Nicol - Brown Amateur Invitational
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The 2019 Nicol-Brown competitors, judge, and MCs

The 37th Nicol-Brown Amateur Invitational
Piping Competition

Saturday, October 12, 2019
First Reformed Church of Scotia
224 N. Ballston Avenue (Route 50)
Scotia, NY 12302

 

Bring all the piping fans you know!

Admission is free at the Nicol-Brown Contest on October 12, and at the Master Class on October 13, thanks to the EUSPBA and other generous sponsors and volunteers.

Your donations are always welcome!

 

View a pdf of the 2019 program.

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

 

Judges:

Callum Beaumont, from Dollar, Scotland;
Faye Henderson, from Edinburgh, Scotland;
and Matt MacIsaac, from Stayner, Ontario.

Masters of Ceremonies:

Jim Dillahey (6/8s),
Donald F. Lindsay (Piobaireachd),
and Jim Feeney (MSR)

Stewards:

Chris Shepherd, JoAnn Scott, Sean Moran, June Hanley,
Paula Glendinning, and Thompson McConnell

The 2019 Prize McCallum Chanter

Overall Nicol-Brown Championship

  1. BLAISE THERIAULT (16 points, Piobaireachd Preference)
    Prizes: Travel expenses up to $1000, donated by the NHSCOT Fund, to be used to compete in London in November 2020, or at another major solo contest in 2020 approved by the Nicol-Brown committee; plus a blackwood McCallum pipe chanter with a custom-designed sole, donated by McCallum Bagpipes.
  2. TYLER DESTREMPS (16 points)
    Prize: A set of Kitchen Pipes donated by Scott’s Highland Services in London, Ontario.
  3. COLIN JOHNSTONE (14 points)
    Prize: A $200 piping scholarship, sponsored by Doreen Forney in memory of P/M Angus Macdonald.
  4. ALISTAIR BEVAN (10 points)
    Prize: A $150 piping scholarship, sponsored by Doreen Forney in memory of P/M Angus Macdonald.

 

The Nicol-Brown Chalice

Robert Nicol-Robert Brown Chalice for Piobaireachd

  1. (9 points) BLAISE THERIAULT
    (“The Massacre of Glencoe”)
    Prize: A bound Piobaireachd Society Collection, Volumes 1-16, donated by Jon Maffett from The Piper’s Hut in Pickerington, Ohio.
  2. (7 points) COLIN JOHNSTONE
    (“Lord Lovat’s Lament”)
    Prize: A Bagpipe Explorer Backpack, donated by Henderson’s Ltd. in Traverse City, Michigan.
  3. (6 points) TYLER DESTREMPS
    (“Lament for Captain MacDougall”)
    Prizes: A copy of The History & Stucture of Ceol Mor by Alexander J. Haddow, and A $75 gift certificate for The Piper’s Hut, both prizes sponsored by Doreen Forney.
  4. (5 points) KEVIN DARMADI
    (“The Groat”)
    Prize: A copy of Donald MacDonald’s Collection of Piobaireachd, Volume 1 (1820) sponsored by Filemon Tan.
  5. (4 points) ALISTAIR BEVAN
    (“Nameless” Hiharin Dro O Dro)
    Prize: A copy of Binneas is Boreraig, sponsored by Micah Babinski.

 

