About Us
Piper Biographies
Chris Armstrong
Started playing at 6 years old. He was initially taught at Torphichen and Bathgate Novice Juvenile Pipe Band. He received solo tuition from Pipe Major John Matheson BEM from the age of 8, then had lessons from Andrew Wright for Piobaireachd and now receives lessons from John Wilson. Chris has been a full time instructor at the National Piping Centre for the last 7 years, and holds the PDQB level 6 and Senior Teachers certificates. Past successes in solo piping include winning the Bratach Gorm, J. B. Robertson Rose Bowl and the Overall Champion Piper at the Scottish Piping Society of London in 2007, 1st in the Former Winners MSR at the Argyllshire Gathering and also the A grade MSR at the Northern Meeting in 2001. 1st in the PM Donald Macleod Memorial MSR, runner up twice in the Former Winners MSR at the Northern Meeting. He has been the overall champion in 2002/03 at the Cowal Highland Gathering; in 2003 he won the Gold Medal at the Northern Meeting. Previous bands include, Torphichen and Bathgate Pipe Band – Novice and Grade 2, Seafield and District Pipe Band – Grade 3, Coalburn I.O.R Pipe Band – Grade 3, Eden Pipe Band – Grade 1, Pipe Sergeant of Dumbarton and District – Grade 2 and Pipe Major of the David Urquart Travel Pipes and Drums – Grade 1.
John Bowes
Started playing in 1979 and was taught by Eddie Mclelland. His pipe band achievements include winning the Scottish Championship and the British Championship with the Power of Scotland Pipe Band. John used to compete in the junior solo piping but says that it was that long ago that long ago he can’t remember much about it! His previous bands are Toyota Pipes and Drums, British Caledonian Airways Pipe Band and Glasgow Skye Association Pipe Band. John has been a member of ScottishPower Pipe Band for 13 years.
Jason Briscoe
Started his piping career aged 10 under the guidance of his Grandfather, Robert H. MacDonald, a retired Pipe Major of the Toronto Police Pipe Band and member of the Edinburgh City Police and The Black Watch. Soon after he began his long-standing instruction with Clasp-winner, Jim MacGillivray. Jason joined the 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band at the age of 13 at played with them for 12 seasons during which time won several North American, United States and Canadian Championships alongside notable performances at the World Championships. With the 78th, Jason was an avid concert soloist, musical composer and sound contributor. Jason has performed on countless recordings, notably “The Great Highland Bagpipe Series,” and the BBC staged production, “Flame of Wrath,” where he was a featured soloist.Jay has won several professional prized events at the North American, United States and Canadian Championships. Alongside strong placings internationally, He has won the George Sheriff Memorial and the Nicol-Brown Invitational Piping Competitions and hopes to further his solos overseas this year.Currently, Jason resides in New York City and is a Partner, Head of Design with a strategy/brand design firm, The Ito Partnership. He has a passion for photography, architecture, fashion, and music, and his inspirations are often derived from his day-to-day influences. Jason received his education in Graphic Design from the Ontario College of Art & Design (OCAD) in Canada and will be an instructor of typography at New York's NYU.
Glenn Brown
Glenn Brown is 27 years old and originally from Milton, Ontario, Canada. A teacher at The National Piping Centre, Glenn’s Pipe Band back ground includes eight seasons with his mother Gail Brown’s band The Milton Optimist’s. This Band won the Juvenile World Championship in 1994, followed by the Grade 3 World Champion title in 1997. In 1998 Glenn joined the Peel Regional Police Pipe Band at age 14. From there he joined The 78th Fraser Highlanders, based in Toronto for a further two years. In the autumn of 2001 Glenn became a member of Shott’s and Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band where he spent the next six years. During this time the band won two Grade 1 World Pipe Band Championships. For the 2008 Season Glenn returned to be the Pipe Major for the Grade 1, Peel Regional Police Pipe Band, based in Brampton, Ontario. As well as his band piping Glenn has studied Ceol Mor and Ceol Beag with Mr Willie McCallum for the past nine years.
