence and challenged Terry to do the same, as he turns 70 later this year.
With Worrall judging, Terry took up the challenge and was one of 12 other competitors in the senior competition.
There were three international competitors and several excellent young pipers who had entered too.
Chris's wife, Alison Terry, who is a great supporter of his performances, said, “Chris really didn’t feel he had much of a chance but was just happy to try to give a good tune or two. Nerves have always been a problem for Chris. From all the score sheets (comments written by the adjudicator) the judges commented that Chris’s tunes had great musicality, played on an excellent sounding bagpipe and that he gave very controlled performances.
“To our great delight he won the Piobaireachd (classical music) playing his favourite tune, The Lament for Donald Duaghal MacKay.”
The judge told Chris afterwards the introductory phrase of his playing was “inspirational”, Alison said.
He also played the March, Strathspey and Reel, coming third in the March and fourth in the Jig Challenge.
“Thus he was the overall winner,” Alison explained.
This was the 16th time Chris had won this particular competition. He last won and competed in 1995.
In the evening the Scottish Piping Society of Southern Africa paid tribute to Chris Terry and fellow piper Chris Mulinder, who both turn 70 this year.
A tune was composed by David Mason (a prolific bagpipe music composer and fellow competitor) to honour the contribution the pair have made to the South African piping scene over a span of more than 50 years each.
He called the tune, a 6/8 march, The Respected Tutors.
A presentation of a framed copy of the tune and a silver Quaich was made to both.
Both are bagpipe makers in South Africa. Also competing in the prestigious event was Brian Mulhearn, a Scottish bagpipe maker.
“This must be a world first, where three competitors were competing on bagpipes which they had crafted themselves,” Alison said. “Five other competitors were played on sets made by Chris Terry.”
On Sunday, Old Andrean Stuart Hobson came second overall in the junior competition, having won it in 2014 and 2016.