THE FIRST day of the Northern Meeting piping competitions, in Inverness, is dominated by that for the Gold Clasp to the Highland Society of London’s Gold Medal, which is open only to previous winners of the gold medal either at the Argyllshire Gathering or the Northern Meeting. The gold medal, which superseded the Prize Pipe awarded by the Highland Society of Scotland, was first presented in 1997, and the first gold clasp followed in 1896. The 2004 programme of the Northern Meeting contained short accounts of the competitions in 1854, 1904 and 1954.
In 1854 the competitions were not the same as they are now. The gold medal was won in 1904 by Corporal (as he then was) William Ross, of the Scots Guards, who went on to win the gold clasp eight times between then and 1928. The other prize-winners in 1904 were also famous pipers, Pipe Major Alexander Matheson of the Royal Scots, and Corporal G. S. MacLennan of the Gordon Highlanders. In that year, James Center won the gold clasp, with John MacColl taking second place.
The 1954 prize list was equally impressive. Both the gold medal at Inverness and the gold clasp were won by Donald MacPherson, who had alrfeady won the gold medal at Oban in 1948. The prize list also included such well-known names as John D. Burgess, D.R. MacLennan, and Donald MacGillivray. In that same year, Donald MacPherson won prizes for ceol beag as well. He won the clasp nine times in all, and the Senior Piobaireachd event at Oban fifteen times. He has just produced a CD, aptly called A Living Legend, containing performances of seven piobaireachd, with notes about each of them.
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In the present year, there was a set list of six tunes for the clasp, all of them big demanding tunes each taking some twenty minutes to play. The 22 competitors each had to submit four of those tunes.
The winner of the clasp was Roderick MacLeod, who played Donald Gruamach’s March. That tune was composed during the life of Donald Gruamach MacDonald (gruamach means grim), chief of the MacDonalds of Sleat, who died in 1537, and had waged war upon the MacLeods for most of his life.
William McCallum played The Lament for the Children to take second prize. Another great MacCrimmon tune, Malcolm MacCrimmon’s Lament for Donald Ban MacCrimmon, who had foreseen that he would not return from the‘Forty-five, was played by Murray Henderson for third prize. Mike Cusack, who also played The Lament for the Children came fourth. The judges were Commander John wilson, Ronald Lawrie, and John MacDougall.
The Silver Medal competition, for which there was an entry of 31 competitors, is also held on the first day of the Northern Meeting. This year it was described by one of the judges as having been the best silver medal competition he had ever heard. The winner this year was Alistair Dunn, who played Melbank’s Salute, as did James MacHattie who won third prize. Jeremy Freeman’s performance of The Massacre of Glencoe brought him second prize. Both Matt Turnbull and Alexis Meunier, from Brittany, played Catherine’s Lament four fourth and fifth prizes. The judges were Iain MacFadyen, Dr. Jack Taylor, and Hugh Mccallum.
There are two ceol beag events also on the first day. The first of those is the A grade march, strathspey and reel, which was won by Richard Hawke.
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Simon McKerrell took second prize. Pipe Major Michael Gray, of the Highlanders, came third. Alexis Maunier took fourth prize. The judges were Major Gavin stoddart, Walter Drysdale, and Malcolm MacRae.
The second ceol beag event is the march, strathspey and reel for former winners, which formed the evening concert. Competitors have to play two tunes of each kind. The names in the prize list wre not unexpected: William McCallum in first place, Gordon Walker in second, Angus MacColl third, and Mike Cusack fourth.
By virtue of his first prize and his second in the clasp, William McCallum won the Northern Meeting Quaich. The judges were John D. Burgess, Iain Morrison, and Walter Cowan.