His Solo Piping achievements are as follows:
- Canadian Gold Medal for Ceol Mor, 2006
- A Grade Piobaireachd at the London Championships, 2006
- American Gold Medals for Ceol Mor and Ceol Beag at Kansas City Winter Storm, 2007
- Cameron Gillies Recital Challenge, 2007
- Dunvegan Medal for Ceol Mor, 2007
- A Grade March, Strathspey and Reel at the London Championships, 2007
- A Grade March at The Argyllshire Gathering, 2009
- Runner Up in the Gold Medal at the Argyllshire Gathering, 2009
- Highland Society of London’s Gold Medal at The Northern Meeting, 2009
Johnathan Cheyne
Started his piping at the age of 11 and was originally taught by Decker Forrest. Johnathan is currently studying for a BA in Scottish Music at the RSAMD in Glasgow and receives tuition from Chris Armstrong, Stuart Samson and Allan MacDonald. Previous pipe bands have been Milnagavie, where in his second year with a band, won the Cowal Championship in grade 3. He has also turn out and competed with the Lomond & Clyde Pipe Band and the Vale of Atholl for one season before joining ScottishPower.
Gavin Ferguson
Started playing in Primary six when he was nine with the Kintyre Schools Pipe Band. His instructors were Ian McKerral and John Brown. Gavin’s pipe band achievements include winning all 5 major championships in Novice Juvenile grade in 2003 and in 2006 winning the European Championship in Juvenile grade. He is a keen solo competitor round the games and his prizes include 1st in the RSPBA Willie Fergusson Contest in 2006, 1st in the Strathspey & Reel at Cowal in 2008 and 1st in the Burgh Cup (MSR) at Cowal in 2008. Gavin spent six years with the Kintyre Schools Pipe Band and has been a member of ScottishPower Pipe Band for 3 years. Gavin says he made the trip to London last year for the SPSL competitions and missed his slot to play in the competition!
Ross Ferguson
Ross initially started his pipe band career on the side drum aged 8 but by the age of 10 in Primary 6 he saw the light and took up the chanter under the guidance of Ian McKerral and John Brown. A product of the hugely successful Kintyre Schools he played with them and won the Novice Juvenile World Championship in 2005 and 2006 and the Juvenile Scottish Championship in 2007. Ross spent two more with them before joining the newly formed 3A band, Sound of Kintyre, as pipe sergeant in 2010 for one season before joining his older brother Gavin in ScottishPower. A keen solo player Ross took 1st in the 18 & under MSR at Saltcoats in 2009 and won the Burgh Cup for MSR at Cowal in 2010.
Chris Gibb
Started piping at the age of 8 years old. He was originally taught by various people in the Boys Brigade then by Willie McBride and George Lumsden. Chris Graduated from the RSAMD with a BA Scottish Music (Piping) with Honours and is now the Piping Instructor for Stirling Schools. Some of his band achievements include winning the Worlds in Grade 2 with Drambuie Kirkliston Pipe Band and various top prizes as member of ScottishPower.
He is also a keen solo piping competitor and is the winner of Piobaireachd and Marches at the North American Championships and has featured regularly in the prizes around the games in Scotland and Canada.
His previous bands include Drambuie Kirkliston and the 78th Halifax Citadel Pipes and Drums. He has been a member of ScottishPower pipe band for 6 seasons.
Rory Grossart
Rory has a huge background in piping and pipe bands. He has been taught by some of the best in the business including John Morrison, Angus J MacLellan, P/M Angus MacDonald, Ronald Morrison and Tom Spears. A professional reedmaker he has a successful business in Kilmarnock making chanter and drone reeds for the pipes. Previous bands have included Milnagavie Juveniles, Babcock and Renfrew and Strathclyde Police. He has been a Pipe Sergeant with the Black Bottle Pipe Band and also with ScottishPower under Pipe Major Roddy Macleod. He re-joined the band after the 2010 competition season.
