George Sherriff Amateur Invitational Results

The results for the 2021 George Sherriff Memorial Invitational were announced on Saturday, November 20, in a livestream broadcast. The winners’ names were interspersed with video recordings of the first place performances.

The contest was organized virtually this year.  It was the 25^th anniversary for the competition which saw the top 10 amateur pipers from Canada and the United States perform in three separate events. 

By Bob Worrall

The overall champion was Mark McClennan from Guelph, Ontario, with two firsts in 6/8 and MSR.

Mark receives an engraved set of MacRae pipes donated by McCallum Bagpipes, the unique perpetual championship trophy donated by George Sherriff’s family, and which contains George’s own brass practice chanter, a pipe bag of his choice donated by Jack Lee, the George Sherriff winners’ banner to retain for one year, and $1000 for an overseas flight to in Scotland. Results were as follows:

Piobaireachd
1^st Caleb Thibodeau, The Big Spree. Caleb wins a Piobaireachd Society Kilt Pin.
2^nd Andrew Prioli, The King’s Taxes 
3^rd Stuart Marshall, MacLeods’ Salute
4^th Zippa Curiskis, Lament for the Viscount of Dundee 
5^th Callum Bevan, The Groat 

MSR
1^st Mark McClennan, David Ross od Rosehall, Cabar Feidh, Alick Cameron – Champion Piper 
2^nd Callum Bevan, The Taking of Beaumont Hamel, Maggie Cameron, Colonel MacLeod
3^rd Stuart Marshall, Mrs MacDonald – Glenuig, Dora MacLeod, Sandy Cameron 
4^th Andrew Prioli, P/M John Stewart, Tulloch Castle, Bessie MacIntyre 
5^th Jessica Bain, Captain Campbell of Drum a Voisk, John Roy Stewart, Peter MacFarquhar

6/8  results:
1^st Mark McClennan, Kenneth J. MacLeod, Mrs Melody Piper 
2^nd Callum Bevan, Cameron MacFadyen, Tug Argan Gap
3^rd Stuart Marshall, Braemar Gathering, Jean Mauchline
4^th Trevor DeMass, Trees of North Uist, P/M Donald MacLean of Lewis 
5^th Sean Buchta, Leaving Port Askaig, Mrs MacDonald of Uig 

Judges: C Armstrong, R Parkes (6/8 Marches & MSR), B Gandy and J Wilson (Piobaireachd).

The overall results were extremely close, with piobaireachd preference breaking the tie for 2^nd and 3^rd places:

1^st place and the 2021 George Sherriff Memorial Invitational Champion: Mark McClennan
2^nd Stuart Marshall
3^rd Callum Bevan
4^th Andrew Prioli
5^th Caleb Thibodeau

The players this year were: Jessica Bain – Halifax, Nova Scotia, Callum Bevan – Abbotsford, British Columbia, Sean Buchta – Dunedin, Florida, Zippa Curiskis – St. Paul, Minnesota, Trevor DeMass – Salt Lake City, Utah, Stuart Marshall – Greensboro, North Carolina, Mark McClennan – Guelph, Ontario, Charles-David Mitchell – Kingston, Ontario, Andrew Prioli – Cranston, Rhode Island, Caleb Thibodeau – Toronto, Ontario

Plans are to return to an in person contest St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church in Hamilton, Ontario, on the third Saturday in November, 2022.