Canadian bagpiper stirs the hearts in Scotland: takes top prize

When you talk about drones in Nova Scotia, you’re not talking about things that fly, and chanters aren’t people reciting.

In both cases such words immediately evoke parts of the bagpipes and there can be nothing more stirring that the bagpipes, played well.

Competition among pipers is fierce, there are probably thousands of top notch world-class bagpipe players around the world.

Now a Canadian has been named the best of all them.

Bruce Gandy of Dartmouth Nova Scotia beat out the top 25 pipers in the world, to win in the Silver Star MSR at a prestigious international competition in Inverness Scotland  last week.

Indeed the website says, “Entry to the competitions is restricted to those of the highest calibre and competition is intense. Only around 100 competitors are selected to take part in the various events.”

In fact it was just before midnight, that he was announced the winner of the Silver Star March, Strathspey & Reel for winners of the A-Grade MSR. It was Gandy’s first win of the world’s biggest prize for solo light music. It’s the second time that a non-Scot has won the prize, the other being Jack Lee of Surrey, British Columbia (1981, 1987, 2007, 2011).

Gandy has of course competed in many many competitions, and many at the international level, already having won for example the Silver Medal competition at the Northern Meeting in Inverness, Scotland, and the Gold Medal in Inverness in 2003, and the Gold Medal at Oban, Scotland in 2004.

To reach this level, Gandy has of course competed in many many competitions, and many at the international level. In fact he already won the Silver Medal competition at the Northern Meeting in Inverness, Scotland, and the Gold Medal in Inverness in 2003, and the Gold Medal at Oban, Scotland in 2004.

But he said wining the Silver Star competition was like winning the British Open of piping. “I stood there basically shaking,” he told CBC News on Friday. “It was really kind of silly but I couldn’t believe it was my name”,

It is also only the second time someone from outside Scotland has taken the highest award.

Adding to the incredible thrill, was the fact that his son Alex was in the competition as well.  It was the first time a father and son had competed in the event.

Now 54, Gandy began playing the highland pipes when he was just seven.

He is now an instructor who operates out of a small office inside the Halifax Citadel National Historic site

While he gives lessons face to face at the historic fortress, he also uses technology now to reach students around the world.

He says people are taking lessons via skype, adding, “They’re pumped, I’m pumped. It works great and everyone is getting better and we promote better playing.”