North America’s 35th Nicol-Brown Amateur Invitational Piping Competition

One of North America’s leading amateur competitions, the 35th Nicol-Brown Amateur Invitational Piping Competition, was held on Saturday, October 7, 2017 in the First Reformed Church of Scotia, Scotia, NY.

Judges: Ian K. MacDonald, Whitby, Ontario, Andrew Lee, Surrey, British Columbia and Ben McClamrock, Baltimore, Maryland. Master of Ceremonies: Donald F. Lindsay and Daniel Cole.

Overall Nicol-Brown Championship

1. ALISTAIR BEVAN (21 points)
Prizes: air fare to compete in London in November 2018, sponsored by the New Hampshire Highland Games & Festival; an McC2 pipe chanter with a custom-designed sole, donated by McCallum Bagpipes, and pipe bag donated by Lee & Sons Bagpipes.
2. LAUREANO THOMAS-SANCHEZ (18 points)
3. CHARLIE MORRIS (8 points, Piobaireachd Preference)
4. TORI KILLORAN (8 points)

Ben McClamrock (judge), Andrew Lee (judge), Laureano Thomas-Sanchez winner of the piobaireachd), Alistair Bevan winner of the MSR and 6/8 Marches and Ian K. MacDonald (judge). Picture courtesy Ursa Beckford

Robert Nicol-Robert Brown Chalice for Piobaireachd
1. LAUREANO THOMAS-SANCHEZ (Lament for the Earl of Antrim) 2. ALISTAIR BEVAN (The Groat)
3. BEN MONTROSS (Lament for Captain MacDougall)
4. CHARLIE MORRIS  (Lament for MacSwan of Roaig)
5. GAVIN MACKAY  (Lament for the Viscount of Dundee)

William Ross Challenge Targe MSR Competition
1. ALISTAIR BEVAN (Donald MacLellan of Rothesay, Dorrator Bridge and Peter MacFarquhar)
2. TORI KILLORAN (Pap of Glencoe, Cabar Feidh and Alick C. MacGregor)
3. LAUREANO THOMAS-SANCHEZ (John MacColl’s March to Kilbowie Cottage, Cameronian Rant and the Smith of Chilliechassie)
4. CHRISTIAN RHOADS (Mrs Duncan MacFadyen, Fiddler’s Joy and Major Manson)
5. CHARLIE MORRIS (Verna Leith’s Wedding March, Susan MacLeod and Mrs MacPherson of Inveran)


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Donald MacLeod Memorial 6/8 March Competition
1. ALISTAIR BEVAN (Cameron MacFadyen/ Mrs Lily Christie)
2. LAUREANO THOMAS-SANCHEZ (George Sherriff/ PM Scott Ruscoe)
3. CHRISTIAN RHOADS (P/M Donald MacLean of Lewis/ Captain C. R. Lumsden)
4. TORI KILLORAN (P/M Sam Scott/ Trees of North Uist)
5. MARK McCLENNAN  (Bonawe Highlanders/ Dundee City Police)

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 and bringing dignity to the music.
1. BEN MONTROSS
Prize: A $100 gift certificate for The Piper’s Hut sponsored by the Spicer family.

2017 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 & Festival, provided that piper competed in the Piobaireachd event that day. Nicol-Brown competitors pay their own way to the contest in Albany, or are helped with their travel expenses by their own sponsors and patrons.

ALISTAIR BEVAN (Abbotsford, British Columbia)
Winner of the 2017 BC Pipers’ Association Grade 1 Grand Aggregate; 1st Place in the Grade 1 MSR at the 2017 BC Pipers’ Annual Gathering; Grade 1 Aggregate Winner at the Kamloops Highland Games, Portland Highland Games, and Pacific Northwest Highland Games; Junior Aggregate Winner at the Glenisla Highland Games, Scotland.

TORI KILLORAN (Pitt Meadows, British Columbia)
2nd Place in the 2017 BC Pipers’ Association Grade 1 Grand Aggregate; 1st Place in Piobaireachd and the Grade 1 Aggregate at the 2017 BCPA Annual Gathering; Grade 1 Aggregate Winner at the BC Highland Games.

GAVIN MACKAY (Kitchener, Ontario)
1st Place in the PPBSO Champion Supreme standings for both Grade 1 Light Music and Senior Amateur Piobaireachd for 2017; Amateur Piper of the Day at the 2017 PPBSO contests at Georgetown, Cobourg, Embro, Kincardine, Cambridge, and Maxville.

ALASDAIR MARTIN (Charlotte, North Carolina)
2nd Place out of 106 Grade 1 pipers in the EUSPBA Overall Season Standings as of September 5, 2017; Grade 1 Piper of the Day at the 2017 Charleston, South Carolina Scottish Games.


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MARK McCLENNAN (Guelph, Ontario)
2nd Place in combined PPBSO Champion Supreme standings for Grade 1 Light Music and Senior Amateur Piobaireachd for 2017; Amateur Piper of the Day at the Toronto Indoor and the Almonte Highland Games; 1st in Piobaireachd and 2nd overall at the November 2016 Balmoral Classic US Junior (Under-21) Solo Piping Championship.

BEN MONTROSS (Waterbury, Vermont)
1st Place out of 106 Grade 1 pipers in the EUSPBA Season Standings for both Light Music and Piobaireachd as of September 5, 2017; Amateur Piobaireachd Champion and Overall Amateur Champion at the 2017 US Piping Foundation contest; Grade 1 Piper of the Day at the 2017 Round Hill (Connecticut), Grandfather Mountain (North Carolina), Glasgow Lands (Massachusetts), and Capital District (New York) Games.

CHARLIE MORRIS (Agoura Hills, California)
1st Place in the combined 2017 WUSPBA Grade 1 Aggregate standings for Piobaireachd and Light Music as of September 5, 2017; 2nd in Piobaireachd at the 2017 National Piping Centre Junior Competition; Grade 1 Piper of the Day at the 2017 Las Vegas, Costa Mesa, and San Diego Games.

BRANNAGH O’ DONNELL (Assonet, Massachusetts)
3rd Place out of 106 Grade 1 pipers in the EUSPBA Overall Season Standings as of September 5, 2017; four prizes at Maxville in 2017; Grade 1 Piper of the Day at the 2017 Maine Highland Games and Quechee Scottish Festival.

CHRISTIAN RHOADS (St. Louis, Missouri)
2nd Place in 2017 MWPBA combined Grade 1 Champion Supreme Standings for Light Music and Piobaireachd as of September 5, 2017; 2nd Place Overall at the 2016 Nicol-Brown.

LAUREANO THOMAS-SANCHEZ (Cleveland, Ohio)
Grade 1 Piper of the Day at the 2017 New Hampshire Highland Games & Festival; 2017 Grade 1 Piper of the Day at Pleasanton, California; 1st in Grade 1 Piobaireachd and 2nd in MSR at the 2017 Colonial Highland Gathering in Fair Hill, Maryland.

Invited but unable to attend: GRIFFIN HALL (Overland Park, Kansas) 1st Place in MWPBA Grade 1 Champion Supreme Standings for Light Music, and 1st Place for combined Light Music and Piobaireachd, as of September 5, 2017.

The 2017 Nicol-Brown Chalice Committee: Judy Campbell, Daniel Cole, Maureen Connor, Paula Glendinning, Donald F. Lindsay, Barbara McCarthy, Eric Ouellette, JoAnn Scott, Heather Scott-Wisehart, Mary Robinson White, Kevin Wisehart.


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