KINTYRE Schools came away from the National Piping Centre’s annual junior piping competition with an impressive amount of prizes.
Stephanie Brodie and Donnie McKerral were the two stars from Kintyre Schools at the competition in Glasgow on Saturday February 9.
For Donnie McKerral, it was a glory day.
He was placed first in both the Slow Air and the March events to claim the title of National Chanter Champion.
Donnie is just 10-years-old and is a student in Primary 6 at Castlehill School. He is a product of the Kintyre Schools system and is regarded by his tutor Ian McKerral (no relation) as an exciting prospect.
Donnie McKerral came home from Glasgow with a total of three trophies and prizes which included two practice chanters and a set of McCallum Bagpipes, presented to him by Pipe Major Roddy MacLeod MBE, principal of the National Piping Centre.
On the bagpipes, Stephanie Brodie put together her best ever run of form with a string of impressive performances in the under-15 years section, where she was up against 32 other entrants.
She came first in the Strathspey and Reel to claim the Strathclyde Police Pipe Band trophy.
Stephanie was also placed second in the March and fifth in the Piobaireachd.
Her results edged her into second place in the race to be National Novice Piping Champion. Stephanie is 14-years-old and is a third-year student at Campbeltown Grammar School.
She is a member of Kintyre Schools Juvenile Grade Pipe Band.
‘Stephanie’s keen as mustard, and it shows, ‘said John Brown, piping tutor, who was on hand to help all the Kintyre entrants at the event.
In the other events, only one of the six other entrants from Kintyre made the prize list; Sarah Muir sneaked in with a sixth place in the 15-to-17-years Piobaireachd contest.
