The Knockout Competition.
The Knockout started in 1963 as an idea put forward by Seumas MacNeill, who was a life member of the SPA and also the editor of the Piping Times. His great friend John MacFadyen was the SPA President at the time and both attended the weekly Club meetings. Seumas himself described how the Knockout came about.
'Every Saturday evening about 9 o'clock John would hand over the reigns of office to Hamish MacColl and with a tiny jerk of his head he indicated to me that it was time for a small refreshment. On one of these occasions that winter I reverted to a topic which I had been plugging with no great success - namely the possibility of the S.P.A. running a knockout competition. It seemed to me that the winter meetings could be made more interesting if once a month we held a competition between two pipers, each playing his own favourite selection, and the results being judged by popular acclaim. John was reluctant to agree, but when I eventually said that the Piping Times would put up the trophy and the prizes he said he would give it a shot.
We then wrote down the names of sixteen pipers who would be invited to play, and as an afterthought John said "But I know who will win, if it is by popular acclaim." When I said that I too knew who the victor would be he challenged me to write down the name on a piece of paper while he did likewise. At least we showed our good sense by agreeing, and in fact by writing down the name of the eventual winner, Duncan Johnstone.'
The Knockout started in 1963 as an idea put forward by Seumas MacNeill, who was a life member of the SPA and also the editor of the Piping Times. His great friend John MacFadyen was the SPA President at the time and both attended the weekly Club meetings. Seumas himself described how the Knockout came about.
'Every Saturday evening about 9 o'clock John would hand over the reigns of office to Hamish MacColl and with a tiny jerk of his head he indicated to me that it was time for a small refreshment. On one of these occasions that winter I reverted to a topic which I had been plugging with no great success - namely the possibility of the S.P.A. running a knockout competition. It seemed to me that the winter meetings could be made more interesting if once a month we held a competition between two pipers, each playing his own favourite selection, and the results being judged by popular acclaim. John was reluctant to agree, but when I eventually said that the Piping Times would put up the trophy and the prizes he said he would give it a shot.
We then wrote down the names of sixteen pipers who would be invited to play, and as an afterthought John said "But I know who will win, if it is by popular acclaim." When I said that I too knew who the victor would be he challenged me to write down the name on a piece of paper while he did likewise. At least we showed our good sense by agreeing, and in fact by writing down the name of the eventual winner, Duncan Johnstone.'
The next problem was to persuade Duncan, who was notoriously reluctant to compete, to take part. However John MacFadyen was notoriously skilful in getting his own way. He called at Duncan's house on the Saturday evening and suggested they should go up to the Pipers' Club at the Highlanders Institute. Duncan agreed as he and John often enjoyed a dram together. That evening the draw was to be made for the Knockout. John told Duncan that one of the pipers had called off and asked him to stand in, knowing that Duncan out for a convivial evening with friends would not refuse. So Duncan said okay and his name went into the draw.
After the early rounds two players, PM Donald MacLeod and Duncan Johnstone were left to contest the final, which took place in the grand hall of the Highlanders Institute on the evening of the last Saturday in May 1964. Duncan Johnstone played first, ending his performance with a selection of jigs and finishing with his own arrangement of Caber Feidh. It is doubtful if anyone ever got a greater ovation than was recorded at the end of this half hour performance. After a brief interval to allow the listeners to recover, Donald MacLeod entered to play his part. Although he must have known it was going to be a difficult task to equal what had gone before, Donald showed no sign of nerves as he set about the job in hand.
After the early rounds two players, PM Donald MacLeod and Duncan Johnstone were left to contest the final, which took place in the grand hall of the Highlanders Institute on the evening of the last Saturday in May 1964. Duncan Johnstone played first, ending his performance with a selection of jigs and finishing with his own arrangement of Caber Feidh. It is doubtful if anyone ever got a greater ovation than was recorded at the end of this half hour performance. After a brief interval to allow the listeners to recover, Donald MacLeod entered to play his part. Although he must have known it was going to be a difficult task to equal what had gone before, Donald showed no sign of nerves as he set about the job in hand.
As usual, the instrument was impeccable, and from beginning to end of a thirty minute performance he did not put a finger wrong. Included in his selection were 4/4s, 6/8s, strathspeys and reels, Gaelic airs and retreats, the Gaelic song Calum Beag made into a hornpipe, Donald's tune of the year The Man from Skye and to finish a selection of jigs ending with his own arrangement of the Banjo Breakdown. Again the audience rose to the piper at the finish and both competitors must have felt that if they got nothing else out of life they were at least appreciated one night in Glasgow. The outcome, decided on audience vote, resulted in a victory for Duncan Johnstone. In reporting the final Seumas MacNeill described Duncan's performance as 'the finest exhibition of light music playing that any of us had ever heard.'
The number of players taking part was originally to be 16 but this was reduced to 12 and in later years was reduced again to eight. The result has always been decided by an audience vote in a secret ballot, voting slips being issued on admission.
