The 41st William Livingstone, Senior, Memorial Invitational was held last Saturday (11th), in the historic James Street Armouries, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, in the Officers’ Mess of the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders of Canada. Andrew Carlisle of Pittsburgh won both the ceòl mòr and ceòl beag events.
‘The Livingstone’ contest is one of the most challenging solo contests: players are required to prevail in both disciplines in order to take the overall championship. Entry is by invitation.
Ken Eller acted as fear an tighe.The event was streamed live on Facebook.
The light music featured each piper’s own choice of march, strathspey, reel, hornpipe and jig. It was William Livingstone Snr. who first promoted this format after having taken in the format at an Eagle Pipers’ Society contest in Edinburgh in the 1970.
Results:
Ceòl Mòr (four tunes submitted) – 1. Andrew Carlisle, Pittsburgh, PA (The End of the Great Bridge); 2. Nick Hudson, Houston, TX (Lament for the Laird of Anapool); 3. Sean McKeown, Whitby, ON (The Old Men of the Shells, No. 1).
MSRH&J (piper’s own choice) – 1. Andrew Carlisle (P.M. George Ross’s Farewell to The Black Watch, Inveraray Castle, The Rejected Suitor, Jim Tweedie’s Sea Legs, Butterfingers); 2. Matt MacIsaac, Stayner, ON (Hugh Alexander Lowe of Tiree, Cabar Feidh, Broadford Bay, The Golden Wreath, Donald MacLean); 3. Ian K. MacDonald, Whitby, ON (The Ross-shire Volunteers, The Piper’s Bonnet, John Morrison of Assynt House, Colin Mackay, Alex MacDonald).
Also competing but not in the prizes: Andrea Boyd, Toronto; Glenn Brown, Glasgow; Bruce Gandy, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia; Callum Harper, Bolton, Ontario; Ben McClamrock, Washington, DC and Derek Midgley, New Jersey.
Judges: John Cairns (London, ON), Michael Grey (Dundas, ON), Bill Livingstone (Whitby, ON).
