Thank you for your interest in the Solo and Band Competitions at this year’s Elizabeth Celtic Festival! Our judges this year are Jamie Cuthill (piping), Ryan Balchuck (piping), Bob Mason (piping) (Sat. only), and Darren Marshall (drumming). Since 1993, this has been a games that celebrates and challenges the soloist, being crammed full of different contest events. Let the woods ring with the sound of pipes and drums! I hope that this is one of the best competitions that you’ve ever competed at. If it isn’t, then please tell me why, and how we can improve it (short of throwing a lot of money at it).

If you enter, you will get an auto-generated confirmation. Close to the Festival, you will receive an email with a “playing order” for each event. I do not give individual time slots, because competitors break down (stop playing), or have to withdraw (scratch) at the last minute, and because of other unpredictable situations. Instead, there will be an event start time. Get to know (or recognize) the competitor or two ahead of you, and stay on top of the situation. Entry deadline is Saturday, July 12, 2025, one week before the Festival. On (or around) July 15, 2025, (four days before the Festival) each competitor will get an email with everyone’s “provisional” order of play for each event. Late entries will be taken on a “space-available” basis. Finalized Order of Play will be posted at the Steward’s Tent on the day of the competition.

This year at Elizabeth, we’re adding a Drum Salute Competition on Saturday (WUSPBA rules). We’ll probably run this around 11:00 a.m. (depending on the number of entries). Entry fee is $25 per participating drum corps.

Also, we’re doing the “new thing” we did successfully last year: We will be offering several solo Piping Grade V and Piping IV events twice: You can choose to compete on either Saturday or Sunday, or even, on both days. We will also do solo drumming events twice, just like the solo piping Grade V and IV events: You can compete on either day, or on both days. All regular Band events are still on Saturday, but we are doing a “band-like event” on Sunday, described below.

On Sunday, we will have a full slate of solo piping events, with all Piobaireachd events early, with Solo Piping Grades I, II, and III, woven in with the various IV and V events. Also, we will have the Practice Chanter and the Drum Pad events on both days. New for Sunday is a solo event that we used to do when this Festival was in Kiowa (and brought back by request): “Irish Pipe Music.” Pipers play a march (any meter, minimum of 2 parts), then a slow air (do justice to this tune…don’t play just a portion of it), and finally a dance tune (any jig or slip jig, or hornpipe, or reel–minimum of 2 parts). All tunes must be either Irish in origin or obviously connected to Ireland. Be prepared to explain your tune choice, if the connection looks “iffy.”

Also on Sunday is a new event, called “Pick-up Pipe Band Ensemble.” This is an “un-graded event,” open to any grade ensemble (if derived from an established pipe band) or it can be a “pick-up” ensemble, made up of players who are not connected with any band. The ensemble must have a minimum of three pipers and a drummer (snare is preferable) and a maximum of four pipers, two snare drummers, a tenor drummer and a bass drummer. Play a 3-5 minute medley. Because this is a Local Option event, ensembles can have a drummer or piper (or two) from another organization, but any piper or drummer can only play once in this event. If a pipe band wishes to “pack the event” with two or more “Pick-up Pipe Band Ensembles” (and possibly win all the prize money, aha!), it is permitted as long as they don’t play the same medley (the judges will be merciless here–that’s their job). Prize money: 1st–$200, 2nd–$150, 3rd–$100. Participation requirement: Be part of our flash-mob “clans and bands” parade at 12:00 noon, and help us “close the Festival” at 4:00 p.m. with our traditional “march to the front gate” (from various start-points for various bands, converging on the front gate) with a massed “Amazing Grace” at the gate. Order of play will be at the discretion of the organizers, but first to enter will likely be last to compete. Entry fee is $10 per ensemble.

The R2 system isn’t set up for multiple (duplicate) events at one contest, so you will see “Elizabeth Celtic Festival SATURDAY” and “Elizabeth Celtic Festival SUNDAY”. It’s kind of like having two Highland Games on one weekend, at one location.

Best Wishes!
Neil Gillette, Coordinator of Piping, Drumming and Pipe Bands
Elizabeth Celtic Festival