Kintyre sweeps the piping boards
PIPING hot young players from the Campbeltown area took every trophy on offer as novice piping made a welcome return to Mid Argyll Music Festival.
The curtain went up on the 38th annual festival with the chanter competition. Ardrishaig Public Hall was abuzz with anticipation last Saturday as family and friends of the players waited for the contest to begin, under the eagle eye of judge for the day, Oban’s Ian Hurst.
Among a healthy entry of 11 young players, it was young Ewan O’May who came out on top, playing The Sweet Maid of Glendaruel, with Jack Campbell in second and Andrew Colville third.
The novice march on the pipes was won by Campbeltown’s Mat- thew MacKerral with a solid rendition of The Atholl and Breadalbane Gathering.
Claiming first prize in the novice strathspey and reel was Calum McKillop.
Festival organiser Sheila McCallum said: ‘It is good to see piping back in the music festival. It was taken out because of clashes with other piping events, but we are delighted to reintroduce it.
‘This year’s competition was a start, and we are hopeful of building on this for future years.’