Note, the Washington Pipers website got a “trojan horse” virus recently.  We believe it has been corrected, but please ensure you scan and repair your systems if you have visited the site in February.  Here’s a free Virus software program: AVG Free we’ve used with success.

Chanter – Slow Air – 2 Competitors

1. Stuart MacDonald – Northwest Junior Pipe Band
2. Morgan Schiele – Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Grade 5 Piping – 6/8 March – 3 Competitors

1. Katrina Jones – Northwest Junior Pipe Band
2. Russell Prewitt
3. Karl Stahlfeld – Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Adult Piping – 2/4 March – 3 Competitors

1. Diane Axworthy
2. Cleda Thompson Kenmore and District Pipe Band

Adult Piping – Slow Air – 3 Competitors

1. Cleda Thompson – Kenmore and District Pipe Band
2. Diane Axworthy
3. David Wilkie

Grade 4 Piping – Piobaireachd – 1 Competitor

1. Malcolm Roux – Elliott Bay Pipe Band

Grade 4 Piping – 6/8 March – 2 Competitors

1. Malcolm Roux – Elliott Bay Pipe Band
2. Marcus DeVight – Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Grade 3 Piping – Jig – 3 Competitors

1. Matthew Alger Northwest Junior Pipe Band
2. Saul Goodwin Northwest Junior Pipe Band
3. Eric Roux Elliott Bay Pipe Band

Grade 3 Piping – Strathspey & Reel – 3 Competitors

1. Saul Goodwin Northwest Junior Pipe Band
2. Matthew Alger Northwest Junior Pipe Band
3. Eric Roux Elliott Bay Pipe Band

Grade 1 Piping – 6/8 March – 1 Competitor

1. Alexander Schiele Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Grade 1 Piping – 2/4 March – 1 Competitor

1. Alexander Schiele Northwest Junior Pipe Band

Grade 4 Side Drumming – 6/8 March – 3 Competitors

1. Morgan McCullough Northwest Junior Pipe Band
2. Robert Graham Jr.  Northwest Junior Pipe Band
3. Grayson Parr  Northwest Junior Pipe Band

The BC Pipers’ Association added an update about the amazing results from our region at the biggest solo competition event for piping and drumming in the United States.

Washington State was well represented, with 3 top placings

United States Silver Medal for Piobaireachd

1. Brian McKenzie – Seattle
2. Will Nichols – Blaine

North American Amateur Drumming Championships – Grade 3

1. Steven Wheeler – Auburn

All of these competitors have competed or adjudicated at Washington Pipers’ Association events.  Congratulations on this major accomplishment!

In all, there were 12 players in the results from the Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia region, and including players who play with BCPA region bands, our region had the largest number of players in the top results of any North American organization.   Congratulations!

A couple announcements about the season; note that tune requirements are on the last page of the membership and registration form and are the same requirments used by the BC Pipers’ Association, which will help competiors preparing for events at the BC Mini Gatherings, or during the summer competition season.  Next, please note that ALL events are the third Saturday of the month, a change from the original schedule. 

Grade 5 piping – 2/4 March - 5 competitors

1. Diego Alvarez
2. Karl Stahlfeld
3. Peter North
4. Russell Prewitt
5. Kennan Mighell

Adult piping – Slow Air - 3 competitors

1. Diane Axworthy
2. Cleda Thompson
3. David Wilkie

Adult piping – 6/8 March – 3 competitors

1. Diane Axworthy
2. Cleda Thompson
3. David Wilkie

Grade 4 piping – 2/4 March - 5 competitors

1. Paul Vegors
2. Marcus DeVight
3. Sean Sele

Grade 4 Piping – Strathspey & Reel – 5 competitors

1. Marcus DeVight
2. Sean Sele
3. Paul Vegors

Grade 3 Piping – Piobaireachd – 2 competitors

1. Matthew Alger

Grade 2 Piping – 6/8 March – 1 competitor

1. Aaron Stone

Grade 2 Piping – Hornpipe & Jig - 1 competitor

1. Aaron Stone

Grade 4 Side Drumming – 2/4 March – 4 competitors

1. Robert Graham
2. Morgan McCullough
3. Jackson DeVight
4. Grayson Parr

Grade 3 Side Drumming – 2/4 March - 1 competitor

1. Bryce Kreger

Grade 2 Side Drumming – March, Strathspey & Reel – 1 competitor

1. Amber Stone

John Dally - master of many bagpipes

John Dally is one of the founding members of Washington Pipers’ Association, if not the reason we began at all.  A master of bagpipes from many regions with a wealth of historical and musical knowledge, John has performed regularly around Western Washington and beyond since the age of 14.  Contact information for John is available here>>

Scott Robertson at WPA 2009

Updated! New May 15th date  Click here for the 2010 registration.  Please note there have been very minor updates to registration fees, and our competitions have been brought much more closely in line with BCPA competitions.  A new page has bee n added to the end of the registration form detailing all of the music requirements. 

 2010 Events – UPDATED May date

If you haven’t heard already, and were at the Tacoma Games, their website has a posting about what you can do, but basically notify your bank of a stolen check, even if it’s cleared already, and have the bank hold it as potential evidence, and finally contact Tacoma Games President Brian Nelson; email on the Tacoma Games website.

