Outstanding Medley playing by Inveraray, World Champions 2019

This is Inveraray and District Pipe Band completing in the Friday medley competition in the Grade One World Pipe Band Championships held over the 16th and 17th of August 2019.

The band's medley comprised the following tunes:

The Master Blasters, Rodney Hull QC, The Lads of Kilmarnock
A Cup of Tea, The Silver Spear, Jack Daniel's Bartender
A Night in that Land, Ellis Kelly's Delight, and The Primrose Lass

At this year's World Pipe Band Championships it was no longer good enough for bands to 'get through' on the Friday to the Saturday finals. Every performance counted equally in the final tally, and the bands each performed two MSRs and two Medleys. Over the two days we heard 30 medleys played by the best pipe bands in the world - and this performance was ranked the best.

Inveraray and District Pipe Band under Pipe Major Stuart Liddell and Leading Drummer Steven McWhirter were overall 2019 Grade One champions with four performances of consistent excellence. The competition was close however and there were some stunningly good performances from the other bands.

I hope the competition keeps this format. It provides a real challenge worthy of a world class competition. It also provides a cheap way to enjoy the best pipe bands. Concession tickets for the Friday were only £3. Admission on the Saturday was considerably more expensive. You also got free entry to the main stand although the thoughtless parking of a generator behind the stand meant that you also got a fourth and unwelcome drone getting in the way of your listening throughout. I hope the Friday remains accessible for all.

Well done to Inveraray for their considerable achievement.

Full results are on the RSPBA's website at https://bit.ly/2Hb7Hji .