The Gordon Duncan Experience (GDE)
Sadly the Gordon Duncan Experience seems to have disappeared some time in 2023. Some of the GDMT trustees met up with Patsy Reid, who was the lead musical director at that time, as she was not getting any response from Horsecross Arts. Despite our best efforts we did not progress with any response either. Patsy had to move on as she was busy with other musical commitments.
The Gordon Duncan Experience, run by Horsecross Arts, provided young people aged 11-25 from Perthshire and further afield opportunities to perform Scottish Traditional music as part of a large group and participate in an annual concert held in Perth. The Celtic big band was as much at home learning Scottish tunes by ear as it was working on complex scored arrangements, often drawing on other musical genres for inspiration, including classical, jazz and rock.
Over the period from 2011-12 the Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust awarded £15,000 to help to start the Gordon Duncan Experience. The Gordon Duncan Experience acted as a powerful tool for personal, social and professional development for the next wave of Scottish Traditional musicians and facilitators.
Horsecross Arts was the charitable creative organisation set up in 2005 to launch the world-class Perth Concert Hall and revitalise Perth Theatre. Their dynamic and devoted Creative Learning Team uses the arts to advance health and wellbeing, open doors to opportunity and achievement, and broaden horizons and improve life chances.
Below is a photo of an early group of young folk, including a niece and nephew of Gordon Duncan, who played some wonderful music, including ‘MacKay’s Memoirs’ (written by Martin Bennett) at one of their concerts. A gentle group of youngsters who enjoyed their music so much.
The Gordon Duncan Experience page on Facebook is still available at the time of writing (April 2025).