PRESTIGIOUS SILVER CHANTER COMPETITION RETURNS TO SKYE

The Silver Chanter Piping Recital Competition returns to Sabhal Mòr Ostaig on Wednesday 07 August 2024 as part of an exciting new partnership between the College, The Piobaireachd Society and Torabhaig Single Malt Scotch Whisky.
The black-tie event will take place in Talla Dhonaidh Chaimbeil at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig on the evening of the Isle of Skye Highland Games, with attendees to arrive by 7pm for a 7:30pm start. The evening will be recorded for later transmission.
The prestigious Silver Chanter has celebrated the music of the MacCrimmons since its inception in the Isle of Skye in 1967. The music for this year’s competition is to be drawn from the MacCrimmon tune list used for the senior piobaireachd competition at the Skye Gathering.
The six competitors were all top prize winners at last year’s Skye Gathering, Northern Meeting and The Argyllshire Gathering, the three leading piping competitions in Scotland.
Dr Decker Forrest, Programme Leader for Sabhal Mòr Ostaig’s BA (Hons) Gaelic and Traditional Music course said:
“Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the National Centre for Gaelic Language and Culture, is delighted to host and work with the Piobaireachd Society and Torabhaig Single Malt Scotch Whisky to host this hugely important cultural event.
“The Silver Chanter, more than any other premier piping competition, celebrates the important place of the MacCrimmons in Gaelic oral tradition, and in the very island in which they lived and thrived. A strong cultural memory still exists in Skye of the stories, places and individuals connected with their extraordinary music.”
Robert Wallace, President of the Piobaireachd Society, said:
“The Society is pledged to perpetuate the original purpose behind the Silver Chanter – to promote ceòl mòr in its native island and to encourage leading pipers to play at the Skye Gathering. The Silver Chanter 2024 will be a gala occasion of superb pipe music. One not to be missed.”
The Silver Chanter Competition is named after the story of a silver chanter that was gifted by a fairy to a MacCrimmon long ago. Stories connecting piping with the supernatural abound and emphasise the magical power of music. For a more in-depth look at the history of the competition and the MacCrimmons, have a read of Dr Decker Forrest’s blog on Tobar an Dualchais’s website.
Tickets can be purchased at the door on the night.
- Adults: £10
- Concession: £5
- Under 16s: Free
THIS YEAR’S COMPETITORS:





