LT Piping competition returns
One of the world's most prestigious piping competitions returned to Stornoway for the first time since 2019 as Calum Beaumont took top honours, writes Finn Nixon.
The piping instructor from Dollar was the overall winner as the Pipe Major Donald MacLeod MBE Memorial Competition returned to the Caladh Inn on Friday April 7.
Calum won the Ceol Mòr (piobareachd) and march, Strathspey and reel (MSR) categories, while former Breabach band member, James Duncan Mackenzie, finished second.
Angus MacColl was first in the senior hornpipe and jig category and Barra teenager, Eosaph Gailbraith won the inaugural Junior Competition for Western Isles youngsters. The 17-year-old won the Ceól Mor and MSR categories, while Padruig MacMillan was first in the juniors hornpipe and jig.
Mr Beaumont had previously taken the senior title in 2013, but it was a successful debut for James Duncan Mackenzie, who was invited to compete after winning the Dunvegan Medal at the Skye Gathering.
Mr Mackenzie said: “I first attended the competition as an audience member when I was about eight and it's just a huge honour to be competing now at that level amongst these guys.
It's great to get back to the solo piping side of things.”
Reacting to the juniors competition, Lewis and Harris Piping Society (LHPS) chairman Dr John Smith said: “It is hugely encouraging for us that there are youngsters the length and breadth of the Western Isles taking advantage of the opportunities they are getting to learn to play the pipes.
“We have been talking about staging a junior version of the Donald MacLeod competition for some time and we are delighted that it finally came to fruition. It reflects the aims and objectives of the piping society.”
Ashley MacDonald, LHPS piping secretary, said: “The six youngsters all played very well and they all conducted themselves with dignity and decorum. I believe wee Donald would have been just as proud as we are of them all.”
Some audience members had travelled from as far as Germany and one enthusiast who had to take a taxi from Inverness to Ullapool declared the extra cost worth “every penny”.
John Wilson, the competition's fear an taighe, was delighted the competition had returned to its pre-pandemic glory. Mr Wilson said: “I've seen piping competitions going under the radar for various reasons over the years but in our case it was the pandemic that we never saw coming.
“I was just so glad all these milestones were still there – the audience, the atmosphere, the warmth of the crowd. It's more like a ceilidh than a competition. The audience are with you. They are not there to be critical or to see someone have a bad day in the office.”
There was also an impromptu competition category – Gaelic airs and a 6/8 march – which was judged by the audience and won by James Duncan Mackenzie from Lewis.
On Thursday the Lewis and Harris Youth Pipe Band welcomed competitors and judges at Stornoway Airport, commemorating Pipe Major Donald MacLeod's music. He was one of the town's most famous sons and a prolific 20th-century composer, writing 27 piobareachds.