SPSL Members Competition 2009 

Scroll down the page for pics & full results 

The day started off cold, but bright, after a week of rain. Although our member’s competition is always held indoors, the weather had been very much on my mind after our mischievous Piping Co-ordinator  Alasdair had rung me late on Friday afternoon to tell me that our guest judges, Murray and Patricia Henderson, were stuck at a fog bound Aberdeen Airport. He was joking, of course, our guests were already at their London hotel. With the current financial climate, it’s a worrying time for all of us who organise the likes of piping competitions as we wonder if anyone is going to attend. Travel costs, petrol money, hotel rooms, entrance fees, it all adds up. My worries were unfounded, however, as we had more than twice the number of entrants as last year, 11 in the open events, 12 in the amateur and 7 in the Juvenile category. 

We kicked off with the juvenile competitons. This was to be the second year that the Jim Caution Quaich was to be awarded, and the contest was keenly fought. I heard some great sounding pipes, and the level of tunes that were being played would not have sounded out of context in the amateur events that the “grown-ups” were playing in downstairs. The eventual winner was Tom Curd. The points system for the Jim Caution Quaich is based on a 3-for-first, 2-for-second, 1-for-third basis for light music but with the piobaireachd event carrying more points. Judges Murray and Hugh certainly gave it their total attention, with full crit sheets for all competitors. It had been decided last year to place an emphasis on piobaireachd, after consultation with the Caution family, as that's what Jim was known for and what he liked to teach. Michael Bosford came a very close second. He has improved immensely in the past year, taking the firsts in March and Strathspey and Reel. 

I can’t be everywhere at once, (although on the day I tried to be), so I can’t report on the Amateur events, although I have heard that pipes and playing were of a very high standard. Judges were Patricia Henderson and Roddy Livingstone. 

The Open events produced some first class instruments and playing. The piobaireachd events always generate interest, so here are the tunes submitted; 

Steve Watterston – Desperate Battle 

Alasdair Smith – The Bicker 

James Stewart - The End of the Great Bridge 

Julien Dormond – Struan Robertson’s Salute 

Bruce Ormundsen – A Flame of Wrath for Squinting Patrick 

Neil Esslemont – MacLeod’s Salute 

Andrew Hall – The Battle of Waternish 

Jamie Forrester - The Desperate Battle 

John Angus Smith – The Lament for Donald Dughal MacKay 

Ian Graham – All the Old men Paid Rent But Rory 

There was a couple of negative points about the day. I am sad to report that Lochcarron Savile Row, the event’s sponsor, has closed it’s business down. The knock on effect for the SPSL meant that we did not receive any of the sponsorship money we were expecting. Different booking arrangements have also been put in place for the hire of the usual venue, the London Scottish HQ at Horseferry Road. We were allowed access to the drill hall and the first floor rooms, but not to the small lecture rooms that are usually used for tuning. This meant a fair bit of congestion in corridors, stairwells and even toilets. I do apologise for this. I am already looking at solutions for next year.

We had a rather late running prize giving, even with the Open Hornpipe & Jig being squeezed downstairs to save us some time. As with last year it was quite an emotional event, with the Caution family being present, and Jo’an presenting the Quaich and saying a few words. As most of you will know, Jim’s widow, Anna, passed away towards the end of last year , and Jo’an has asked that the Jim Caution trophy be seen as a tribute to both of them. It is the intention of the SPSL committee that this will be the case, and that the juvenile side of the member’s competition will grow from year to year as a fine tribute to Jim and Anna, who not only gave years of service to the SPSL and pipers in general, but were also real friends to the piping community, where anyone and everyone was made to feel welcome at their home. 

Once the prize giving was over, we had a break, and were then entertained with two sets from Murray Henderson. Most of you know Murray’s credentials, "Worlds Greatest Pipers Vol 4", qualifying for the Glenfiddich event 20 times in 21 years, Clasps at Inverness and Oban, so I won’t repeat them all here or I’ll run out of room. Murray just quietly said he’d get his pipes going for a “couple of minutes”, and that’s exactly what he did, if he even took that long. With an ease that most of us could only gape at, he played for a couple of short bursts, touched his drones, and remained in tune for the rest of the evening without touching them again. He had not warmed them up at any time during the day prior to this. We were entertained for two hours with various selections of piping classics, beginning with a selection of ¾ retreats including Kilworth Hills. Classic 4/4’s, Strathspey and Reels followed. It was very refreshing to hear tunes that we knew well being treated in the Henderson style. The emphasis was on entertainment, and tunes such as the Balkan Hills were played with a real freshness on a superb pipe that just sounded better and better as the evening wore on. The piobaireachd for the first half was the “masterpiece in miniature” Lament for Donald of Laggan. 

The second half was even better, the pipes that had sounded great from the start were going gloriously now, and we were treated to a superb Lament for Mary Macleod. Murray ended the evening by saying that he hadn’t played any jigs, and some may have thought that he didn’t like jigs. He reassured us he loved them, then gave us the public debut of an idea he’d had running through his head, “while sanding many reeds”. He then gave us three renditions of the well known jig “Cutting Bracken”, first as the ground of a piobaireachd, then as a 2/4 march, and then as a full competition style jig. To say we were astounded is putting it mildly, but it really worked and the rendition thrilled the audience. It was a fantastic end to a great day. Thank you to all who came and played, judged, stewarded, (particularly Mike Bates), took money at the door, donated to the raffle, worked the bar, moved chairs and tables and helped us out in general. The day could not have happened without you. As always, click on the thumbnails for the bigger picture. Thanks.

Adam Sanderson.