BC Pipers’ Association Annual Gathering
The BC Pipers’ Association Annual Gathering (also known as the “Indoor Meet”) is held on the Friday and Saturday of the Easter long weekend each year.
The Friday features Solo Piobaireachd competitions and Open Drumming competitions, as well as drumming workshops.
Saturday events are the remaining solo events, a full band competition, and the Ceilidh afterward including performances by the solo aggregate winners.
92nd BCPA Annual Gathering
will be held on
Friday, April 18 & Saturday, 19, 2025
Location to be determined
Host Hotel: To be determined
Please allow extra time to arrive and find parking during this busy weekend.
Our Invited Adjudicators
We are pleased to present our invited adjudicators for the annual gathering competition:
Jim McGillvray – Piping
Jim McGillivray began piping at age 11 in 1966 in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. He has enjoyed a long and varied piping career since he retired from competing in 1991, having captured both Highland Society of London Gold Medals, the Clasp at Inverness, and the M/S/R at the Glenfiddich Piping Championship.
He was Director of the piping and drumming program at St. Andrew’s College in Aurora, Ontario, an independent school for boys, from 1998 until 2019 and still teaches part-time at the school. He has published two seminal piping tutors, Rhythmic Fingerwork (1998) and Piobaireachd Fingerwork (2013), as well as two best-selling DVDs, Pipes Ready! and Pipes Up!, on maintenance and tuning of the bagpipe. In 2007, his groundbreaking website, pipetunes.ca, became the first major provider of individual pieces of sheet music to pipers.
He played with the Guelph Pipe Band in the 1970s, the 78th Fraser Highlanders after that, and more recently the Spirit of Scotland Pipe Band. Jim is a regular on the judging circuit on both sides of the ocean, publishes frequently on pipesdrums.com, and runs McGillivray Piping, an internet-based piping supply business, which is also the world’s leading dealer in vintage bagpipes. He is currently a member of the grade 2 St. Andrew’s College Association Pipe Band.
Sean McKeown – Piping
Sean began piping in 1993, taking lessons from Gail Brown. Over the years, he received instruction from Bill Livingstone and, more recently, from Roddy MacLeod. Sean’s notable solo achievements include winning the Canadian Gold Medal and the Bar to the Gold for Piobaireachd twice; being the overall winner of the Livingstone Invitational three times; securing the Silver Medal for Piobaireachd at Inverness and placing 2nd at Oban in the same year; achieving two 2nd-place finishes in the Gold Medal at Oban and Inverness the following year; winning the Golden Axe for Piobaireachd and light music at the Lochaber Gathering; and claiming the A-grade Hornpipe and Jig at Inverness. He has also won numerous other prizes for light music and Piobaireachd both at home and in Scotland.
In pipe bands, Sean was a member of the Milton Optimist Pipe Band, winning the 1994 Juvenile and 1997 Grade 3 World Pipe Band Championships. He also played with the 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band and the Toronto Police Pipe Band, where he served as Pipe Major of the Grade 1 band from 2015 to 2018. In 2016 and 2017, Sean participated in the ’87 Live in Ireland concerts held in Glasgow and Belfast. In 2019, he joined the Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band in Northern Ireland, contributing to their Grade 1 World Championship win in 2022 and 2nd-place finishes in 2019, 2023, and 2024.
Beyond competition, Sean actively supports local pipe bands, teaches piping students locally, and has recorded and performed his own compositions with a ceilidh band. He has also performed live with renowned artists such as Bryan Adams and Natalie MacMaster, as well as his brothers’ rock band, Black Pistol Fire. Sean is a proud father of two, works as a Toronto Police officer, and is a graduate of the University of Toronto.
Andrew Miller – Drumming
Andrew Miller started drumming in 1995 with the Edmonton Boys’ Pipe Band, now known as the Edmonton Youth Pipe Band. He holds a strong feeling of pride in those roots. In 1999 he became a member of the grade one Alberta Caledonia Pipe Band where he enjoyed much success, both as a solo and corps player, in his 15 seasons with the band. In 2014 he joined the ranks of the Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band, playing three enjoyable seasons.
