Gordon Duncan
Encyclopedia
Gordon Duncan was a Scottish
bagpiper. He began playing at the age of eight, taught initially by Bill Hepburn (Pipe Major at the time of The Turriff and District Pipe Band) then by his father and his older brother Ian Duncan, himself a successful piper and Pipe Major
. He was a successful junior competitor, but at the age of seventeen stopped competing regularly to focus on the folk scene. He recorded with a number of bands, including Wolfstone
, The Tannahill Weavers
, Ceolbeg, and the Dougie MacLean Band.
He continued to compete at local competitions and invitational competitions, such as the MacAllan competition in Brittany
, where pipers are expected to showcase their mastery of different types of Celtic music
and their virtuosity. This came to a head in 1993 after a blistering display at a knockout competition (which he lost in final against Gordon Walker) hosted by the College of Piping in Glasgow
. The principal of the College, Seumas MacNeill stood up, and famously said "If that's what piping's about today, I'm taking up the fiddle".
A year later (1994), Duncan released a solo album (his first widely available, although he had produced a self published album some years earlier), entitled Just for Seumas. It displayed the full range of Duncan's mastery of piping, opening with a tune from Seumas MacNeill's own collection of music, through traditional competition material, piobaireachd
and music arranged with snare drum
, guitar
, and bouzouki
accompaniment, to the memorable closing track consisting of a heavy dance beat accompanying Duncan's playing. This track included what was then seen as sacrilege - the first line of the piobaireachd Lament for Mary MacLeod was used as a harmony line for a reel
. MacNeill's reaction to this album is not recorded.
He followed up this album with the circular breath, with Gerry O'Connor on banjo
. One of the most notable features of this album is that almost all Duncan's compositions played on the album are included as sheet music
in the sleeve notes.
Musically, Duncan was hugely innovative and his first 'hit' composition is a classic example. Although pipers have known for hundreds of years that it is possible to manipulate the bagpipe chanter
to obtain accidental
s outside the bagpipe's mixolydian scale, these were never used or their possibilities considered until the 1980s when a few pipers began to look into them. Duncan was the first piper to write a 'hit' tune using them, and the result Andy Renwick's Ferret, an exciting reel in A minor swept the piping world in the late 1980s. Duncan continued to look for inspiration from all sources and his last album, Thunderstruck released in 2003, continued this process. With the astonishing The Belly Dancer, a piece in the previously unheard of Phrygian mode
and the title track, a development of an AC/DC
riff
, Duncan proved he was not standing still.
Duncan was also famous for his support and encouragement of young pipers, often preferring to hear others play than to play himself.
He was also famous for his battle with alcoholism
, which at times detracted from his performances. Gordon Duncan committed suicide on 14 December, 2005 at his home in Edradour
, Pitlochry
, Perthshire
.
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
bagpiper. He began playing at the age of eight, taught initially by Bill Hepburn (Pipe Major at the time of The Turriff and District Pipe Band) then by his father and his older brother Ian Duncan, himself a successful piper and Pipe Major
Pipe Major
The Pipe Major is the director of bagpipe music in a Scottish or Irish pipe band. Like Drum Major, the position of Pipe Major is derived from British Army traditions. During the early twentieth century, the term Sergeant Piper was used for the role in place of "Pipe Major".Civillian and military...
. He was a successful junior competitor, but at the age of seventeen stopped competing regularly to focus on the folk scene. He recorded with a number of bands, including Wolfstone
Wolfstone
Wolfstone are a Scottish musical group founded in 1989, who play Highland music combined with rock and roll. Their repertoire consists of both original songs and traditional folk pieces. To date, they have released seven studio albums, the latest, Terra Firma, in 2007. The band record on their own...
, The Tannahill Weavers
The Tannahill Weavers
The Tannahill Weavers are a popular band who performs traditional Scottish music. Releasing their first album in 1976 they became notable for being one of the first popular bands to incorporate the sound of the Great Highland Bagpipe in an ensemble setting, and in doing so helped to change the...
, Ceolbeg, and the Dougie MacLean Band.
He continued to compete at local competitions and invitational competitions, such as the MacAllan competition in Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
, where pipers are expected to showcase their mastery of different types of Celtic music
Celtic music
Celtic music is a term utilised by artists, record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic people of Western Europe...
and their virtuosity. This came to a head in 1993 after a blistering display at a knockout competition (which he lost in final against Gordon Walker) hosted by the College of Piping in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. The principal of the College, Seumas MacNeill stood up, and famously said "If that's what piping's about today, I'm taking up the fiddle".
