The National Piping Centre, Glasgow, Scotland – August 13, 2020 – Callum Beaumont of Dollar, Scotland, won the annual invitational Pipe Major Alasdair Gillies Memorial Recital Challenge.
This was Callum’s second win of this popular event, having won it last year.
Held behind closed doors as part of this year’s online Piping Live! events, Callum won against fellow contestants Roddy MacLeod MBE, Stuart Liddell, Angus MacColl, and Connor Sinclair. The event was broadcast live online on a pay-per-view basis. Competitors play a 25 minute recital of their own devising but it must include a competition MSR and the ground of a piobaireachd. The rest of their recital is completely at their discretion. Judging came from a secret panel of international judges.
Callum’s recital included some jigs to begin with, a slow air – a classic Vale of Atholl tune called Balandran – John MacLellan’s evergreen Lochanside, and the ground of Cabar Feidh Gu Brath.
The event started in 2001 and was called the Lord Todd Bar Recital-Challenge, held in the pub of that name inside the University of Strathclyde. The event is credited with inspiring the Piping Live! festival and is now held to commemorate late Alasdair Gillies.
The competition has been sponsored by McCallum Bagpipes since its inception.
