The National Piping Centre has passed the stewardship of the prestigious Silver Chanter competition over to the Piobaireachd Society, with the next event to be held in 2024.
The Isle of Skye Piping Society were the organisers of the competition for 51 years, with the drawing room of Dunvegan Castle on the Isle of Skye being the setting for the black-tie event since 1967. Due to rising costs the Society passed the competition to the hands of The National Piping Centre in 2018, and then Principal, Roddy MacLeod said: “Through the generosity of the William Grant Foundation and with the support of The Isle of Skye Piping Society we aim to preserve the traditions of the event which celebrates the music of the MacCrimmon composers.”
In 2018, the event was held in early August at The National Piping Centre and from 2019 was brought into the Piping Live! festival’s portfolio of events.
Director of Piping at the NPC, Finlay MacDonald said: “The National Piping Centre have had the privilege to look after this prestigious competition for five years and help keep alive one of the jewels in the solo competition calendar. We are delighted to hand the competition to the safekeeping of the Piobaireachd Society and we wish them and the Silver Chanter competition every success in the future.”
Robert Wallace, President of the Piobaireachd Society, said on PipingPress: “The National Piping Centre ran the Silver Chanter successfully over the past five years.
“Now that their time has come to an end, our members and our General Committee were of the view that we should do whatever we could to ensure the survival of the recital/competition, and that it should be held, if viable, on the isle of Skye.
“We believe that the sustainable model we have established will give stability to what has been, since 1968, an important fixture in the piping calendar.
“The original aim of the Silver Chanter was to encourage piobaireachd on Skye and I believe the Society’s decision will continue this.”
The 2024 competition will be held at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig college, and will be sponsored by Mossburn Distillers/Torabhaig Distillery and the Piobaireachd Society.