Arran aces world chanter contest
A 10-year-old Campbeltown chanter player was blown away to discover he came first in a beginners section of a global piping and drumming competition.
Arran Brown was informed at 7pm last Friday evening that he won the top spot in the beginner piping (practice chanter) section of the World Online Piping and Drumming Championships 2020.
The competition, billed as ‘an exciting and fun way’ to compete against pipers and drummers from around the world from the ‘comfort of your own home’, required entrants to upload video recordings to YouTube demonstrating their musical skills in a number of categories.
Entries closed on May 1 and about 30 experts from around the world judged the recordings, revealing the results last Friday at what was 11am in Seattle, where the competition’s organiser is based. Arran, who has been playing the chanter since he was first given the opportunity in P5, received ‘amazing’ comments from three separate judges who remarked on the ‘great tuition’ he must be getting, which is from Ian McKerral at Kintyre Schools Pipe Band.
Arran’s mum Nicky said: ‘We wanted to enter Arran because there are no competitions this year due to COVID-19. He enjoyed uploading the videos to YouTube and although the section he won was beginner piping, there was no age limit, so he was up against people of all ages from different parts of the world.
‘It was good for him to get comments from the judges which he can take on board and work with.
‘On the last day of school before lockdown Arran was given his pipes and he has played them religiously every day since, and is out every Thursday night playing for the NHS.’