Nicol - Brown Amateur Invitational

The 2021 Nicol-Brown competitors

The 39th Nicol-Brown Amateur Invitational
Piping Competition

The competition was held in Cyberspace via video submissions.

 

View a pdf of the 2021 program.

The 2021 Piobaireachd Judges:

Roddy MacLeod, MBE (Glasgow, Scotland)
Nick Hudson (Houston, Texas)

The 2021 Light Music Judges:

Bob Worrall (Burlington, Ontario)
Jenny Hazzard (Edinburgh, Scotland)

 

Friday, October 8, 2021

Our judges started the Nicol-Brown weekend with a brilliant concert by video from their homes in the U.S., Canada, and Scotland. The concert is now available on YouTube.

Saturday, October 9, 2021

The awards ceremony for the competition was hosted via Zoom at noon Eastern Time on October 9 and the prizes listed below will be mailed to the competitors. Scroll down for complete prize lists.

Two Master Classes, were held on Zoom after the awards ceremony, with thanks to the EUSPBA and other generous sponsors and volunteers.

Your donations are always welcome!

You’re welcome to browse through our Facebook photo albums.

 

The 2020 Prize McCallum Chanter

Overall Nicol-Brown Championship

  1. STUART H. MARSHALL
    Prizes: The 2021 Nicol-Brown Champion’s Chanter — a McCallum “CeòL” B-flat blackwood pipe chanter with a custom-designed sole — donated by McCallum Bagpipes (Kilmarnock, Scotland); plus a Lee & Sons pipe bag of the champion’s choice, donated by Lee & Sons Bagpipes (Surrey, British Columbia); plus expenses up to $1000.00 USD, donated by the NHSCOT Fund (Concord, New Hampshire), to be used to compete in a major solo contest in 2022 to be approved by the Nicol-Brown committee.
  2. JESSICA BAIN
    Prize: A set of Pipers’ Choice Kitchen Pipes donated by Jim Scott of Scott’s Highland Services (London, Ontario).
  3. CALLUM BEVAN
    Prize: A McCallum “CeòL” B-flat polypenco pipe chanter donated by Henderson’s Ltd. (Traverse City, Michigan).
  4. HENRY MICHAEL PALUCH
    Prize: A $150 piping scholarship, sponsored by Doreen Forney (Vermont) in memory of Pipe Major Angus Macdonald, 1st Battalion Scots Guards.
  5. TREVOR DEMASS
    Prize: A $100 piping scholarship, sponsored by Doreen Forney (Vermont) in memory of Pipe Major Angus Macdonald, 1st Battalion Scots Guards.

 

The Nicol-Brown Chalice

Robert Nicol-Robert Brown Chalice for Piobaireachd

  1. CALLUM BEVAN (9 points)
    Video Link: “Corrienessan’s Salute”
    Prize: A bound Piobaireachd Society Collection, Volumes 1-16, donated by Jon Maffett from The Piper’s Hut (Pickerington, Ohio).
  2. TREVOR DEMASS (7 points)
    Video Link: “Lament for the Viscount of Dundee”
    Prizes: A custom-made leather pipe bag, created and donated by Andrew Hagen of Hagen Leather (Port Charlotte, Florida); and a copy of Pipers Meeting: New Tunes from the Campbell Canntaireachd donated by Iain MacDonald from reelpipes.com (Regina, Saskatchewan).
  3. STUART H. MARSHALL (6 points)
    Video Link: “The MacLeods’ Salute”
    Prizes: A copy of Donald MacDonald’s Collection of Piobaireachd, Volume 1 (1820), — republished in 2006 by The Piobaireachd Society — donated by Jane and Jim Spicer (Maryland); Pipers Meeting: New Tunes from the Campbell Canntaireachd — published in 2017 by Patrick Molard and Jack Taylor — donated by Iain MacDonald from reelpipes.com (Regina, Saskatchewan); and Iain MacDonald’s new novel based on the life of Angus MacKay, I Piped, That She Might Dance, donated by Charlie and Paula Glendinning (Maryland).
  4. JESSICA BAIN (5 points)
    Video Link: “The Piper’s Warning to His Master”
    Prizes: Jimmy McIntosh’s Ceol Mor sponsored by Bonnie Rideout (Virginia); and Pipers Meeting: New Tunes from the Campbell Canntaireachd donated by Iain MacDonald from reelpipes.com (Regina, Saskatchewan).
  5. SCOTT LONG (4 points)
    Video Link: “Cabar Feidh Gu Brath”
    Prizes: Donald MacLeod’s Collection of Piobaireachd (2019 edition) sponsored by Genevieve Pluhowski (Massachusetts); and Pipers Meeting: New Tunes from the Campbell Canntaireachd donated by Iain MacDonald from reelpipes.com (Regina, Saskatchewan).