Sylvain Hamon
Sylvain started learning the pipes in a local band, Bagad Plougastell (near Brest – Brittany) in 1995. His instructors include Franck Nicolas, and Hervé Le Floc’h. His pipe band achievements include winning the Breton championship in 2008 with Bagad Cap Caval and top six placings with ScottishPower Pipe Band. Sylvain regularly competes round the games in Scotland since 2002, and has won prizes in most of them. His major prizes include first winner of the Gordon Duncan Memorial solo competition in 2007 and 1st prize in the B grade MSR in London 2008. Sylvain is still a current member of Bagad Cap Caval and has been part of ScottishPower Pipe Band for two years. He plays in a Piping Quartet called ADSX, along with Alexis Meunier, Daniel Moign and Xavier Boderiou which was created in 2002.
He also plays in a duet, with the Bombarde player Steven Bodénès, doing many concerts and winning several Duet competitions in Brittany.
Neil Johnston
Started piping aged 10 and was a player with the Knightswood Juvenile Pipe Band . Neil comes from a family of pipers and received tutition from both his father and brother and also the late Duncan Johnston. Previous bands have included Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia, where he won the Grade 1 World’s Championship with them 3 times. He has also played with the Lomond and Clyde Pipe Band before joining ScottishPower in 2009.
Chris MacDonald
Started piping when he was 12. He was originally taught by Alasdair MacAffer of Struy, and then started to receive tuition from Chris Armstrong at the National Piping Centre. Chris is currently studying for a BA in Scottish Music (Piping) at the RSAMD. He has won various prizes at junior level including 2nd in March Strathspey and Reel competition at the National Piping Centre in 2006 and 1st in the MSR at Dunrobin Castle in 2005. His previous bands are Lomond and Clyde Pipe Band and Inverness. Chris says he once got hit in the face with a football at Dornoch Highland Games whilst competing in the under 18 MSR competition.
Donald Mackay
Donald started piping at the age of 9 and was originally taught in school by the legendary Pipe Major John D Burgess M.B.E. He continued to receive tuition from him until his untimely death in 2005. On leaving school he served with the Queens Own Highlanders (now known as the 4th Royal Regiment of Scotland) for 11 years qualifying as a Pipe Major from the Army School of Piping in 1996. In 2001 Donald changed career and joined Strathclyde Police. He became Pipe Major of the band in 2004 and during his tenure in charge was hugely successful in leading the band to win the Scottish, European and Cowal RSPBA Grade 1 Major Championships and numerous minor competition wins. Still an active solo competitor he regularly competes ‘Round the Games’ and is also a holder of the RSPBA Advanced Certificate, Graduate and Senior Teachers Piping Certificates.
Alasdair MacKenzie
Starting learning at the age of 8. He was initially taught by Andy Venters and also received tuition from Norman Gillies. Latterly, before moving down to Glasgow 6 years ago he was taught by Paul Harrison. One of Alasdair’s pipe band achievements was being part of the ScottishPower Quartet that won the Piping Live Quartet Challenge in 2008. He hasn’t competed in solo piping since the juniors, but is hoping to get back into it in 2009. He was a frequent prize winner at the Highland Games around the North of Scotland and also won the North Young Piper of the Year in 2003 and the Dunrobin Castle Piping Competition in 2004. His previous bands include Dingwall Royal British Legion, Beauly Firth and Glens, Queensland Highlanders and he is also a member of the Bagad Cap Caval. He joined in 2004 and is entering into his 5th season in ScottishPower Pipe Band. As well as the band, he spends some of his time piping for highland dancing competitions. Highlights range from piping at the World Highland Dancing Championships held in Cowal each year, to the Tokyo Highland Games and also the Continental Championships, Alden Biesen, Belgium.