The Wm Ross Challenge Targe

William Ross Challenge Targe MSR Competition

  1. (8 points) JOSEPH HORWATH
    (“John MacColl’s March to Kilbowie Cottage,” “Catlodge,” and “Tom Kettles”)
    Prize: A McCallum long blackwood practice chanter with engraved sole, bowl, and presentation ferrule donated by The Piper’s Dojo.
  2. (6 points) TYLER DESTREMPS
    (“74th’s Farewell to Edinburgh,” “Fiddler’s Joy,” and “Arnish Light”)
    Prize: A McCallum long blackwood practice chanter sponsored by Charles McKee.
  3. (5 points) BLAISE THERIAULT
    (“Invergordon’s Welcome to H.M. Queen Elizabeth II,” “The Bob of Fettercairn,” and “Lachlan MacPhail of Tiree”)
    Prizes: Scots Guards Standard Settings of Pipe Music, Vol. 1, donated by Duncan’s Highland Supply; and The Bagpipe Music of John MacColl 1860–1943, sponsored by Jane and Jim Spicer.
  4. (4 points) COLIN JOHNSTONE
    (“Angus MacColl of Benderloch,” “The Ewe with the Crooked Horn,” and “The Cockerel in the Creel”)
    Prize: Scots Guards Standard Settings of Pipe Music, Vol. 2, donated by Duncan’s Highland Supply in Royal Oak, Michigan.
  5. (3 points) CHARLIE MORRIS
    (“Craig-N-Darroch,” “Susan MacLeod,” and “Mrs. MacPherson of Inveran”)
    Prize: Scots Guards Standard Settings of Pipe Music, Vol. 3, donated by Duncan’s Highland Supply in Royal Oak, Michigan.

 

The Donald MacLeod Silver Buckle

Donald MacLeod Memorial 6/8 March Competition

  1. (6 points) ALISTAIR BEVAN
    (“Major John MacLennan” and “Cameron MacFadyen”)
    Prize: The Donald MacLeod Memorial Silver Buckle created and donated by Stephen Walker of Walker Metalsmiths.
  2. (4 points) TYLER DESTREMPS
    (“Cameron MacFadyen” and “Jean Mauchline”)
    Prize: A $100 gift card for The Piper’s Dojo sponsored by Betsy and Bruce Douglas.
  3. (3 points) COLIN JOHNSTONE
    (“Ellenorr” and “Mrs. MacDonald of Uig”)
    Prizes: A copy of The Outlands Collection and The Fred Morrison Collection, sponsored by Rick Woolard in memory of Ronald Morrison of South Uist.
  4. (2 points) BLAISE THERIAULT
    (“Jimmy Anderson’s Welcome to Arran” and “The MacNeils of Ugadale”)
    Prize: A copy of Gordon Duncan’s Tunes, Book II, sponsored by Steve Porter.
  5. (1 point) KEVIN DARMADI
    (“Jean Mauchline” and “Kenneth J. MacLeod”)
    Prize: A copy of The Bagpipe Music of John McLellan 1875–1949, sponsored by Brian P. Turner.

Dress and Deportment

(Judged by Donald F. Lindsay)

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

 

  1. LIAM MACDONALD
    Prize: A $100 gift certificate for Walker Metalsmiths sponsored by Jane and Jim Spicer.
  2. Honorable Mention: ALISTAIR BEVAN and KEVIN DARMADI

Congratulations!

Each competitor this year will receive a framed group photo, sponsored by Barb McCarthy, and the coveted Nicol-Brown lapel pin, sponsored by Steve Porter. Each first-time competitor will receive a Nicol-Brown piping towel.

In addition, pipes|drums Magazine has donated a one-year subscription to each 2019 Nicol-Brown competitor.

Nicol-Brown Lapel Pin

2019 Competitors

Invitations to the Nicol-Brown Competition each year are based on overall rankings and competitive results in the pipers’ home associations, as well as in national and international contests that show the highest standards of amateur piping for Piobaireachd and Light Music. An invitation is held each year for the Grade 1 Piper of the Day at The New Hampshire Highland Games, provided that piper competed in the Piobaireachd event that day.

Competitors and their families pay their own way for the Nicol-Brown Contest weekend, or are helped with their travel expenses by their own sponsors and patrons.

