The Nicol-Brown Amateur Invitational Contest is the latest solo piping competition that will adopt video submissions and remote judging for 2020 in order for it to take place.
Organiser, Paula Glendinning said: “We are delighted to announce that Jack Taylor and Patrick Molard will judge the Piobaireachd event, and Matt MacIsaac and Sarah Muir will judge the MSR and 6/8 events. The Nicol-Brown weekend will tentatively include an online judges’ recital and a Master Class with this exceptional panel. We will have more announcements with details in the coming months.”
Ten amateur Grade 1 competitors will be selected for invitations, based on the prize lists from the 2019 Nicol-Brown and George Sherriff Invitational contests; the results of major events held in person at the beginning of this year, including Winter Storm and the Metro Cup; as well as the results of upcoming video contests such as the US Piping Foundation Championships and events sponsored by the EUSPBA and other associations.”
The announcement of the prize lists will take place on the original contest date of October 10, 2020.
The Nicol-Brown has been held annually since 1982. It is held in memory of Robert Brown and Robert Nicol (the ‘Bobs of Balmoral’), the famous piobaireachd players and pupils of the legendary piper, John MacDonald of Inverness.
For the last decade the competition been held in the town of Scotia near Albany in New York state but was to have been held in Philadelphia this year.
“We are always looking for prizes that will be meaningful rewards for our talented competitors,” said Glendinning. “Cash is always welcome, to help with scholarships and other prizes. The Nicol-Brown is a 501c3 organization, so many donations are tax-deductible. (Ask your accountant.)
Anyone who’d like to run an ad in the 2020 Nicol-Brown program should contact me. If you’ve been an advertiser before, please let us know if you have any questions, and if you’ll be willing to repeat your ads.
“If you’d like to sponsor or donate a prize for our prizelist, please contact me by email.
“Cash donations may be sent online using our Paypal button:
www.nicol-brown.org/donations.html “
