As part of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association’s eight-contest Champion of Champions League, the British Columbia Pipers Association is pleased to release some initial details of the RSPBA Pacific Rim Drumming Championship.
The competition, presented by the British Columbia Pipers’ Association will be held on Saturday, February 21, 2026. The prestigious event will be hosted by The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada and take place in the Anderson Room at the Seaforth Armoury, 1650 Burrard Street, Vancouver, B.C.
This event offers North American drummers an opportunity to qualify for the World Solo Drumming Championships in Glasgow, Scotland in October, 2026. The winner of the event will win the J.Reid Maxwell Medal, styled with an orange ribbon as a tip of the hat to Maxwell’s signature orange ball cap.
J. Reid Maxwell medal first awarded in 2023 to Blair T. Brown
Competitor Information
Registration opens on January 2, 2026 and closes on February 7, 2026
The RSPBA Adult Snare Drumming Qualifier – Please read the rules of the competition at RSPBA Make sure you qualify for the competition and prepare correctly.
Additional BCPA Snare Drumming Competitions BCPA Snare Drumming Music Requirements
- Open Hornpipe/Jig
- Open Compound March medley – Eight parts of at least two compound times 6/8, 9/8, or 12/8
Order of Play
RSPBA Pacific Rim Adult Solo Snare Drumming Competition Order of Play
BCPA Pacific Rim Drumming Competition Order of Play
Schedule
Pacific Rim Drumming Championship Schedule
Prize Money
- RSPBA Qualifier – RSPBA Pacific Rim Adult Solo Snare Drumming Qualifier Cash Prize Awards, First – Fourth: TOTAL $1100
- 1st place $500 J. Reid Medal sponsored by J. Reid Maxwell
- 2nd place $300 sponsored by Taking No Shortcuts
- 3rd place $200 sponsored by Taking No Shortcuts
- 4th place $100 sponsored by Gwendolen Hall
- Open Hornpipe and Jig sponsored by Winifred Hall
- 1st place $500
- 2nd place $300
- 3rd place $200
- Open Compound Marches sponsored by Gwendolen Hall
- 1st place $500
- 2nd place $300
- 3rd place $200
Overall prizes for three combined events
- 1st place $1000
- 2nd place $500
- 3rd place $250
** Note Prize money for Open Compound March Medley will be awarded only if there is one more competitor than the prize being awarded.
RSPBA Adjudicators
Ian Lawson Lurgan, Co. Armagh, N. Ireland
I am from Lurgan, Co. Armagh in Northern Ireland
I started playing drums at the age of 9 with my family band ‘Waringsford Pipe Band’ under initial instruction from Sandy Steele. I then progressed under the tutelage of the Rev. Frank Gibson who developed all aspects of my playing within the band and solo’s, both musicality and technique wise and I had quite a return on this by winning numerous titles at various band and solo levels.
Due to work commitments I had to take a 5-year sabbatical before returning to playing drums with the Pipes and Drums of the RUC, before moving to take over L/D position with ‘Bleary and District’ which was my home town band. In that period that band was very successful and went from G4 to
G1 in 8 years winning various Major championships along the way.
In January 2007 I was very fortunate and honoured to be invited to play with Simon Fraser University Pipe Band, where I spent 7 very successful years under Terry Lee and Reid Maxwell, culminating in winning the World championship and Drum corps prize in 2008 and 2009.
My next move was to play with Inveraray and District, under Stuart Liddle and Steven McWhirter which was a natural progression on the style of music I had been accustomed to over my stint within SFU, and again I was very fortunate to win the Grade 1 World Championship ‘The Spike’ on four occasions, 2017,2019, 2024, and 2025 and the Drumming ‘Sash’ in 2017, and 2025.
Duncan Millar Vancouver, BC
Duncan began Scottish drumming in 1983 at the House of Scotland Pipe Band in San Diego and joined the Los Angeles Scottish Pipe Band in 1990. In 1996, Duncan became Drum Sergeant and the band won the grade two world pipe band championships and best drum corps in 1997.
Duncan attended law school in Seattle, joined the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band and won the World Pipe Band Championships and World Drum Corps Champions four times each. He played snare and percussion in concerts at Carnegie Hall, Sidney Opera House, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Massey Hall, Rebecca Cohn theatre, John Batman theatre, and other great venues.
In the off-seasons, Duncan traveled to drum in South America and New Zealand, and won national pipe band championships as a guest player in the Canterbury Caledonia, New Zealand Police, and South American Pipers Association pipe bands.
Duncan retired from pipe band competition after the 2017 season, becoming a drumming and ensemble adjudicator with the British Columbia Pipers’ Association and the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association.
Duncan is a U.S. business immigration lawyer in Seattle and Vancouver.
BCPA Adjudicator – Cameron Reid, Vancouver, B.C.
Cam started snare drumming at the age of 10 with the Comox Valley Pipe Band in Courtenay, BC, taking lessons from Robbie Collins in Nanaimo. In 2001, he began taking lessons with Reid Maxwell and joined the Robert Malcolm Memorial Pipe Band, winning the World Championships twice (in the Juvenile and Grade 2 categories). He also placed 3rd in 18 and under category at the World Solo Drumming Championships.
Cam spent several years with the Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band, including a short tenure as lead drummer. He subsequently returned to the SFU organization, joining SFUPB in the fall of 2016 along with his wife, Jessica, with whom he now shares 2 wonderful children (George and Gwen). Since joining SFUPB, the band has featured in the prize list at the Worlds each year, including back-to-back titles as the World’s best drum corps in 2022 and 2023.
Cam works as a Tax Director at a CPA firm in Vancouver, BC. He is also a qualified BCPA adjudicator and snare drumming instructor.
Spectators Information
Doors open at noon. Competition begins at 1:00 PM. Admission is $10 for spectators. Competitors and accompanying pipers are free. Advance admission purchase for those interested. Parking is free and is available on site in the parkade. Enter the parkade through the East gate from 1st. Once parked, go down the staircase at the northwest corner of the parkade, across the military parking lot to the doorway indicated by the arrow. From there we will have signage and Seaforth troops assisting and directing the way to the Anderson room. For anyone with accessibility needs, Seaforth troops can provide access through the Hoffmeister building, which has ramps and automatic doors.
RSPBA Pacific Rim Adult Solo Snare Drumming Competition Admission
If you can’t make it to the event you can watch high resolution videos of each performance, on the BCPA YouTube channel approximately two hours after the conclusion of the whole event.
If you are interested in making a donation to support this event, please use the link below. The BC Pipers’ Association is a registered charity #889778197RR0001, all donations over $20 are eligible for a tax receipt.
Donate to Pacific Rim Drumming Competition
2025 RSPBA Pacific Rim Adult Solo Snare Drumming Competition