What's happening?
St Andrew’s Day Charity Ball
The GDMT is sponsoring and supporting the National Piping Centre’s St Andrew’s Day Charity Ball 2024.
‘Funded in 1996, the National Piping Centre is at the center of today’s dynamic piping tradition, a cultural hub for traditional music in the heart of Glasgow. The NPC Charity Ball is to bring together like-minded individuals, organisations and businesses to help support their vital charitable work providing platforms for people of all abilities and ages to play bagpipes, hear bagpipes and be part of our community.
The GDMT will be there to support the NPC and to enjoy some music from one of our Trustees, Ross Ainslie and his long term colleague and fellow Gordon Duncan pupil, Ali Hutton. Their books are available in our shop for purchase. A great event for sure.
Scottish Schools Pipes & Drums Trust ‘Freestyle Competition’
The GDMT are once more sponsoring the Scottish Schools Pipes & Drums Trust ‘Freestyle Competition’ at their annual Championship competitions in 2025. Another great event to both sponsor and enjoy.
Balvenie Medal Award
We are delighted to share that Ian Duncan, chair of the Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust, was awarded the prestigious Balvenie Medal at the 51st Annual Glenfiddich Piping Championships, hosted by The National Piping Centre and the William Grant Foundation.
The Balvenie Medal is awarded annually to individuals who have dedicated their lives to the study, performance, and appreciation of the Great Highland Bagpipe, promoting piping as a vibrant cultural tradition. This honour, presented to only one recipient each year, celebrates a lifetime of commitment to Scotland’s piping heritage, with each recipient traditionally unaware of the award until the ceremony itself. This year’s award is a testament to Ian’s exceptional contribution to the art of piping.
Ian joined the Vale of Atholl Pipe Band in 1965, and, after several successful seasons on the solo boards, became Pipe Major in 1973, a position he held until 2000. By 1983 the band had been elevated to Grade 1, winning the European Championship in 1988 and the British Championship in 1989.
Under his leadership the band were trailblazers, bringing pipe band music to the big stage and recording music ahead of its time. Tapping into celtic influences from Britanny and Galicia provided fertile musical territory for the classic recordings ‘Both Sides of the Tracks’, ‘Salutations’, ‘No Reservations’, and ‘Live’n Well in Motherwell’. The groundbreaking recording ‘Names and Places’ was showcased at Celtic Connections in 2023.
After stepping down from the Vale, the draw of pipe bands was too strong for Ian to resist. He spent time in Scottish Power, Lothian & Borders Police, and Drambuie Kirkliston. As Pipe Major of Drambuie they secured the Grade 2 World Championship in 2015.
With his brother Gordon’s untimely passing in 2005, Ian helped establish the Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust. To date, the Trust has given over £130,000 in grants to a wide range of individuals and organisations, and Ian was instrumental in helping put together two collections of his late brother’s music.
At Blair Castle in 1971, he joined the famous Atholl Highlanders and became Pipe Major of their band in 2002. He retired from that position 20 years later in 2022. Quite a run!
In conclusion, this year’s Balvenie Medal went to a man who has truly given his life to teaching, performing, and leadership in every facet of piping. There can not have been a more deserving recipient.
Jock Duncan – The Man and His Songs
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