Erin Berta, 1956 – 2025

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Dear piping and drumming friends,

As some of you may have heard, Erin Berta, President of the Northern Branch, passed away suddenly in January. Erin was a longtime member of the Northern California piping and drumming community, as a piper, band member, piping instructor, contest organizer, and friend. She is dearly missed. Our thoughts are with her husband Dave, her son Colin, and her whole family.

There will be a memorial/celebration service for Erin at First Presbyterian Church of San Rafael on March 8, starting at 2:00. All are invited, bagpipes and drums included! The church is located at 5th and E Streets in San Rafael—parking may be difficult. Further details will be shared as we learn them.

November 2024 AGM Report

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The Northern Branch AGM was held Saturday, November 23, 2024, via Zoom video conference.

Northern Branch Officers Elected:

  • President – Erin Berta
  • Treasurer – Suzan Karayel

Plans and new programs in the works for 2025:

  • “In the Zoom” is coming back–stay tuned for upcoming dates and topics!
  • Duty pipers available to play a set repertoire for solo drummers in the beginning grades.
  • Audio judging for band contests.

YEC FALL – Unofficial Results

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Youth Education Council Prince Charles Pipe Band Solo Fall ContestYEC_logo_small
Saturday, November 9, 2024
Kairos Public School, Vacaville, CA

Solo Results (Unofficial*)

Grade 1 Piping MSR – 1 Competitor
Adjudicator: Ryan Murray
1. 978 Steven McElhaneyPCPB

Grade 1 Piping Hornpipe/Jig – 1 Competitor
Adjudicator: Ken Sutherland
1. 978 Steven McElhaney

Grade 1 Piping 6/8 March – 1 Competitor
Adjudicator: Ryan Murray
1. 978 Steven McElhaney

Grade 2 Piping MSR – 1 Competitor
Adjudicator: Ryan Murray
1. 1874 Colin Thurber

Grade 2 Piping Hornpipe/Jig – 1 Competitor
Adjudicator: Ken Sutherland
1. 1874 Colin Thurber

Grade 2 Piping 6/8 March – 1 Competitor
Adjudicator: Ryan Murray
1. 1874 Colin Thurber

Grade 3 Piping 2/4 March – 5 Competitors
Adjudicator: Ken Sutherland
1. 1899 Ethan Bailey
2. 2045 Lara Thomsen
3. 2121 Zoe Leslie
4. 2087 Henry Cooper
5. 1311 Elise Ferrell

Grade 3 Piping Strathspey/Reel – 5 Competitors
Adjudicator: Ryan Murray
1. 2045 Lara Thomsen
2. 1899 Ethan Bailey
3. 1311 Elise Ferrell
4. 2121 Zoe Leslie
5. 2087 Henry Cooper

Grade 3 Piping Jig – 5 Competitors
Adjudicator: Ken Sutherland
1. 2045 Lara Thomsen
2. 1899 Ethan Bailey
3. 2087 Henry Cooper
4. 2121 Zoe Leslie
5. 1311 Elise Ferrell

Grade 4 Piping 2/4 March – 5 Competitors
Adjudicator: Ryan Murray
1. 2115 Chloe Bloom
2. 2530 Connor Abel
3. 2503 Aims McGuinness
4. 2245 Geoffrey Ingram
5. 2082 Alec McTaggart

Grade 4 Piping Strathspey/Reel – 5 Competitors
Adjudicator: Ken Sutherland
1. 2115 Chloe Bloom
2. 2530 Connor Abel
3. 2503 Aims McGuinness
4. 2082 Alec McTaggart
5. 2245 Geoffrey Ingram

Grade 4 Piping 6/8 March – 3 Competitors
Adjudicator: Ryan Murray
1. 2115 Chloe Bloom
2. 2503 Aims McGuinness

Grade 5 Piping 2/4 March – 5 Competitors
Adjudicator: Ken Sutherland
1. 2239 Emma Thomsen
2. 2190 Davey Drobshoff
3. 2519 Carson McCready
4. 2078 Levi Bailey
5. 2077 Bill Bailey

Grade 5 Piping Slow March/Air – 5 Competitors
Adjudicator: Ryan Murray
1. 2190 Davey Drobshoff
2. 2077 Bill Bailey
3. 2519 Carson McCready
4. 2239 Emma Thomsen
5. 2078 Levi Bailey

Grade 1 Piobaireachd – 1 Competitor
Adjudicator: Ken Sutherland
1. 978 Steven McElhaney

Grade 2 Piobaireachd – 1 Competitor
Adjudicator: Ryan Murray
1. 1874 Colin Thurber

