Gordon Duncan (piper)
| Gordon Duncan | |
|---|---|
| Born |
14 May 1964 Turriff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland |
| Died | 14 December 2005 (aged 41) Pitlochry, Perthshire, Scotland |
| Instruments | Bagpipes |
Gordon Duncan (14 May 1964 – 14 December 2005) was a bagpiper, low whistle player and composer, born in Turriff, Aberdeenshire.
Duncan was born in Turriff 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.
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.
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