Sponsorship & Award Feedback
The following feedback was received from those who received a sponsorship award from the Trust. If you’re interested in sponsorship, please find out how to get funded. Our sub-group carefully considers all submissions.
Bobby Allen
The year 2024 has been eventful and challenging for me in my aspiring career. I would like to thank ‘The Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust’ for their continued support with my piping.
This year I have progressed to my final year at ‘The Royal Conservatoire’ in Glasgow. B Mus (Traditional Music-piping) degree.
I am also continuing to take lessons from my long term tutor, Willie Morrison.
This year in competition I was successful in winning many prizes. The pinnacle was winning the ‘Pipe Idol’ competition in the ‘Piping Centre’, Glasgow, in August.
Dunkeld & Birnam Traditional Youth Music Group
DB Trad Group provides free tuition in Scottish traditional music to young persons in our area as well as the opportunity to be part of a band performing live regularly throughout each year. We have received lovely support from the Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust from the beginning of our project. The funding we have been very lucky to receive towards our running costs makes all the difference, and means we can keep music free for our young musicians who love playing and being part of the group.
EPIC East Ayrshire Pipe Band Academy
The Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust have been outstanding in their support for piping and drumming, and have been cornerstones of our organisation since its inception. This year we were very grateful to receive funding towards venue hire costs – without this we would not be able to teach the young people of East Ayrshire. Our young people are receiving first class tuition, support and opportunities they would not get if not for our service.
Thank you so much to all members of the GDMT for changing the lives of our young people.
The Inaugural Gordon Duncan Memorial Kitchen Piping Competition
The Inaugural Gordon Duncan Memorial Kitchen Piping Competition was held on 13 July 2024 at the 28th annual Skagit Valley Highland Games at the Skagit County Fairgrounds. Sixteen Open, Grade 1 and Grade 2 pipers competed. The Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust, the Celtic Arts Foundation and The British Columbia Piper’s Association sponsored the event. The judges were Callum Beaumont and our Vice Chair, Gary West.
1st Craig Sutherland, Perth
2nd Zephan Knichel, Surrey, British Columbia
3rd Cameron Bonar, Surrey, British Columbia
4th Alastair Lee, Surrey, British Columbia
5th Aaron Stone, Monroe, Washington
6th Micah Babinski, Portland, Oregon
A video of the event, including an introduction from Gary West, is available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93QpJUOtsZA.
“Kitchen piping” is a name made up by the late Scott MacAulay in the 1980s to describe fun, fast and creative Highland piping often played in the kitchen at house parties.
The Raasay Piping Competition
The Raasay Piping Competition was held on the 7th September 2024 in Raasay. This new competition set up by Hamish Moore was sponsored by The Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust. Twelve pipers were invited to take part in this new competition: James Mackenzie, Angus Nicolson, Michael Grey, Hector Henderson, Decker Forrest, Lorne Cousin, Duncan Nicolson, Simon MacKerrell, Ben Duncan, Ailis Sutherland, Michael Steele and Ciar Milne.
A review of the event by one of the pipers, Michael Grey, was published in Bagpipe News – see “People, piping and place: an extraordinary Raasay experience“.