Grade 3 Piobaireachd – 3 Competitors
Adjudicator: Ryan Murray
1. 2045 Lara Thomsen
2. 2121 Zoe Leslie
3. 1899 Ethan Bailey

Grade 4 Piobaireachd – 6 Competitors
Adjudicator: Ken Sutherland
1. 1311 Elise Ferrell
2. 2115 Chloe Bloom
3. 2245 Geoffrey Ingram
4. 2503 Aims McGuinness
5. 2530 Connor Abel

Grade 2 Snare Drumming MSR – 1 Competitor
Adjudicator: Duncan McPherson
1. 481 Andrew Koupal

Grade 3 Snare Drumming 2/4 March – 1 Competitor
Adjudicator: Duncan McPherson
1. 1989 Ethen Cubberly

Grade 4 Snare Drumming 2/4 March – 2 Competitors
Adjudicator: Duncan McPherson
1. 2694 James Duncan
2. 1726 Shaelyn Mosbaugh

Grade 4 Snare Drumming 6/8 March – 1 Competitor
Adjudicator: Duncan McPherson
1. 1726 Shaelyn Mosbaugh

*All results posted here are unofficial. Official results will be posted on the WUSPBA Results page after they have been reviewed and verified by the appropriate registrar. 

2024 WUSPBA AGM Report

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Highlights from this year’s WUSPBA AGM, hosted online via Zoom video conferencing on October 26, 2024:

Officers Elected

  • Vice President: William ‘BJ’ Gunn
  • Sanctioning Secretary: Carol Duarte
  • Solo Registrar: April White

Bylaw Proposals

  • Midseason Regrade – PASSED

Contest Rule Proposals

  • CPL Update – PASSED
  • Solo 2 Parted Tune Reqs – PASSED
  • Double Rostering & Draw – PASSED
  • Band Admin & Results Updates – PASSED
  • Band Judge Duties – PASSED (as amended)
    • For band contests, audio judging is now allowed as an alternative to written comment sheets.
  • Band Aggregate Prizes – PASSED
  • Regrade Applications – PASSED
  • WUSPBA Championship Rules – PASSED
  • Grading and Regrades – Withdrawn

Seumas Coyne was inducted into the Circle of Honor.

PLEASANTON – Unofficial Results (Sunday)

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Caledonian Club of San Francisco 158th Scottish Highland Gathering and GamesCaledonianClubSF
Sunday, September 1, 2024
Alameda County Fairgrounds, Pleasanton, CA

Band Results (Unofficial*)

Grade 2 Time Limit Medley^
Adjudicators: Richard Parkes, Bob Worrall, Shaunna Hilder, Andrew Lee (Piping), James Beaumont, David Hilder (Ensemble), Scott Robertson, Jim Sim (Drumming)
1. Wasatch & District Pipe Band G2 (2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2)
DQ: Cascadia Pipe Band (outside time limits)

Grade 3 MSR
Adjudicators: Andrew Lee, James Beaumont (Piping), David Hilder (Ensemble), Jim Sim (Drumming)
1. City of Angels Pipe Band (1, 1, 1, 1)
2. Silicon Valley Pipe Band G3 (2, 2, 2, 2)

Grade 4 Time Limit Medley
Adjudicators: Andrew Lee , James Beaumont (Piping), David Hilder (Ensemble), Jim Sim (Drumming)
1. Prince Charles Pipe Band G4 (1, 1, 1, 1)
2. Cameron Highlanders Pipe Band (2, 2, 3, 4)
3. Salt Lake Scots Pipe Band G4 (5, 3, 2, 2)
4. Silicon Valley Pipe Band G4 (3, 4, 4, 6)†
5. Wasatch & District Pipe Band G4 (4, 5, 5, 3)†
6. Jefferson Pipe Band G4 (8, 8, 6, 5)†
7. Monterey Bay Pipe Band (6, 6, 8, 7)†
8. Irish Pipers Band of San Francisco G4 (7, 7, 7, 8)

Grade 5 March, Slow March, March
Adjudicators: Richard Parkes, Shaunna Hilder (Piping), Bob Worrall (Ensemble), Scott Robertson (Drumming)
1. City of Sacramento Pipe Band (1, 1, 1, 1)
2. Humboldt Highlanders Pipe Band (2, 2, 2, 4)
3. University of California Riverside Pipe Band (6, 5, 3, 2)†
4. Salt Lake Scots Pipe Band G5 (3, 4, 6, 3)†
5. Prince Charles Pipe Band Juvenile G5 (4, 3, 5, 5)
6. Irish Pipers Band of San Francisco G5 (5, 6, 4, 8)
7. Jefferson Pipe Band G5 (8, 8, 7, 6)†
8. MacIntosh Pipe Band (7, 7, 8, 7)†

† Tie broken by ensemble preference.