John MacLeod
Started piping at 10 years old in the Dumbarton and District Novice Juvenile Pipe Band before moving to Lochgilphead where he received lessons from Ian MacLeod, the late Pipe Major Tony Wilson and Archie Kenneth and most recently Ronnie Morrison. In 1991 he joined the Power of Scotland band as it was known then under the leadership of Hugh MacInnes and stayed with the band ever since enjoying major success with the band, most notably Cowal Champions 1999. John has had solo success at both junior and senior level.
At the age of 18 he was a prize winner in the A grade marches at the Argyllshire Gathering and won the A grade marches at the Cowal Gathering in the same year. He continued to compete for a number of years picking up various prizes on the solo piping circuit both in Scotland and abroad. John’s previous bands include Kintyre District Pipe Band and the Black Bottle Whiskey Pipe Band. Among John’s memorable experiences with the band are performing at the sky dome in Toronto and also playing at the Champions League final at Hampden Stadium. He also played when the band had a private audience with Pope John Paul II at the Vatican when the band performed on the same bill as Lionel Ritchie, Bryan Ferry and many more famous names, the following year the band played at the Royal variety performance along with Pavarotti.
Derek Midgley
Started piping when he was 13 years old. His instructor was George M. Bell of Parlin, New Jersey. He previous bands include Toronto Police Pipe Band
and he served as the Pipe Sergeant for the City of Washington Pipe Band. Derek is a keen solo competitor and some his results include 2nd Place Overall in the EUSPBA Professional Standings in 2008 and 2nd Place in the B/C Grade MSR at the Highland Society of London Competition.
Callum Moffat
Callum hails from Lockerbie in the Scottish Borders and started piping at the age of 12 under the instruction of Tony MacDonald, who he still receives tuition from today. Other tutors who have been a major influence on him have been John Cowan, Stuart Samson and Allan MacDonald. He is currently studying for a BA in Scottish Music (Piping) at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and also holds PDQB certificates. Previous band experience has been with the Grade 4B Lochmaben Royal Burgh Pipe Band before he moved into Grade 1 with The House of Edgar, Shotts and Dykehead Pipe Band. Callum is also a keen solo piper and prizes in the juniors have included The National Piping Centre U18 MSR. The Highland Society of London Targe and the Scottish Pipers Association overall junior champion. Callum is also making an impact in the senior competitions and has so far won the C Grade MSR at the 2012 Duncan Johnstone Memorial Competition
Craig Muirhead
Started learning at 8 years old. He was initially taught by Stuart Cassels and then Gavin Walker. He is currently in his second year of a BA Scottish Music (Piping) at the RSAMD in Glasgow and holds his Level 4 PDQB and tutor certificate. He was a regular prize winner on the junior solo piping scene and is beginning to regularly pick up prizes in B/C contests during the season. Craig’s previous band was Clan Gregor Society.
Oliver Rigg
Started playing aged 9 and was originally taught by Hugh Drysdale in his local band the Buccleuch and Queensbury Caledonian. His previous bands have been the City of Blacktown in Austraila where he guested with them in November 2008. Closer to home he played with the Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary Pipe Band for 3 seasons before coming on board with ScottishPower after the 2010 season. A keen solo player he receives tutition from Roddy Macleod and John Wilson and has already started to make an impression on the solo scene. Recent prizes from the 2010 season have included 2nd in C Grade March Inverary Games, 2nd Open MSR Tobermory Games and 3rd in the Open March at Arisaig Games.
Maël Sicard-Cras
From Brittany, started piping aged 9 in the Bagad Douarnenez near Quimper and was taught by Hervé Le Floc’h, Alexis Meunier and Xavier Boderiou. Maël has previously played with Cap Caval Pipe Band since 2004 and won the Worlds in Grade 2 with them in 2008. A keen solo player he has won the London Amateur Piobaireachd in 2007 and Winner of the Overal Clasp A in 2008. He is starting to make an impression on the solo piping scene in Scotland too having being already placed in several Games prizelists.