The result could be affected by the number of supporters coming with each player. Seumas MacNeill used to describe the night he played against John MacFadyen. Seumas arrived unaccompanied but when he went on to play he saw that the first two rows of the audience were filled with the MacFadyen family. All the aunts, uncles, grannies, cousins and other relatives were there. Seumas knew he hadn't a chance of winning the vote. When any member of the Glasgow Police played the entire band, drummers included would come in support. The same went for the Edinburgh Police. When their Pipe Major Iain McLeod was invited he replied that he was OK for the KO and went on to say that he would be accompanied by three bus loads of supporters and hoped that there would be room for them in the hall. Of course there was no prize money in those days and the event was designed as entertainment and was not meant to be taken as seriously as the big solo contests. In recent years there has been substantial prize money totalling £1,500, with a prize of £500 going to the winner.
The 1993 Scottish Pipers' Association Knockout Final for the Piping Times Trophy took place at the BBC headquarters in Queen Margaret Drive on May 27th and was recorded for the radio. This was the first event for new President Jeannie Campbell and was a stormy one. The audience numbered over three hundred. The finalists were Gordon Walker and Gordon Duncan and both, particularly Gordon Duncan, included a lot of modern music and fancy fingerwork. At the conclusion of the playing the President went on stage with Duncan Johnstone, the first ever Knockout winner, who was to present the tankards to both players, Seumas MacNeill who was to present the Piping Times Trophy. Seumas MacNeill rose to speak and began by saying that if this was what piping had come to he was going back to the fiddle. All he had heard was Gaarrh-bage. He went on in the same vein until the slow handclapping began then Hamish Moore got up and walked out in protest followed by several others. Seumas persevered for a while but after a time could not make himself heard so fell silent. When the votes were counted the result was a win for Gordon Walker by 131 votes to 77. There were over a hundred abstentions. When the programme was broadcast part of Seumas's speech was included and in a second programme Duncan Johnstone was interviewed. For months afterwards pipers were quoting 'Gaarrh-bage' when commenting on any performance. Not long afterwards Gordon Duncan released a cassette recording with the title 'Just for Seumas.' We had many requests for it from customers but needless to say, Seumas did not allow us to purchase any copies for sale in the College. Of course it became a best seller.
Knockout Winners
1964 Duncan Johnstone
1965 Kenneth MacDonald
1966 Duncan Johnstone
1967 Ian McLellan
1968 Iain MacFadyen
1979 Dr Angus MacDonald
1980 Dr Angus MacDonald
1981 PM Angus MacDonald
1988 William Morrison
1993 Gordon Walker
1997 Gordon Duncan
2002 Angus MacColl
2005 Stuart Liddell
2007 Stuart Liddell
2009 John Patrick
In 1984 instead of the normal Knockout, a special Knockout for young pipers was held and this was won by Roddy MacLeod.
The result could be affected by the number of supporters coming with each player. Seumas MacNeill used to describe the night he played against John MacFadyen. Seumas arrived unaccompanied but when he went on to play he saw that the first two rows of the audience were filled with the MacFadyen family. All the aunts, uncles, grannies, cousins and other relatives were there. Seumas knew he hadn't a chance of winning the vote. When any member of the Glasgow Police played the entire band, drummers included would come in support. The same went for the Edinburgh Police. When their Pipe Major Iain McLeod was invited he replied that he was OK for the KO and went on to say that he would be accompanied by three bus loads of supporters and hoped that there would be room for them in the hall. Of course there was no prize money in those days and the event was designed as entertainment and was not meant to be taken as seriously as the big solo contests. In recent years there has been substantial prize money totalling £1,500, with a prize of £500 going to the winner.
The 1993 Scottish Pipers' Association Knockout Final for the Piping Times Trophy took place at the BBC headquarters in Queen Margaret Drive on May 27th and was recorded for the radio. This was the first event for new President Jeannie Campbell and was a stormy one. The audience numbered over three hundred. The finalists were Gordon Walker and Gordon Duncan and both, particularly Gordon Duncan, included a lot of modern music and fancy fingerwork. At the conclusion of the playing the President went on stage with Duncan Johnstone, the first ever Knockout winner, who was to present the tankards to both players, Seumas MacNeill who was to present the Piping Times Trophy. Seumas MacNeill rose to speak and began by saying that if this was what piping had come to he was going back to the fiddle. All he had heard was Gaarrh-bage. He went on in the same vein until the slow handclapping began then Hamish Moore got up and walked out in protest followed by several others. Seumas persevered for a while but after a time could not make himself heard so fell silent. When the votes were counted the result was a win for Gordon Walker by 131 votes to 77. There were over a hundred abstentions. When the programme was broadcast part of Seumas's speech was included and in a second programme Duncan Johnstone was interviewed. For months afterwards pipers were quoting 'Gaarrh-bage' when commenting on any performance. Not long afterwards Gordon Duncan released a cassette recording with the title 'Just for Seumas.' We had many requests for it from customers but needless to say, Seumas did not allow us to purchase any copies for sale in the College. Of course it became a best seller.
Knockout Winners
1964 Duncan Johnstone
1965 Kenneth MacDonald
1966 Duncan Johnstone
1967 Ian McLellan
1968 Iain MacFadyen
1979 Dr Angus MacDonald
1980 Dr Angus MacDonald
1981 PM Angus MacDonald
1988 William Morrison
1993 Gordon Walker
1997 Gordon Duncan
2002 Angus MacColl
2005 Stuart Liddell
2007 Stuart Liddell
2009 John Patrick
In 1984 instead of the normal Knockout, a special Knockout for young pipers was held and this was won by Roddy MacLeod.
