Callum Beaumont from Bo’ness in Scotland won the Masters Solo Piping Competition held throughout today in the National Piping Centre as part of the 2021 Piping Live! festival.
Beaumont was the overall winner with a first in the Ceòl Mòr and when the results were calculated this was enough to give him the overall win due to a ceòl mòr preference. Craig Sutherland of Crieff, Scotland won the MSR.
Beaumont’s win means he will receive an invite to compete at this year’s Glenfiddich Solo Piping Championships on October 30 at Blair Castle.
The Masters is the second major event of the festival, the first being the Silver Chanter which was held on Saturday night and which was won by Angus MacColl from Argyll, Scotland. The William Grant Foundation sponsors both events.
Today’s competition began at 09:30 GMT this morning with the ceòl mòr contest. Alasdair Henderson of Dunoon drew first and took to the stage to play Scarce of Fishing. Callum Beaumont was the final player. He exited the stage just after 21:00.
Results:
Ceòl Mòr – 1. Callum Beaumont (Lament for the Earl of Antrim); 2. Iain Speirs (Scarce of Fishing); 3. Glenn Brown (Farewell to the Queen’s Ferry); 4. Angus MacColl (The Phantom Piper of the Corrieyairack).
Judges: Patricia Henderson and Colin MacLellan.
15 competed.
MSR – 1. Craig Sutherland (Dugald MacColl’s Farewell to France, Lady Louden, Loch Carron); 2. Stuart Liddell (Bonnie Ann, John Roy Stewart, John Morrison of Assynt House); 3. Finlay Johnston (John MacColl’s March to Kilbowie Cottage, Cabar Feidh, The Smith of Chilliechassie); 4. Angus MacColl (David Ross of Rosehall, The Ewe wi’ the Crookit Horn, Alick C. MacGregor),
Judges: John Wilson and Captain Stuart Samson MBE.
17 competed.
James Beaton, who retired recently from the NPC as its Librarian and co-ordinator of the Higher National Certificate Music in Piping course, acted as fear an tighe. R. G. Hardie & Co. sponsored the livestream of the competition.
Piping Live! continues tomorrow with nine events:
- Recording your Music – hosted by John Mulhearn and Andrea Gobbi (Learn @ Live)
- Composition and Arrangement – hosted by Finlay MacDonald and Steven Blake (Learn @ Live)
- Lunchtime Recital Series – James Duncan MacKenzie
- Emerging Talent: Alastair MacLean
- Piobaireachd of the Day – Stuart Samson (Old Men of the Shells)
- International Artist: Mick O’Brien, Emer Mayock and Aoiffe Ní Bhriain
- Karafolkie at Piping Live! – Jenn Butterworth, Finlay MacDonald and Marie Fielding
- Book Launch – Michael Grey’s Notes on a Life around Bagpipes
- The Pipe Major Alasdair Gillies Memorial Piping Challenge