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The Silver Chanter THE SILVER CHANTER A novel by Pipe Major John Grant Edited by Alan Amstrong, Ph.D ii Table of Contents Editor’s Introduction ....................................................................................iii Chapter VII (continued) ................................................................................ 1 Chapter VIII – The Old Pipes .................................................................... 10 Chapter IX – Going Round the Shepherds ............................................. 21 Chapter X – Padruig Falls in Love ............................................................ 51 Chapter XI – The Duke’s Ball ..................................................................... 69 Chapter XII – Kidnapped by the Fairy Queen ....................................... 82 Chapter XIII – Anxiety at Craig Mhòr ................................................... 94 Chapter XIV – The Fairy Queen Instructs Padruig ............................ 107 Chapter XV – The Gathering of the Clans ............................................. 118 Chapter XVI – The Roe Hunt .................................................................. 127 Chapter XVII – The Fairy Queen and the MacCrimmons ................ 138 Chapter XVIII – Padruig Dubh’s Return ............................................... 158 Chapter XIX – The Tryst ........................................................................... 181 Chapter XX – Christmas at Craig Mhòr ............................................... 192 Chapter XXI – Padruig Dubh’s Dream Realised ................................. 202 Chapter XXII – Padruig Dubh’s Farewell to Craig Mhòr ................. 212 iii The Silver Chanter Editor’s Introduction On 24 January 1925, John Grant completed a piobaireachd entitled “The Silver Chanter.” In his Inventory he explained that it was composed “in memory of the happy hours of inspiration which has led me to pursue my life passion for Piobaireachd, so that it might live once more as it did in ‘the days of other years’.” Whether the composing of this piece inspired him to deal further–and in a different way–with the topic of “The Silver Chanter” is unknown, but on Christmas Eve of that year Grant completed a novel by the same name: an endeavour that was unique in his output. We have no indications from Grant why he wanted to create a work of fiction, but we do know he intended to seek its publication and that he was proud of the final product: he subtitled several subsequent works “Composed by John Grant, Author of . The Silver Chanter.” The Silver Chanter, a magical instrument that enables its owner to perform the most challenging bagpipe music with the utmost ease and musical expression, appears often in tales of Scottish lore. Grant delivered the following telling of the tale to “Morar” in the 9 August 1913 edition of the Oban Times : It is said that one day when a young MacCrimmon was playing his enchanted pipe near the piper’s study, a hollow ledge of a precipice on the shores of Dunvegan, he met the “Fairy Queen,” who handed the youth a silver chanter, by which he could charm the otter from the sea, the deer from the hills, and the lark from the clouds. No pipe ever played with such fragrance, and never before or since has any chanter piped such powerful strains, for the rich grandeur of the theme of “The Cave of Gold” burst its beauteous chords asunder as this youthful minstrel entered the Cave of Gold. The fairy theme died away in faint and broken accent till the piper was heard no more. The price of this fatal pre-eminence was the hard condition that after a year and a day the young MacCrimmon should iv renounce his life on earth and enter the Fairy Kingdom through the Cave of Gold, from which he never returned. Grant touches on this and other renderings of the “Silver chanter” tale in his novel; he even introduces the reader to the “young MacCrimmon” described above, but the majority of the story is really a product of his own imagination. The central character, Padruig Dubh MacVourich, a young New Zealander of Scottish Highland parentage, is sent from his home at Dun Alasdair to live a year in Scotland in order to experience its charms and customs. He is the guest of the Roderick Mór MacDonald family at Craig Mhor, their home in the Highlands. MacDonald is head shepherd to a local Duke; his wife, Marion tends to the homemaking, and their only child, Flora, is a “fair lassie” Padruig’s age. Padruig and Roderick both play the bagpipes, and Flora dearly loves them, so the art of piping, its history, and lore are often topics of conversations when the three are gathered around a cosy peat fire or walking among the heather. Warned by Flora to beware the wiles of the Fairy Queen, whose powers are especially potent near the “Fairie’s Well,” Padruig strays too close too often and is kidnapped by the beneficent Queen. Whisked away to fairyland, he experiences the beauties it offers both to the eye and to the ear. He is witness to a great