  • ALISTAIR BEVAN (Abbotsford, British Columbia)
    Winner of the 2017, 2018, and 2019 BC Pipers’ Association Grade 1 Grand Aggregate; 4th Place in Under-18 MSR at the 2019 Northern Meeting in Inverness (Scotland); 6/8 March Champion at the 2018 Nicol-Brown; Overall Champion at the 2017 Nicol-Brown and the 2017 George Sherriff.
  • ADAM BLAINE (Cupertino, California)
    Grade 1 Piper of the Day at the 2019 New Hampshire Highland Games on September 21; 2nd overall in the 2019 Grade 1 WUSPBA season standings for Piobaireachd and Light Music combined.
  • KEVIN DARMADI (Houston, Texas)
    Amateur Piobaireachd Champion and Overall Amateur Champion at the 2019 US Piping Foundation contest (Delaware); Grade 1 Piper of the Day at the 2019 Colonial Highland Gathering (Maryland) and Grandfather Mountain Highland Games (North Carolina).
  • TYLER DESTREMPS (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania)
    1st Place out of 65 Grade 1 pipers as of September 1, 2019 in the EUSPBA Season Standings for Light Music and Piobaireachd combined; Amateur MSR Champion at the 2019 US Piping Foundation contest (Delaware); Grade 1 Piper of the Day at the Hudson Valley (New York) Celtic Festival, the Glasgowlands (Massachusetts) Scottish Festival, and the Capital District (New York) Highland Games.
  • JOSEPH HORWATH (Saginaw, Michigan)
    1st Place in 2019 MWPBA combined Grade 1 Champion Supreme Standings for Light Music and Piobaireachd as of September 1, 2019.
  • COLIN JOHNSTONE (Aurora, Ontario)
    Champion Supreme in Grade 1 Light Music, and 1st Place in the combined PPBSO Champion Supreme standings for Grade 1 Light Music and Senior Amateur Piobaireachd for 2019.
  • LIAM MACDONALD (Wellesley, Ontario)
    Champion Supreme in Senior Amateur Piobaireachd, and 2nd Place in the combined PPBSO Champion Supreme standings for Grade 1 Light Music and Senior Amateur Piobaireachd for 2019.
  • STUART MARSHALL (Greensboro, North Carolina)
    2nd Place out of 65 Grade 1 pipers in the EUSPBA Overall Season Standings as of September 1, 2019; Piper of the Day at the Cary (North Carolina) Indoor, the Virginia Scottish Games, and the Middle Tennessee Highland Games.
  • CHARLIE MORRIS (Agoura Hills, California)
    1st Place in the 2019 WUSPBA Grade 1 Aggregate standings for Piobaireachd and Light Music combined as of September 1, 2019; Winner of the 2019 Clasp Grade 1 Contest in Glasgow.
  • BLAISE THERIAULT (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
    1st Place in the combined Champion Supreme standings in Atlantic Canada for Grade 1 Light Music and Piobaireachd in 2019.

INVITED BUT UNABLE TO ATTEND:

THANK YOU!

The 2019 Nicol-Brown Contest and Master Class will be made possible by the efforts of many volunteers, donors and sponsors who are generous in their support of amateur piping. We'd love to add your name here:

2019 Dedications

  • Doreen Forney’s donation was given in memory of P/M Angus Macdonald.
  • Stephen Pack’s donation is dedicated to his late mother, Beverly Pack, who was always, and remains, such a great source of inspiration and support for his bagpipe efforts and life pursuits. “Love you, Mom!”
  • Filemon Tan’s donation was given in honor of the piping and drumming teachers at St. Thomas Episcopal School in Houston, Texas.
  • 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 2019 Nicol-Brown Chalice Committee

  • Ursa Beckford
  • Judy Campbell
  • Daniel Cole
  • Maureen Connor
  • Jim Feeney
  • Paula Glendinning
  • June Hanley
  • Donald F. Lindsay
  • Barbara McCarthy
  • Thompson McConnell
  • Sean Moran
  • Eric Ouellette
  • JoAnn Scott
  • Heather Scott-Wisehart
  • Chris Shepherd

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