Young amateurs rise up at BC Professional Knockout

The first round the British Columbia Pipers Association’s Professional Knockout was a testament to the success of teaching programs in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia, with two specially invited amateur pipers qualified against a strong field of professional pipers for the next round.

Joe Stewart of Seattle and Scott Wood of Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, showed that they already can hold their own in the top solo grade by going through to the next round. Alexander Schiele of Snohomish, Washington, was also invited, but elected to attend the Balmoral Classic US Junior Solo Piping Championship in Pittsburgh, which he won on Saturday.

The six who advance to the next round:  

• Andrew Bonar

• Alastair Lee

• Colin Lee

• Will Nichols

• Joseph Stewart

• Scott Wood

Also playing were Richard Brown, Gordon Conn, John Lee, Andrew Lee and Myles Stewart.

Schiele, Stewart and Wood will all be competing at the 2011 George Sherriff Memorial Amateur Invitation Solo Piping Championship in Hamilton, Ontario, on November 19th.

The first round was judged by David Hilder and Hal Senyk, with the third “judge” being the audience that submitted paper ballots. The event was emceed by Robert Mathieson.

Alastair Lee was the winner of the 2010 BCPA Professional Knockout.