The Lower Clarence Scottish Association has assembled one of its strongest adjudicating panels for this year’s 119th Maclean Highland Gathering to be held on March 29-30.
Several international piping adjudicators will join this year’s panel.
Chief Peter Smith said, “It is wonderful that we can assemble a panel in Maclean that wouldn’t be out of place at a World Championships. It allows our visiting bands and soloists to be judged by some of the world’s best players and adjudicators.”
US born Donald MacPhee, who moved to Scotland in 1997, has reached the summit of success in both solo piping and on the pipe band scene. He was a gold medallist at the Northern Meeting in 2005 and has amassed an impressive 33 major pipe band championship wins. These include 6 World Pipe Band Championships, 8 Champion of Champion titles and 2 Grand Slams.
Glenn Brown, a native of Ontario, Canada, has competed at the highest level in both the solo and band arenas. He was the Pipe Sergeant of the World Championship winning Shotts & Dykehead in 2015. Amongst a long list of solo achievements Glenn can count the Canadian gold medal, the Northern Meeting gold medal and the Senior Piobaireachd at the Argyllshire Gathering, the Bratach Gorm in London and a victory in the Piobiareachd at The Glenfiddich Championship in 2019. Glenn will also be performing our International Piping Recital at the Former Maclean Services Club from 7.30 pm on Saturday March 30.
Brian Switalla is a two-time world champion bagpiper from New Zealand, a former member of the Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band and a former piper with the Canterbury Caledonian Pipe Band, multiple NZ champions and regular finalists in the World Pipe Band Championships. He is also an accomplished soloist with a raft of prizes in his native New Zealand. Brian is a member of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Associations (RSPBA’s) Adjudicating Panel. Brian has been a regular visitor to Maclean as a recitalist and adjudicator over many years.
The internationals will be joined by Australian judges Sam Young, also a prominent member of the RSPBA’s Adjudicator Panel and the current Vice Principal of Piping for Pipe Bands Australia (NSW) and former VP of Piping (NSW), Garry Barker. Tom McGirr, former VP of Piping (Qld) and himself an accomplished soloist and member several of Scottish Grade 1 bands, who has recently moved to Townsend, along with Grafton’s Dr Alastair McInnes, who holds the record wins for the McSwan Family Gold Medal at Maclean and was a member of the current Australian Champions, City of Hawthorne will round out this year’ illustrious piping panel.
Drumming adjudicators at this year’s gathering are the VPs of Drumming in NSW and Queensland, Joe Fleming and David Grey while accomplished Drum Major, Brian May of Brisbane will return to judge the Dress & Drill. Carolyne Davidson and Judith Greer both of Queensland, will judge the Highland Dancing events.
The 119th Maclean Highland Gathering will be held on Friday and Saturday March 29 & 30. For more information check our website – www.macleanhighlandgathering.com.au or check the Lower Clarence Scottish Association Facebook and Instagram pages or contact:
Secretary – Alister Smith on 0429 842 472 – secretary@macleanhighlandgahtering.com.au
Publicity Officer – Katrina Rankin – katrina.rankin1@outlook.com