 

The Wm Ross Challenge Targe

William Ross Challenge Targe MSR Competition

  1. HENRY MICHAEL PALUCH (8 points)
    Video Link: “The Argyllshire Gathering,” “Delvinside,” and “Tom Kettles”
    Prize: A long McCallum blackwood practice chanter with engraved sole, bowl, and presentation ferrule, donated by The Piper’s Dojo (Troy, New York).
  2. JESSICA BAIN (6 points)
    Video Link: “Captain Campbell of Drum a Voisk,” “The Doune of Invernochty,” and “The Ferryman”
    Prize: A bound copy of Pipe Major W. Ross’s Collection of Highland Bagpipe Music sponsored by Doreen Forney (Vermont) in memory of Pipe Major Angus Macdonald, 1st Battalion, Scots Guards.
  3. SEAN BUCHTA (5 points)
    Video Link: “Invergordon’s Welcome to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,” “The Ewe with the Crooked Horn,” and “Peter MacFarquhar”
    Prize: A Zoom Am7 Mid-Side Stereo Microphone sponsored by Bruce and Betsy Douglas (New York).
  4. STUART H. MARSHALL (4 points)
    Video Link: “Mrs. MacDonald, Glenuig,” “Dora MacLeod,” and “Sandy Cameron”
    Prizes: The Bagpipe Music of John MacColl 1860–1943 sponsored by JoAnn Scott (Virginia); The Bagpipe Music of John McLellan 1875–1948 and Keith N. MacDonald’s The Skye Collection sponsored by Keith Earle (New York).
  5. CALLUM BEVAN (3 points)
    Video Link: “The Taking of Beaumont Hamel,” “Duncan Lamont,” and “Drumlithie”
    Prize: An R.G. Hardie long polypenco practice chanter with Twist-Trap sponsored by Jackson Galloway (Massachusetts).

 

The Donald MacLeod Silver Buckle

Donald MacLeod Memorial 6/8 March Competition

  1. STUART H. MARSHALL (6 points)
    Video Link: “The Braemar Gathering” and “Jean Mauchline”
    Prize: The Donald MacLeod Memorial Silver Buckle (above) created and donated by Stephen Walker of Walker Metalsmiths (Andover, New York).
  2. JESSICA BAIN (4 points)
    Video Link: “El Alamein” and “Fairview Cottage”
    Prize: A bound copy of Pipe Major Donald MacLeod’s Collection of Music for the Bagpipe sponsored by Charles McKee (Maryland).
  3. HENRY MICHAEL PALUCH (3 points)
    Video Link: “Mrs. Lily Christie” and “The Hills of Kowloon”
    Prizes: Bob Worrall’s International Collection, Book One, Book Two, and Book Three, sponsored by the McClamrock family (Maryland).
  4. CALLUM BEVAN (2 points)
    Video Link: “The Banks of the Farrar” and “Pipe Sergeant John Barclay”
    Prizes: The Fred Morrison Collection and The Second Fred Morrison Collection, sponsored by Rick Woolard (Virginia) in memory of Ronald Morrison of South Uist.
  5. ANDREW D. PRIOLI (1 point)
    Video Link: “An T’Eilean Ard” and “Miss Ishabel T. MacDonald”
    Prizes: Gordon Duncan’s Tunes, Book I and Book II sponsored by Steve Porter (Maryland).

Dress and Deportment

Judged by Donald F. Lindsay (New York)

This prize is a special recognition for the effort and thought put into the presentation of performances, showing respect for the contest and love for the music.

  1. TREVOR DEMASS
    Prize: A $100 gift certificate for Walker Metalsmiths in Andover, New York sponsored by Jane and Jim Spicer (Maryland).

Congratulations!

Andrew Berthoff has donated a one-year pipes|drums subscription to each competitor.

Each competitor will receive the coveted Nicol-Brown lapel pin.

Nicol-Brown Lapel Pin

2021 Competitors

Invitations to the Nicol-Brown Competition this year are based on overall season rankings and competitive results in live and/or virtual solo contests sponsored by the piping and pipe band associations of North America; as well as results from other independent contests that show the highest standards of amateur piping. All invited pipers must have significant results at the highest amateur level in both Piobaireachd and Light Music.

