MacLeod Memorial dominated by McCallum

Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, Scotland – April 2, 2004 – The first prizes at the annual Donald MacLeod Memorial Invitational Solo Piping Competition were dominated by Willie McCallum of Bearsden, Scotland, against a field of some of the world’s most successful competition pipers.

McCallum had only six days before been 6,000 miles away in San Francisco winning another invitational competition. Each event called for a completely differently selection of tunes.

The unique competition showcases tunes, both light music and piobaireachd, written by MacLeod, probably the greatest and most prodigious composer of pipe music of the 20th century.

Piobaireachd
1st Willie McCallum, “MacMurich’s Salute”
2nd Alasdair Gillies, Pittsburgh, “Cabar Feidh Gu Brath”
3rd Gordon Walker, Kilmarnock, Scotland, “The Sound of the Sea”
4th Angus MacColl, Oban, Scotland, “Queen Elizabeth II’s Salute”

March, Strathspey & Reel
1st Willie McCallum, “Stirlingshire Militia,” “Mrs. Duncan MacFadyen,” “Duncan Lamont,” “Ewe wi’ the Crookit Horn,” “Fiona MacLeod,” “The Man From Glengarry”
2nd Chris Armstrong, Bathgate, Scotland
3rd Alasdair Gillies
4th Angus MacColl

Hornpipe & Jig
1st Gordon Walker, “The Stornoway Hornpipe,” “Rakes of Kildare”
2nd Alasdair Gillies
3rd Chris Armstrong
4th Angus MacColl

Others competing but not in prizes were Robert Watt, Northern Ireland; Robert Wallace, Glasgow; and Iain Speirs, Edinburgh.

All events were judged by John Burgess, John Wilson, and Ronald Lawrie.

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