Gordon Duncan
Gordon Duncan | |
---|---|
Born | Turriff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland | 14 May 1964
Died | 14 December 2005 Pitlochry, Perthshire, Scotland | (aged 41)
Instrument(s) | bagpipes, low whistle |
Gordon Duncan (14 May 1964 – 14 December 2005) was a Scottish bagpiper, low whistle player and composer, born in Turriff, Aberdeenshire.
Early life
Duncan was born in
Career
He attracted attention from
He was a very influential piper who broke the boundaries of traditional piping music.
Duncan created a new style of
He worked as a
Compositions
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][6]
He arranged music for the Vale of Atholl and ScottishPower pipe bands.[8][9]
Death
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][7]
In 2007, A National Treasure concert was staged in Perth by the Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust, and for the following four years, with the BBC airing the 2011 concert.[7][10][11][12] In January 2016, a gig was at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall as part of Celtic Connections.[13]
Personal life
He had a wife, Mary, and a son, Gordon, two sisters, and his brother, Ian Duncan, is also a piper.[1]
Discography
He recorded three solo albums, and a further album was compiled after his death from previously recorded material.[8][14][15]
- Just for Seumas (1994)
- Circular Breath (1997)
- Thunderstruck (2003)
- Just for Gordon (2007)
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Gilchrist, Jim (20 December 2005). "Obituary: Gordon Duncan". The Scotsman. p. 33. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f Adams, Rob (22 December 2005). "Gordon Duncan; Renowned musician and composer". The Herald. Glasgow. p. 16. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
- ^ Adams, Rob (13 December 1990). "THEATRE / Brand new bag; Rob Adams reports on attempts to breathe new life into an ancient tradition". The Independent. London. p. 14.
- ^ "Young pipers heading off in new directions". The Scotsman. 15 August 2005. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
- ^ a b c "Funeral of renowned piper who died at 41". Aberdeen Evening Express. 21 December 2005. p. 18.
- ^ a b McDonald, Graham (20 June 2001). "Night with piper far from highland fling". Canberra Times. Australia. p. 8.
- ^ a b c English, Spaul (31 December 2011). "Just for Gordon Sunday, BBC Alba, Pipers' Champion; Piper was Regarded as One of the Most Innovative Performers and Composers". Daily Record. pp. 16–17.
- ^ HighBeam.
- ^ "Gordon Duncan". Allmusic. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- ^ Gilchrist, Jim (20 September 2012). "Review : Folk, Jazz, Etc : Blowing up a storm in celebration of piper Duncan's legacy". The Scotsman. p. 10. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
- ^ Adams, Rob (26 September 2011). "A National Treasure V, Perth Concert Hall". The Herald. Glasgow. p. 17. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- ^ "The Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust". The Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- ^ "Celtic Connections 2016: Director Donald Shaw picks 10 highlights". BBC News. 14 January 2016.
- ^ "Just For Gordon (CD)". Foot Stompin' Celtic Music. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
- ^ "Gordon Duncan". Retrieved 13 April 2013.
External links
- Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust
- Just For Gordon / Dha Gordon a-mhain on YouTube(BBC Alba documentary on Gordon Duncan's life)
- Thunderstruck – Gordon Duncan on YouTube
- Sleeping Tune played by Stuart Cassells on YouTube