^The Grade 2 band contest was judged using an 8-judge panel. Results will not be tracked in WUSPBA aggregate standings. Continue reading “PLEASANTON – Unofficial Results (Sunday)” →

PLEASANTON – Unofficial Results (Saturday)

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Caledonian Club of San Francisco 158th Scottish Highland Gathering and GamesCaledonianClubSF
Saturday, August 31, 2024
Alameda County Fairgrounds, Pleasanton, CA

Band Results (Unofficial*)

Grade 2 MSR^
Adjudicators: Bob Worrall, Richard Parkes, David Hilder, Andrew Lee (Piping), Shaunna Hilder, James Beaumont (Ensemble), Scott Robertson, Jim Sim (Drumming)
1. Cascadia Pipe Band (1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1)
2. Wasatch & District Pipe Band G2 (2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2)

Grade 3 Time Limit Medley
Adjudicators: Bob Worrall, Shaunna Hilder (Piping), Richard Parkes (Ensemble), Scott Robertson (Drumming)
1. Silicon Valley Pipe Band G3 (1, 1, 1, 2)
2. City of Angels Pipe Band (2, 2, 2, 1)

Grade 4 MSR
Adjudicators: Bob Worrall, Shaunna Hilder (Piping), Richard Parkes (Ensemble), Scott Robertson (Drumming)
1. Prince Charles Pipe Band G4 (1, 3, 1, 1)
2. Wasatch & District Pipe Band G4 (2, 1, 3, 3)
3. Cameron Highlanders Pipe Band (3, 2, 2, 4)
4. Jefferson Pipe Band G4 (4, 5, 5, 6)†
5. Salt Lake Scots Pipe Band G4 (7, 4, 7, 2)†
6. Irish Pipers Band of San Francisco G4 (5, 7, 4, 8)
7. Silicon Valley Pipe Band G4 (8, 6, 6, 5)
8. Monterey Bay Pipe Band (6, 8, 8, 7)

Grade 5 Quick March Medley
Adjudicators: David Hilder, Andrew Lee (Piping), James Beaumont (Ensemble), Jim Sim (Drumming)
1. City of Sacramento Pipe Band (2, 1, 3, 1)
2. Prince Charles Pipe Band Juvenile G5 (1, 2, 2, 4)
3. Salt Lake Scots Pipe Band G5 (3, 4, 1, 2)
4. Humboldt Highlanders Pipe Band (4, 3, 5, 6)
5. University of California Riverside Pipe Band (7, 7, 4, 3)
6. MacIntosh Pipe Band (5, 5, 6, 7)
7. Jefferson Pipe Band G5 (6, 6, 7, 5)
8. Irish Pipers Band of San Francisco G5 (8, 8, 8, 8)

† Tie broken by ensemble preference.

^The Grade 2 band contest was judged using an 8-judge panel. Results will not be tracked in WUSPBA aggregate standings. Continue reading “PLEASANTON – Unofficial Results (Saturday)” →

PLEASANTON – Unofficial Results (Friday)

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Caledonian Club of San Francisco 158th Scottish Highland Gathering and GamesCaledonianClubSF
Friday, August 30, 2024
San Ramon Marriott, San Ramon, CA

Solo Results (Unofficial*)

Open Piping MSR – 7 Competitors
Adjudicator: Richard Parkes
1. 1211 Austin Diepenhorst
2. 213 Justin Howland
3. 147 Mason Parsons
4. 2426 Matt Turnbull
5. 689 Kenneth Sutherland
6. 030 Erik Leiken

Open Piping Hornpipe/Jig – 7 Competitors
Adjudicator: David Hilder
1. 1211 Austin Diepenhorst
2. 689 Kenneth Sutherland
3. 213 Justin Howland
4. 030 Erik Leiken
5. 2426 Matt Turnbull
6. 1754 Jeffrey Cullen

Open Piobaireachd – 6 Competitors
Adjudicator: Bob Worrall
1. 1211 Austin Diepenhorst
2. 689 Kenneth Sutherland
3. 030 Erik Leiken
4. 2426 Matt Turnbull
5. 213 Justin Howland
6. 147 Mason Parsons

Continue reading “PLEASANTON – Unofficial Results (Friday)” →