The following announcement had been made on the National Piping Centre website:
‘The Skye Piping Society and The National Piping Centre are pleased to announce that from this year, the Silver Chanter Competition will continue in Glasgow.
Cailean Maclean, Chairman of The Isle of Skye Piping Society said “While the Skye Piping Society is disappointed that due to rising costs and diminishing income we have had to sever our connection with the Silver Chanter Competition, we are delighted that through the support of the William Grant Foundation and The National Piping Centre a way has been found of ensuring the event’s continuation at least for the next few years. It is wonderful that this prestigious piping event has not been lost and we wish every success to The National Piping Centre in its stewardship of the Silver Chanter competition.”
Roddy MacLeod, the Principal of The National Piping Centre added “The National Piping Centre is pleased to take on the running of this landmark event in the piping calendar which has been a high point in the solo piping season for the last 50 years. 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 will be held on the 4th of August at The National Piping Centre and from 2019 the event will be brought into the Piping Live! festival’s portfolio of events.”
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Nick Addington Chief Executive of the William Grant Foundation commented ”The William Grant Foundation remains committed to supporting piping as part of its increasingly broad charitable interests. Alongside ongoing funding for the Glenfiddich Piping Championships we continue to support a number of other solo piping competitions.
At the request of both organisations, we are pleased to transfer the funding we had already pledged for this year’s Silver Chanter to allow the National Piping Centre to organise a successor competition in Glasgow on the traditional date. We have pledged funding for three years, subject to a review after year two.
The event has been held at Dunvegan Castle since 1967. This year’s event will now take place at The National Piping Centre on Saturday 4th August. More details about tickets will be available shortly.
The William Grant Foundation is interested in supporting a thriving contemporary cultural scene in Scotland rooted in its unique heritage and is pleased to enable this next chapter in the story of the Silver Chanter competition.”
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