David Shedden
Started his piping career at the age of 9 and was originally taught by his father Stuart. He then went on to received instruction from Pipe Major Gordon Walker and study piobaireachd with the legendary Donald Macpherson. David is following in his fathers footsteps as a keen solo player and has already won the B Grade Piobaireachd event at the 2011 Duncan Johnstone Memorial Competition. Previous bands have included Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia and Torphichen & Bathgate.
Matt Spicer
Matt is the furthest travelled of the entire band. Hailing from Newcastle, New South Wales in sunny Australia. He first picked up he chanter at the age of 7 with the City of Newcastle RSL Pipe Band, under the tuition of Michael Cairns and Mark McKenzie. He later went on to receive tuition from Graham Adams and Frank Bailey. Matt’s previous band experience has been with the Auckland and District Pipe Band and he was part of the team that qualified for the Grade 1 final at the 2010 World Championships. Since 2001, he has played with various other bands gaining experience in Scotland and abroad with the United Mineworkers Federation Pipe Band, The Band Club, City of Blacktown, Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary and was also a guest player with the City of Adelaide Pipe Band. Currently he receives tuition from Martin Frewen.
Struan Thorpe
Started playing aged 9 and has had lessons from Arthur Gilles, Stuart Liddell and Iain MacFadyen. He holds the Institute of Piping Junior Certificate. Previous successes with pipe bands include 1st Grade 3A British Championships 2004 and all the prizes with the band in 2008. His major solo piping wins to date include 1st B/C Grade March at Inverary Games in 2008 and 3rd Open MSR at Taynuilt Games in 2007. Struan’s previous bands are Mid Argyll Pipe Band, Lomond & Clyde Pipe Band and ScottishPower Pipe Band where he has been a member for the last 2 years.
Thomas Turner
Thomas hails from Irvine in Ayrshire and was originally taught to play by Kenny Craig at the age of 11. One year later he joined his local pipe band, Kilmarnock and continued to play with the band in Grade 2 under Pipe Major Kenny MacLeod. Later he joined the 52nd Lowland Regiment Pipe Band before moving on to join Central Scotland Police Pipe Band with Pipe Major Rab Russell. Thomas graduated from the RSAMD in 2008 with a BA (honours) in Scottish Music – Piping, where he received tuition from Allan MacDonald, Pipe Major Chris Armstrong and Major Gavin Stoddart. Thomas regularly competed in junior solo competitions winning many prizes including the National MOD and SPA. He also featured on the BBC Scotland Radio programme Pipeline and was a semi-finalist in the 2007 BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year. Before joining ScottishPower Pipeband in 2010, Thomas was a member of the Strathclyde Police Pipe Band.
Russell Weir
Started his piping career aged 8 and was taught by Ian MacDonald, Jim Maclean of the Strathclyde Police and received further solo tutition from Duncan Johnston. He was a successful junior solo player winning the Scottish Championship in 1996. He has previously played with Neilston & District before joining Dumbarton & District where he won a Champion of Champions title with them. Russell then played with Torphichen & Bathgate, David Urquhart and Glasgow Pipes and Drums. Before coming on board with ScottishPower in 2009 he played with the Strathclyde Police, winning the Scottish, European and Cowal Championships with them.
David Wilton
Started learning aged 7 years old. His initial instructor was Willie Whyte then he went on to get lessons from Walter Drysdale. He is currently in his second year of a BA Scottish Music (Piping) at the RSAMD in Glasgow. David has played for 13 years in pipe bands since the age of 7. During that time he has won the Grade 4b World championships with City of Brechin Pipe band in 1998 as well as Champion of Champions. He also won grade 2 British, Cowal, World and champion of champions with Drambuie Kirkliston Pipe band. David features regularly in the prizes round the games and his results include 1st in B/C Piobaireachd at Perth Highland Games, 2nd in Piobaireachd at SPSL and 2nd in the MSR at the Dunrobin Championships. His previous bands are City of Brechin, Drambuie Kirkliston and Clan Gregor Society Pipe Band.