Andrew Miller started drumming in 1995 with the Edmonton Boys’ Pipe Band, now known as the Edmonton Youth Pipe Band. He holds a strong feeling of pride in those roots. In 1999 he became a member of the grade one Alberta Caledonia Pipe Band where he enjoyed much success, both as a solo and corps player, in his 15 seasons with the band. In 2014 he joined the ranks of the Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band, playing three enjoyable seasons.
Andrew is currently a member of Dublin’s St. Laurence O’Toole Pipe Band, where he has been since 2017. With them, Andrew has won numerous drum corps and band major championship titles, including three World Drumming titles and a Champion of Champion title. Andrew lives in Edmonton, Alberta, with his young family, where he enjoys teaching the grade 4 Edmonton & District Pipe Band. Andrew is very happy to have been asked to be a part of the BC Annual Gathering!
Special Event: CPA (Competing Pipers Association) Combined B&C Piobaireachd Event
This event is officially sanctioned and recognized by the Competing Pipers Association. The event will be adjudicated by a BCPA or ANAPBA affiliated association “A” Certificate Piobaireachd Adjudicator, an adjudicator from the CPA Supplementary List of Judges or the Solo Piping Judges Association Adjudicators List.
Senior Adjudicator Drumming Workshop
The Senior Drumming Adjudicator, Andrew Miller, will conduct workshops for snare drummers on the Friday at the Annual Gathering venue, North Delta Secondary School, 11447 82nd Ave Delta.
Registration is free and closes Friday, April 7, 2025.
10:00 – 11:15 Beginner, Grade 4, Grade 3
11:30 – 13:00 Grade 2 & Grade 1
14:00 – 15:00 Drumming Instructors
Registration
BCPA “After Hours” Ceilidh
The BCPA “After Hours” Ceilidh begins at the Annual Gathering venue immediately after the Saturday band contest and awards presentation. FREE admission.
Cash and credit cards will be accepted for purchases at the Ceilidh.
Band Contest Admission Tickets
Band Competition & Awards Ceremony admission – no additional charge. The entrance admission for the day includes access to the band competition.
Admission – Friday – no charge, Saturday $5 for everyone over age 10. Children 10 and under free.
Annual Gathering Program Advertiser Welcome!
Email sponsorship@bcpipers.org to advertise your business in this year’s event program and to reserve and pay for your advertisement. Or scan this QR code to go to our advertising portal
Annual Gathering Program Advertising
Annual Gathering Volunteers Welcome!
Email chiefsteward@bcpipers.org to join our team and volunteer with us.
Vendors – Rent a table to display your merchandise
BCPA will supply a table for you to display your merchandise. The price for the weekend is $500 per table. Please plan on setting up on Friday morning and maintaining your table until the end of the program on Saturday evening. Tables will be set up in the cafeteria and allow for maximum number of people in the area.
Souvenir Program
A link to this year’s Annual Gathering Souvenir Program will be added here as soon as the on-line program is available.
Sponsors
Thank you for the generousity of this year’s BCPA Annual Gathering Sponsors:
*Bagpipelessons.com, *Celtic Arts Foundation, *Dobbie Family, *R.G.Hardie, *Hilder Family, *Jordan Bailie Tenor Sticks, *Lee & Sons Bagpipes, *McCallum Bagpipes, *Kerr McQuillan, *Piping Hot Summer Drummer, *R.G. Hardie Bagpipes,*Tartantown.
Awards and Trophies
2024 Annual Gathering Trophies and Awards
History
The first Annual Gathering was held in 1932. Further historical information can be found on the BC pipers History page. Further historical information can be found on the BC pipers History page, click here.
The BC Pipers’ Association is pleased to acknowledge the financial assistance of the Province of British Columbia.