  • JESSICA BAIN (Dartmouth, Nova Scotia)
    Significant prizes in Atlantic Canada, PPBSO, and EUSPBA contests in 2021. Grade 1 Piper of the Day (with Firsts in Piobaireachd and 6/8 Marches) in the Great Lakes Pipe Band Virtual Contest (EUSPBA) in August 2021. Fourth Place Overall in the 2020 Nicol-Brown Competition.
  • CALLUM BEVAN (Abbotsford, British Columbia)
    Eleven 1sts and one 2nd Place in 12 virtual events held by the BC Pipers’ Assoc. from November 2020 through August 2021. One of eight finalists in the 2021 MacGregor Memorial Piobaireachd Competition for pipers under the age of 22.
  • SEAN BUCHTA (Tampa, Florida)
    Second Place out of 73 Grade 1 competitors in the 2021 EUSPBA Season Standings for both Light Music and Piobaireachd, after competing in 29 sanctioned events through August 2021. First Place in the May 2021 MacMillan Pipe Band Virtual MSR contest (EUSPBA) with 20 competitors.
  • ZIPPA CURISKIS (Saint Paul, Minnesota)
    Significant prizes in EUSPBA and WUSPBA Grade 1 contests in 2021. First in Grade 1 Piobaireachd at the Redding, California Virtual Contest (WUSPBA) in March 2021, and First in Grade 1 Piobaireachd and 6/8 Marches at the Loch Norman, North Carolina Virtual Contest (EUSPBA) in May 2021.
  • TREVOR DEMASS (Murray, Utah)
    First in the 2021 WUSPBA combined aggregate standings for Grade 1 Light Music and Piobaireachd through August 2021. 2nd Overall in the 2020–2021 CLASP League Table, including Overall Grade 1 wins in the January 2021 and March 2021 competitions. 2nd Overall in the Summer 2021 World Online Solo Championships.
  • SCOTT LONG (Dartmouth, Nova Scotia)
    First overall in the 2020–2021 CLASP League Table with ten prizes over ten months in Grade 1 events including 31 international competitors.
  • STUART H. MARSHALL (Greensboro, North Carolina)
    2020 Nicol-Brown Overall Champion and Piobaireachd Champion. First in Grade 1 Piobaireachd at the June 2021 CLASP Virtual Highland Games with 28 competitors. Overall Grade 1 Winner and First in Grade 1 Piobaireachd at the August 2021 World Solo Amateur Piping Competition @Piping Live! with 23 competitors.
  • CHARLES-DAVID MITCHELL (Kingston, Ontario)
    First in PPBSO Champion Supreme standings for Senior Amateur Piobaireachd through August 2021, and 2nd overall in combined season standings for Light Music and Piobaireachd. First Place in Piobaireachd in the March 2021 Virtual CLASP event, hosted by the National Piping Centre in Glasgow.
  • HENRY MICHAEL PALUCH (Aurora, Ontario)
    The 2020 Nicol-Brown MSR Champion and 2020 Nicol-Brown 6/8 March Champion.
  • ANDREW D. PRIOLI (Cranston, Rhode Island)
    First out of 73 Grade 1 competitors in the 2021 EUSPBA Season Standings for both Light Music and Piobaireachd, after competing in 37 sanctioned events from February through August 2021. Placed 2nd in two events in the August 2021 World Solo Amateur Piping Competition @Piping Live! with 23 competitors.

THANK YOU!

The 2021 Nicol-Brown Contest and Master Classes will be made possible by the efforts of many volunteers, donors and sponsors who are generous in their support of amateur piping. We would love to add your name here:

2021 Dedications

  • Doreen Forney’s donation was given in memory of Pipe Major Angus Macdonald.
  • Rick Woolard’s donation was given in memory of Ronald Morrison of South Uist.

Please contact Paula Glendinning or speak to one of the other committee members if you would like to donate a prize for this year or a future year. We welcome cash donations if you would like to sponsor a scholarship or help with the expenses of the Nicol-Brown. We are happy to designate your gift with a dedication in honor or in memory of someone. Please let us know if you would like us to add a link or a dedication to your donation listing.

The 2021 Nicol-Brown Chalice Committee

  • Judy Campbell
  • Maureen Connor
  • Jim Feeney
  • Paula Glendinning
  • June Hanley
  • Donald F. Lindsay
  • Barbara McCarthy
  • Thompson McConnell
  • Sean Moran
  • Eric Ouellette
  • JoAnn Scott
  • Chris Shepherd
  • Jane Spicer

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