Down Academy Solos 2026
19th September @ 10:00 am
| £7For any queries, please e-mail: downacademypipes@gmail.com
Entries + Fees
- All entries to be made via completion of entry form below.
- Entries close: Monday 14 September.
- Cost is £7 /€7 per competitor per grade with payment to be made via: Paypal to Downacademypipes@gmail.com (Please select friends or family when making payment) or by bank transfer (Down Academy Pipes and Drums Bank A/C No 70199761 Sort Code: 95-06-79).
- No entry is confirmed until full payment has been made. Please associate the name of the competitor with the money transfer when making payment.
- This solo competition is organised and operated by Down Academy Pipes & Drums and is run as per The Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association (RSPBA) and Irish Pipe Band Association (IPBA) solo competition rules and is being held a week before the All Ireland Solos.
- Entrants are being encouraged to use this event as a ‘dry run’ and preparation for the following week to allow them the best possible performance.
- Competitors may also play up from the grade to which they qualify for if they so wish. Competitors interested in playing up a grade must however register again for the additional grade they want to play up into and must also pay a further registration fee for that competition grade. They must also take note of the playing requirements for the grade that they intend to play up into as this may differ to the grade which they qualify for.
Competition Grades
- P1 U12 Practice Chanter
- P2 U13 Practice Pipes
- P3 U14 Piping
- P4 U16 Piping
- P5 U18 Piping
- D1 U12 Practice Pad
- D2 U13 Unaccompanied Snare
- D3 U14 Drumming
- D4 U16 Drumming
- D5 U18 Drumming
- [P1 & D1] U12 Practice Chanter/Pad: Competitors who are under 12 years of age on the 1st November of the previous year. Evidence of age must be produced on request.
- [P2 & D2] U13 Practice Pipes*/Unaccompanied Snare: Competitors who are under 13 years of age on the 1st November of the previous year. Evidence of age must be produced on request. *Novice Piping – chanter without drones sounding.
- [P3 & D3] U14 piping / U14 drumming: Competitors who are under 14 years of age on the 1st November of the previous year. Evidence of age must be produced on request.
- [P4 & D4] U16 piping / U16 drumming: Competitors who are under 16 years of age on the 1st November of the previous year. Evidence of age must be produced on request.
- [P5 & D5] U18 piping / U18 drumming: Competitors who are under 18 years of age on the 1st November of the previous year. Evidence of age must be produced on request.
Syllabus + Playing Requirements
- P1 & D1: Four parts of Quick March, in any time signature
- P2 & D2: Four parts of Quick March, in any time signature
- P3 & D3: Four part march, in any time signature
- P4: Four part 2/4 March
- D4: March, Strathspey and Reel [each tune of at least 4 parts]
- P5 & D5: March, Strathspey and Reel [each tune of at least 4 parts]
• Piping audio recordings will once again be permitted for Juvenile drummers to play at our solo event. This will hopefully allow more drummers to come and get a dry run before the All Ireland Solos event. It will be the responsibility of the competitor to ensure their audio will play OK and we would suggest that any recordings should be in a ‘MP3’ format. Recordings can be forwarded in advance via email to downacademypipes@gmail.com or via WhatsApp to 07792 878932
General Rules
- Competitors must register on arrival at the competition venue.
- Times will not be allocated for players performances, the start times of grades, if shown, are indicative only, and subject to change.
- Any timings taken by inference may be subject to alteration and contestants are required to be flexible to accommodate changed circumstances.
- It is each competitor’s responsibility to present themselves to the adjudicator in the room provided at the allocated performance slot.
- A competitor having cause to protest must lodge same with a deposit of £/€ 10.00 with the contest secretary before the presentation of prizes. The deposit will be returned if the protest is upheld.
- The maximum amount of time available for tuning bagpipes is 3 minutes.
- Practice Pad & Unaccompanied Drumming performances must start with two 3 paced introductory rolls.
- The wearing of uniform is encouraged, though not strictly necessary
Local Rule
- Drummers may play to a recording of a piper to allow a performance. It will be the responsibility of the drummer to ensure that the recording is playable.
Prizes
- Prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd in each grade with participation certificates for all P1, P2, D1 and D2 grade entrants.
Entry Form
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Results
Results will be published after the solos on the main 2026 results page.
