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Scottish musician (1964–2005) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gordon Duncan (14 May 1964 – 14 December 2005) was a Scottish bagpiper, low whistle player and composer.
Gordon Duncan | |
---|---|
Born | Turriff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland | 14 May 1964
Died | 14 December 2005 41) Pitlochry, Perthshire, Scotland | (aged
Occupation(s) | Musician, composer |
Instrument(s) | Bagpipes, low whistle |
Duncan was born in Turriff, Aberdeenshire on 14 May 1964. His parents were tenant farmer and bothy ballad singer Jock Duncan and Frances Duncan.[1] Jock Duncan joined the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board shortly after Duncan's birth and the family moved to Thurso then to Pitlochry.[1] Initially taught by his father, Gordon began his piping career at the age of 10, winning many junior competitions under the tuition of Walter Drysdale,[1] but started to lose interest in competition piping by the age of 18, at which point he was an apprentice joiner.[2]
He attracted attention from folk bands, touring the US and Europe with the Tannahill Weavers, Wolfstone and Ceolbeg and became associated with Dougie MacLean, playing low whistle on his albums.[2][3] He began composing soon afterwards, having travelled across Europe and been exposed to other traditions, especially Breton music.[2]
He was a very influential piper who broke the boundaries of traditional piping music.[4] He was a member of the Vale of Atholl Pipe Band and also performed with the Atholl Highlanders, as well as being signed by Greentrax as a solo artist.[2][5] Duncan also taught pipers Ross Ainslie and Ali Hutton, who have went on to have musical careers with some acclaim.[6][7]
Duncan created a new style of idiosyncratic bagpipe music.[1] He also incorporated the bagpipes into a rendition of AC/DC's Thunderstruck.[2] His work was heard at T in the Park, Celtic Connections, Celtic Colours in Canada, the Lorient festival in Brittany, where he was the two-time winner of the MacAllan Trophy and the Fleadh Cheoil in Ireland.[8][9]
He worked as a refuse collector and was known to scribble compositions on cigarette packets whilst at work.[1]
Duncan composed over one hundred tunes in his lifetime, with perhaps his most famous work, Andy Renwick's Ferret, being performed and recorded internationally.[2][5][8]
He arranged music for the Vale of Atholl and ScottishPower pipe bands.[10][11]
On 14 December 2005, Duncan was found dead at his home in Perthshire following a long struggle with alcoholism.[1] His funeral was held at Pitlochry Church of Scotland and was attended by hundreds of pipers.[5][9] In his memory, the Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust[12] was set up early in 2006 to support good causes in piping.[13]
In 2007, A National Treasure concert was staged in Perth by the Trust, and for the following four years, with the BBC airing the 2011 concert.[12][9][14][15] In January 2016, a gig was at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall as part of Celtic Connections.[16]
He had a wife, Mary, and a son, Gordon, two sisters, and his brother, Ian Duncan, is also a piper.[1]
He recorded three solo albums, and a further album was compiled after his death from previously recorded material.[10][17][18]
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