Friday, October 6th, 2023 IMT, in partnership with Nicol-Brown Amateur Invitational Contest Presents their Judges' Recital

Saint Mark Presbyterian Church
10701 Old Georgetown Road, Rockville, MD

7.30pm w FREE ADMISSION (donations accepted for the benefit of the Nicol-Brown)

The 40th Nicol-Brown Amateur Invitational Contest will be held at St. Mark Presbyterian Church in Rockville, Maryland, co-sponsored for the first time with the Institute of Musical Traditions. The weekend will begin with a judges’ recital on Friday evening, October 6, a rare opportunity to listen to performances from three of the world’s premier pipers and authorities on pipe music. The contest and award ceremony will follow on Saturday, October 7.

The 2023 Nicol-Brown Judges
Dr. Jack Taylor (Aboyne, Scotland)
Nick Hudson (Houston, Texas)
Amy Garson (Ottawa, Ontario)

Jack Taylor

Jack Taylor was a student of Bob Brown and Bob Nicol, and is now one of the world’s leading authorities on Piobaireachd, and yet one of the kindest people on earth. He was taught piping in school in St Andrews, Scotland, by Bert Barron, before going to medical school in Aberdeen. He started Piobaireachd around age 14, and always says he is still learning. He won the Gold Medal in Inverness in 1973 and the Silver Chanter in 1984. Jack played with Buchan Pipe Band as part of their Grade 2 World’s winning team in 2010. He is past president of the Piobaireachd Society, and current secretary of a revived Aberdeen Piping Society. In 2017, Jack Taylor and Patrick Molard produced the collection, Pipers Meeting: New Tunes from the Campbell Canntaireachd, putting 45 tunes from Colin Campbell’s Manuscript (Nether Lorn Canntaireachd) into staff notation, most for the first time. Jack amused himself during lockdown by recording some of these tunes and posting them onto social media.

Nick Hudson

Nick Hudson teaches piping at St. Thomas’ Episcopal School in Houston and plays with the Grade 1 St. Thomas Alumni Pipe Band. Nick began playing in Maryland with the Rockville High School Pipe Band, and then the City of Washington Pipe Band. We're pleased to welcome him back for this homecoming concert. Nick holds a BFA in Music Performance from Carnegie Mellon University, where he studied under Jimmy McIntosh and Alasdair Gillies. Nick has won dozens of solo piping prizes, including the Gold Medal for Piobaireachd at the Northern Meeting in Inverness in 2022, one of the elite accomplishments in the piping world. After winning the Gold Medal, Nick was invited to compete in the prestigious Glenfiddich Piping Championship in Blair Atholl, Scotland.

Amy Garson

Formerly a highland dancer, Amy Garson has been a consistent prize winner in solo bagpipe competitions in North America and Scotland. She won the Silver Medal for Piobaireachd in Inverness, Scotland at her first appearance in 1981, and has qualified and placed several times in the Gold Medal Competitions at both Oban and Inverness. In 1988, she was the overall champion at the Colonial Highland Gathering in Fairhill, Maryland and received a coveted invitation to play at the prestigious Glenfiddich (formerly Grant’s) Championship. In 1989, Amy won the Piobaireachd Society Gold Medal (Canada). In the 1980s and 1990s she was very much a pioneer for women’s piping. Now retired after a career in law, Amy continues to pipe for pleasure, solo competition, and Highland Dancing contests in addition to judging piping events across North America.

Doors open half an hour before showtime, online ticketing ends at 2pm day-of show. After 2pm please purchase tickets at the door.

Previous events

As the Lily : Songs of Springtime w Ars Gratia Populi

Friday, March 22 @ 7:30PMFri, Mar 22 @ 7:30PM

Saint Mark Presbyterian Church, 10701 Old Georgetown Rd, Rockville, MD

All ticket sales are final. If you can not attend an event please contact us at office@imtfolk.org.