Gordon Duncan

Early life

Duncan was born in Turriff, Aberdeenshire on 14 May 1964 to tenant farmer Jock Duncan, well known as a bothy ballad singer, and his wife Frances. Soon after Gordon's birth, Jock joined the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board and moved to Pitlochry after a brief spell in Thurso. Initially taught by his father, he began his piping career at the age of 10, winning many junior competitions under the tuition of Walter Drysdale, but started to lose interest in competition piping by the age of 18, at which point he was an apprentice joiner.

Career

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. He began composing soon afterwards, having travelled across Europe and been exposed to other traditions, especially Breton music.

He was a very influential piper who broke the boundaries of traditional piping music. 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.

Duncan created a new style of idiosyncratic bagpipe music. He also incorporated the bagpipes into a rendition of AC/DC's Thunderstruck. 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.

He worked as a refuse collector and was known to scribble compositions on cigarette packets whilst at work.

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.

He arranged music for the Vale of Atholl and ScottishPower pipe bands.

Death

On 14 December 2005, Duncan was found dead at his home in Perthshire following a long struggle with alcoholism. His funeral was held at Pitlochry Church of Scotland and was attended by hundreds of pipers. He is survived by his mother and father, brother and two sisters, as well as his son, Gordon, and his wife, Mary.

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. In January 2016, a gig was at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall as part of Celtic Connections.

Discography

He recorded three solo albums, and a further album was compiled after his death from previously recorded material.