This is the highest level of piping competition and takes place Friday evening, June 14 on the Heritage Stage, starting at 5:00 pm. This event attracts some of the best pro players from the Pacific Northwest competing in this classical form of highland bagpipe "big" music.
Registration HERE.
Friday Open Piobaireachd
Join us for an evening of Ceol Mor (big music) on the Heritage Stage. Come in your kilts and tartans to enjoy the atmosphere of the Highlands of Scotland with other piping aficionados. The Pacific Northwest's top pro pipers will be competing on the stage in a beautiful setting beside Lafarge Lake. This event is part of the BC Pipers' Association annual competition circuit.
When: Friday, June 14, 2024 5:00 pm
Where: Heritage Stage, ScotFestBC
Performers: Open Pipers
Admission: Free
Friday "PIPES IN THE PARK" with the 2023 world champion SFU Pipe Band Drum Corps "in-concert"
Scotfest BC 18 June 2022
It's the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band Drum Corps "In-Concert". Come see and hear this world champion drum corps under the leadership of Reid Maxwell. This is a rare opportunity to experience the drumming excellence and musical creativity of this magnificent band in a spectacular setting along Lafarge Lake. The concert starts at 6:15 pm following Opening Ceremonies for the 92nd. British Columbia Highland Games. Hosted by Dave Hilder.
And then follow the band into the Big Tent for a big ScotFest Kitchen Party hosted by Rod MacBeth and a great Canadian headliner who will wrap up the evening with music and dancing for everyone.
What is Piobaireachd?
(from The Piobaireachd Society)
Piobaireachd, pronounced "pea-brock", is the classical music of the Great Highland Bagpipe and for which the highest awards in the bagpiping competitions world are given.
A more general term is Ceòl Mor (Scottish Gaelic ceòl mór) meaning the "Great Music" which separates piobaireachd from the more popular dances, reels, marches and strathspeys which are called Ceòl Beag or "Little Music." There is freedom in the piobaireachd to express joy, sadness, or sometimes in the “gathering” tunes , a peremptory warning or call to arms.
Piobaireachd is an art music genre unique to the Great Highland Bagpipe that consists of a theme or “ground,” which is repeated and underlined in a series of variations of increasing complexity that follow the theme. This usually progresses to the crunluath variation, where the piper’s fingers give a dazzling technical display of embellishment or gracenotes.
The theme is often very slow, and the general effect of the whole piece of music is slow – slowness being a characteristic of Highland music. They are anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes in length and present the performer with technical, musical and tonal challenges to address to give a high quality performance.
Jack Lee competing at Open Piobaireachd, ScotFestBC June 2022
BC Piper's and Pipe Bands
Greighlan Crossing Pipe Band pipers at ScotFestBC
White Spot Pipe Band, June 2022
Adjudicator Bruce Gandy