If you have any knowledge or information on the theft and who may be involved please contact the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office at (253) 798-4721 and reference case # 091810279.

The theft is being added to the Pierce County Crime Stoppers program with a reward offered for information leading to an arrest.  Click the logo below for more information and anonymous tip lines: 

Finally,  join the games organization AND come to their fundraiser:

Pipes in the Park

Sunday September 27th at Vassault Park at North 37^th and Pearl in Tacoma. 

Support buttons will be available for a recommended donation of $10.00 each. 

Please help get the word out by printing out the attached poster.  Tell your friends about this sad story.  No leads have been fruitful yet.  For more details about the event, here’s an excerpt from Brian Nelson’s mail to the games membership:

Our 40^th annual Highland Games on June 27, 2009 were one of our largest and best attended.  It also received our largest admissions take ever.  The unfortunate fact is that wonderful gate take was stolen from us at the end of the Games.  You may have seen news reports regarding check security for people who wrote checks for admission or camping.  We lost over $17,000 in a single theft.

We had followed our usual procedures in handling our cash.  It was kept in a nondescript container and locked in a board member’s vehicle for transport to the bank.  While that board member finished tasks at the park before returning home, someone entered the vehicle and stole the money along with other items.  The police have investigated and our theft was included in the “Crime Stoppers” program by the Pierce County Sheriff’s office.  But, as of now, no firm leads or suspects have come to light.  Needless to say, we are changing our cash handling and deposit procedures for the future, so there will never again be an opportunity for such a theft. 

With your help the Games will go on.  We have already reserved Frontier Park in Graham for our 41^st annual Highland Games on June 26, 2010.  Several very generous donations and pledges of donations have assured the bills from this year are paid, and we have at least minimum cash to begin next year’s Games.  Please consider adding your donation to this growing list.  It is only with support such as yours that we can continue.

Here’s a a link to the flier advertising the fundraiser>>

Good luck to the Tacoma Games.  Please give them your support!

Whidbey Island Highland Games Piping Order of Play

Whidbey Island Highland Games drumming order of play

Whidbey Island Highland Games Band & Quartets

Patrick is another example of the outstanding talents of pipers and drummers in Washington State.

Photo by Weatherly Schiele

Patrick grew up on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, an isolated place as far as bagpipes are concerned. His only inspiration for piping was from his father, Sean Downing, whom began teaching Patrick at age ten. Early on in his career, Patrick gained experience through pipe bands, starting with his first band, the grade V Brian Boru Pipe Band of Falmouth, Massachusetts. Patrick began solo competition at age 14, where he joined the New Hampshire School of Scottish Arts Pipe Band. He then began taking lessons from Gordon Webster, former piper to Queen Elizabeth II and his wife, Lezlie who ran the school. From there, Patrick achieved some success in solo competition, moving up a grade each year in the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association, (EUSPBA).

In 2006, while attending the Invermark workshop in Castleton, Vermont, Patrick met Jack Lee. After receiving lessons for the week, Jack invited Patrick to British Columbia to play with Simon Fraser University Pipe Band. Prior to SFU, Patrick played with the grade II Manchester Pipe Band of Hartford, Connecticut. He graduated high school in 2007 and moved to Seattle, Washington to begin a life in the northwest, both academically and musically. Patrick started playing with the band in the 2008 season and is currently preparing for the band’s concert this August as well as the World Pipe Band Championships.

Patrick is currently a grade one soloist and hopes to move to professional in the fall. He enjoys taking lessons from Alan Bevan, who won the gold medal in 2008. Alan is both patient and articulate, helping Patrick to improve his expression in both light music and piobaireachd. Patrick spends Monday nights instructing the Bellingham Fire Department in becoming a pipe band. He is also available for private lessons as well as performances of every kind.

Mackenzie Webster     alternate:  Elliot Thompson

Amber Stone                 alternate:  Paul Vegors

Cleda Thompson         alternate:  Bryce Kreger

Aaron Stone                  alternate:  Matt Alger

Recipients were asked to tell WPA of their choices by the end of June 2009, so if they are unable to attend the alternates will have an opportunity to use the scholarship this year.

Congratulations to all competitors who showed up and played. It takes focus and determination to play for an audience, and we had many great performances this year.

To be eligible this year, competitors needed to attend 4 of 5 events, register by the first event, and indicate they wished to be included in the drawing on their membership form.

Chanter: Peter North
Grade 5 Piping: Megan McCrea
Adult Piping: Cleda Thompson
Grade 4 Piping: Saul Goodwin
Grade 3 Piping: Aaron Stone
Grade 2 Piping: Alexander Schiele

Grade 5 Drumming: Robert Graham
Grade 4 Drumming: Bryce Kreger
Grade 3 Drumming: Amber Stone

Tenor Drumming: MacKenzie Webster

Note: After the awards were given, Alexander Schiele asked if he could give the award to MacKenzie. The results were announced with Alexander as the winner, but because MacKenzie (who comes down from BC to compete) missed one event, she had fewer points, but placed 1st at 4 of 5 events. Alexander placed 2nd at 4 events and 1st at one event and had more points due to the simplified points system used.  The BCPA system would have had MacKenzie in 1st place.  MacKenzie has received the aggregate plaque.