CHIEF PIPING INSTRUCTOR

BOB WORRALL - Burlington, Ontario

Bob Worrall has been Chief Piping Instructor for the Highland Musical Arts School from its inception in 2000.  He is one of North America's leading teachers, adjudicators and performers.  Prior to retiring from competitive piping in 1983, Bob won the North American Professional Championship an unprecedented seven times, and held the Ontario Championship Supreme title for 12 of his 13 years in professional competition.  In 1977, he was winner of both the March and the Strathspey/Reel events at the Northern Meeting in Inverness, Scotland.

Bob is highly sought after as a teacher, both for bagpipe workshops and private tuition, and he presents recitals throughout North America and elsewhere.  All of this has taken him, in recent years, to 35 states in the U.S., coast to coast in Canada, to Uruguay, Brittany, South Africa and Scotland.

Last August Bob adjudicated piping events at the Argyllshire Gathering in Oban, Scotland.  Along with another Canadian, Bob was the first overseas adjudicator ever selected for this prestigious event.  Bob also served on the judges' panel for solo events at the 2006 Cowal Championships in Dunoon, Scotland, and for events at the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow.  His judging background includes previous Cowal and Ulster Championships and the national pipe band championships in New Zealand.  Bob is on the panel of senior adjudicators for The Piobaireachd Society, qualified for both piobaireachd and light music.  In 2000 he judged the Bratach Gorm in London, becoming the first overseas adjudicator ever invited to judge a major solo event in the U.K.

Bob's compositions appear in several contemporary piping collections.  He has published The International Collection of Highland Bagpipe Music, Books 1 and 2.  Publication of a third book is planned.  He has recorded "The Classical Bagpipe", was included on the Lismor recording, "An Evening of Champions", and is featured, along with Willie McCallum, in Volume 1 of The Piping Centre's 1997 recording series.

After touring with the stage band for the dance production "Immrama", he has been performing with the group "Scantily Plaid".  This venture has helped highlight his skills, not only as a Highland piper, but also as a performer on the Scottish small pipes and reel pipes.  The group released its title album in 2001, and has performed in South America, France, Scotland, Canada and the U.S. in recent years.

Back in Ontario, Bob has chaired the Music Board for the Pipers' and Pipe Band Society of Ontario and coordinates the annual George Sherriff Memorial Invitational Competition, which showcases North America's top amateur pipers.

An educator by profession, Bob retires this year as chair of the Social Science department and Coordinator of Student Activities at Queen Elizabeth Park School in Oakville, Ontario.