The Scottish Harp Society of America (SHSA) is pleased to welcome back the Clan Currie Society, producers of the Pipes of Christmas, as Title Sponsor of the U.S. National Scottish Harp Championship of America. The Clan Currie has renewed their five-year commitment to act as Title Sponsor for the Championships through 2019.
“We are absolutely thrilled to have the Clan Currie Society back as our Title Sponsor with such a generous and long-term gift,” said SHSA President Melanie Sandrock. “Part of the success of the National Championship depends upon generous donors like the Clan Currie to ensure we have sufficient funding in place to produce a first class competition. It is especially rewarding when that support comes from a clan with such an ancient and distinguished history of Gaelic poets and musicians.”
According to Robert Currie, president of the Clan Currie Society, this partnership is a perfect fit. “The founders of our Clan were the celebrated MacMhuirich bards of Medieval Scotland and the instrument of the Bard was the clarsach. Over the past several years Clan Currie has sharpened its focus on the arts with our Celtic Christmas concerts, special events and scholarship program. In addition to sponsoring this prestigious championship, we have also established an annual harp scholarship at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow, Scotland as well as signature Scottish Harp events at the Seaside Highland Games in Ventura, CA, the Richmond Highland Games in Virginia and the Scotland (CT) Highland Games.”
The 2015 US National Scottish Harp ChampionshipTM will be held at the Stone Mountain Highland Games with Seumas Gagne, Distinguished Judge and Jen McGovern Narkevicius, Judge presiding. The Championship is slated to be held at the Edinboro (PA) Highland Games in 2016 and 2017.
About the Scottish Harp Society of America
SHSA is the sanctioning body for the U.S. National Scottish Harp ChampionshipTM and qualifying regional Scottish harp competitions. This annual U.S. National Scottish Harp Competition includes the National Championship with its prestigious Herbert P. MacNeal Award, the SHSA Travel Scholarship, along with competition for all ages and category of competitor, from beginning to professional harpers. Through the year, the Society sponsors performances, presentations, workshops and classes, competitions, and gatherings all over the United States and Canada.
Founded in 1981, SHSA is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to the Scottish harp, the clarsach, and its music both ancient and modern. Members of the Society include musicians, harp makers, and people who simply enjoy listening to the Scottish harp. SHSA is dedicated to the performing of Scottish Music, both new and old, on the small harps of Scotland. We support the playing of nylon, gut, wire strung, levered and unlevered harps.