A year later (1994), Duncan released a solo album (his first widely available, although he had produced a self published album some years earlier), entitled Just for Seumas. It displayed the full range of Duncan's mastery of piping, opening with a tune from Seumas MacNeill's own collection of music, through traditional competition material, piobaireachd
Piobaireachd
Pibroch, Piobaireachd or Ceòl Mór is an art music genre associated primarily with the Scottish Highlands that is characterised by extended compositions with a melodic theme and elaborate formal variations...
and music arranged with snare drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
, guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, and bouzouki
Bouzouki
The bouzouki , is a musical instrument with Greek origin in the lute family. A mainstay of modern Greek music, the front of the body is flat and is usually heavily inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The instrument is played with a plectrum and has a sharp metallic sound, reminiscent of a mandolin but...
accompaniment, to the memorable closing track consisting of a heavy dance beat accompanying Duncan's playing. This track included what was then seen as sacrilege - the first line of the piobaireachd Lament for Mary MacLeod was used as a harmony line for a reel
Reel (dance)
The reel is a folk dance type as well as the accompanying dance tune type. In Scottish country dancing, the reel is one of the four traditional dances, the others being the jig, the strathspey and the waltz, and is also the name of a dance figure ....
. MacNeill's reaction to this album is not recorded.
He followed up this album with the circular breath, with Gerry O'Connor on banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
. One of the most notable features of this album is that almost all Duncan's compositions played on the album are included as sheet music
Sheet music
Sheet music is a hand-written or printed form of music notation that uses modern musical symbols; like its analogs—books, pamphlets, etc.—the medium of sheet music typically is paper , although the access to musical notation in recent years includes also presentation on computer screens...
in the sleeve notes.
Musically, Duncan was hugely innovative and his first 'hit' composition is a classic example. Although pipers have known for hundreds of years that it is possible to manipulate the bagpipe chanter
Chanter
The chanter is the part of the bagpipe upon which the player creates the melody. It consists of a number of finger-holes, and in its simpler forms looks similar to a recorder...
to obtain accidental
Accidental
Accidental may mean:* Accidental * Accidental , by Fred Frith* Accidental , a biological phenomenon more commonly known as vagrancy* Accidental property, a philosophical term-See also:* Accident...
s outside the bagpipe's mixolydian scale, these were never used or their possibilities considered until the 1980s when a few pipers began to look into them. Duncan was the first piper to write a 'hit' tune using them, and the result Andy Renwick's Ferret, an exciting reel in A minor swept the piping world in the late 1980s. Duncan continued to look for inspiration from all sources and his last album, Thunderstruck released in 2003, continued this process. With the astonishing The Belly Dancer, a piece in the previously unheard of Phrygian mode
Phrygian mode
The Phrygian mode can refer to three different musical modes: the ancient Greek tonos or harmonia sometimes called Phrygian, formed on a particular set octave species or scales; the Medieval Phrygian mode, and the modern conception of the Phrygian mode as a diatonic scale, based on the latter...
and the title track, a development of an AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
riff
RIFF
The Resource Interchange File Format is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data....
, Duncan proved he was not standing still.
Duncan was also famous for his support and encouragement of young pipers, often preferring to hear others play than to play himself.
He was also famous for his battle with alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
, which at times detracted from his performances. Gordon Duncan committed suicide on 14 December, 2005 at his home in Edradour
Edradour
Edradour is a Highland single-malt whisky made in Pitlochry, Perthshire, from the distillery of the same name, which is reputed to be the smallest in Scotland....
, Pitlochry
Pitlochry
Pitlochry , is a burgh in the council area of Perth and Kinross, Scotland, lying on the River Tummel. Its population according to the 2001 census was 2,564....
, Perthshire
Perthshire
Perthshire, officially the County of Perth , is a registration county in central Scotland. It extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, Rannoch Moor and Ben Lui in the west, and Aberfoyle in the south...
.
Discography
- Just for Seumas (1994)
- the circular breath (1997)
- Thunderstruck (2003)
- Just For Gordon (2007) (posthumous release)