Hilder wins overall at 32nd annual Nicol-Brown Amateur Invitational

Albany, New York – October 11, 2014 – Liam Hilder of Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, was the overall winner of the Nicol-Brown Amateur Invitational Solo Piping Competition held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. It was the 32nd annual Nicol Brown event, which pits 10 of North America’s most successful amateur solo pipers from the previous competition year. Hilder was awarded funds to get to the Scottish Piping Society of London’s competitions in November 2015 and a McCallum Bagpipes McC2 pipe chanter with a custom-designed sole. Andrew Hayes and Michael Rogers judged all three events.

The nonprofit pipes|drums Magazine donated monetary funds to the event, and pipes|drums advertisers Lee & Sons Bagpipes and Reelpipes.com also contributed prizes.

Piobaireachd (Robert Nicol-Robert Brown Chalice)
1st James Dyson, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, “MacCrimmon’s Sweetheart”
2nd Kevin McLean, Maple Ridge, British Columbia, “The Red Speckled Bull”
3rd Sean Regan, Woodstock, Virginia, “Lament for Patrick Og MacCrimmon”
4th Liam Hilder, “Hector MacLean’s Warning”
5th Tyler Harris, Wheatley, Ontario, “Too Long in this Condition”

MSR (William Ross Challenge Targe)
1st Liam Hilder, “Abercairney Highlanders,” “Delvinside,” “The Sheepwife”
2nd Jack Williamson, Topeka, Kansas, “Brigadier General Ronald Cheape of Tiroran,” “John Roy Stewart,” “Ca’ the Ewes”
3rd Tyler Harris, “The Taking of Beaumont Hamel,” “The Islay Ball,” “Bessie McIntyre”
4th Kevin McLean, “John MacDonald of Glencoe,” “Ewe wi’ the Crookit Horn,” “Loch Carron”
5th Andrew Hahn, Valley Center, California, “The Clan MacColl,” “Piper’s Bonnet,” “John Morrison, Assynt House”

6/8 Marches (Donald MacLeod Memorial)
1st Tyler Bridge, “The Bonawe Highlanders,” “Dundee City Police Pipe Band”
2nd James Dyson, “The Dornoch Highland Gathering,” “All the Blue Bonnets are Over the Border”
3rd Kaitlin Kimove, Stoney Creek, Ontario, “MacLeod of Mull,” “John Gordon of Drummuie”
4th Liam Hilder, “Fairview Cottage,” “The Trees of North Uist”
5th Kevin McLean, “The Braemar Gathering,” “Mrs. Lily Christie”

Also competing was Maeghan Bielski, Middleboro, Massachusetts.