Gathering of clans and a Chieftain’s burial; he traverses the Cave of Gold, and hears the young MacCrimmon of the original legend play on his magic pipes. When he is returned, he and Flora realize that they are in love, and he finally gets up the courage (with the help of the Fairy Queen) to press his suit. Flora loves Padruig, but she will not leave her parents to move to New Zealand. Padruig notifies his own father of the fact, and the elder MacVourich invites Roderick Mor to join him in working his New Zealand farm. Everyone agrees, they all take up residence in New Zealand, Padruig and Flora wed, and they all live happily ever after. Although Padruig and Flora are the central human protagonists of Grant’s story, the Great Highland Bagpipe and the nature and culture of the Scottish Highlands are clearly as important. Grant’s obsessive love for bagpiping reveals itself on almost every page. If bagpipes are not being discussed, they are within reach to be played, and Grant “waxes eloquent” when describing the emotions v felt by each character upon hearing a tune. In a similar manner, Grant extols his native land. Perhaps inspired by Sir Walter Scott, he paints a Scott-esque portrait of the Highlands for every season, depicting locales, flora and fauna, and even the weather with a highly Romantic brush. John Grant was not a great novelist, but “The Silver Chanter” has some charm about it, especially for lovers of The Great Highland Bagpipe or those interested in a Highlander’s view of his native land in the early 20 th century. *** John Grant’s original novel was 606 manuscript pages long, written in eight standard-sized “composition” books a student might use in grammar school. When Grant died, the books were passed on to his eldest son, John Roy, and when John Roy died, the books fell into the possession of his son, Jonathan. When Jonathan passed away, his widow threw out the first volume but their daughter was able to save the rest. Therefore, the first 123 pages–a little over a fifth of the novel–are missing. There is no way to know exactly what the topics were that these earlier pages contained, except by inferences from extant pages. Padruig Dubh leaves his native New Zealand to live with the MacDonald’s. He boards a ship for Scotland, and entertains the crew on the voyage. Padruig Dubh informs the captain that he intends to purchase a silver chanter for his bagpipes when he reaches Glasgow, and is warned by the captain to beware the wiles of the “Fairy Queen” should he make such a purchase. In Glasgow, the young piper indeed makes the purchase, and is warned a second time by the pipe maker himself, to whom Padruig Dubh pays no heed. As the story picks up, Padruig Dubh is now in the home of the MacDonald’s at Craig Mhor. Roderick Mór is giving Padruig Dubh a lesson on the MacCrimmons. Chapter VII (continued) [Roderick Mòr MacDonald is giving Padruig Dubh a lesson on the MacCrimmons, the hereditary pipers to the MacLeod’s of Dunvegan.] “. that it is true, for it has never been proved, but they are said to have invented piobaireachd, and brought it to perfection; their finger work in playing the intricate variations such as Toarluath and Crunluath must have been magnificent. They knew the construction of piobaireachd from beginning to end as no other race of pipers ever did, and their compositions are perfect in form. No student of the art of piping was supposed to be qualified in playing unless and until he had studied at the MacCrimmon school for a period of seven years, at the end of which the pupil had to undergo a severe test both in performing on the great pipe, and the construction of piobaireachd. If the candidate passed this test he was accompanied by the MacCrimmon himself back to his master in order that the master musician might account for the merit of his pupil in person. Only one pupil was allowed to enter the study or teaching apartment at one time, and the MacCrimmon supervised and imparted all instructions himself. One pupil was never permitted to assist another. In fact it is also related that no apprentice would accept instructions from another. They would only be taught by the great MacCrimmon, which was a hallmark of his superiority. A case was never heard of where MacCrimmon failed to bring his pupils up to the pitch of perfection, or where any Clan Chief regretted the sending of his piper to Boreraig for education. “There are many very interesting stories told about the MacCrimmons, and these are still cherished by the Highlanders and Isle men who admired that great race of Pipers,” said Roderick, to his young friend MacVourich. “Donald Mòr MacCrimmon had a brother named Padruig, who had squint eyes. Padruig had a dispute with his foster brother who lived in Kintail. Shortly after the dispute Padruig MacCrimmon was in the act of washing his face in a burn near his dwelling when the man from Kintail came upon him from behind his back and mortally wounded the young MacCrimmon with a blow from his dirk.
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