The Lewis and Harris Piping Society has announced details of its second recitalist in its winter recital programme. Callum Beaumont, the 2019 Bratach Gorm winner, gave a memorable first recital for the society on November 9.
Glenn Brown, the Canadian now domiciled in Glasgow and who who won the Piobaireachd competition at the Glenfiddich competition in October, will be playing in the Caladh Hotel in Stornoway on Saturday, January 18.
He will be taking workshops during the day, with a focus on helping the youngsters from Lewis and Harris Youth Pipe Band.
Brown has also received an invitation to the 2020 Pipe Major Donald MacLeod Memorial Competition will is unable to accept it as he is a groomsman at the wedding of Beaumont in Melbourne, Australia on the same day, April 3.
Dr John Smith, chairman of The Lewis and Harris Piping Society, said: “Our first recital with Callum was excellent and I was quite pleased with the turnout. We raised enough money to almost pay for the expense of the day, between admission fees and a very well supported raffle.
“Glenn Brown is in his mid-30s and has been playing since the age of nine. Piping is in his blood as he was taught by his mother, Gail Brown, who he still lists as one of his favourite pipers. Some of his prizes of note in piobaireachd are the Canadian Gold Medal, the Dunvegan Medal and the Northern Meeting Gold Medal and this year he won the Piobaireachd at the Glenfiddich competition in October.”
Dr Smith added: “We are inviting the current best pipers in Scotland to come and do these recitals and we are hoping to do the recitals along with workshops for aspiring pipers in the area.
A programme of recitals was a regular feature on The Lewis and Harris Piping Society’s calendar from the time it was formed in the 1970s until about a decade ago, with anything up to six recitals in each series. Then, recitals were held in the Royal Hotel and latterly the Royal British Legion Club but it had been “a bit beyond their means” to bring in star pipers in recent times, due to resources.
However, Dr Smith said a generous donation from a private individual had made it possible for the Society to organise a winter recital programme for 2019/2020 and they hoped to hold four recitals in the series.
Tickets for Glenn Brown’s recital are will be £10, with £8 concessions, and under 16s get in free. There will be two workshops during the day, from 10am till 1.00pm and 2.00pm till 5.00pm.
