Testimonials

The support we have received from the Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust has been invaluable. Not only have they provided the funding to enable us to buy tutor books for our project, but they are always so supportive and encouraging, and offer help and advice in many more ways.

The young people in our project come from highly deprived backgrounds and it is down to organisations such as the Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust that they have the chance to learn at all without facing exclusion due to financial barriers.

Thank you GDMT – you are literally changing lives and giving us all something to look forward to in life.

I am very grateful to the Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust for their support towards my Master’s studies in Traditional Music at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow.

Receiving this funding has made a huge difference to my studies and my life – it has lightened the load of the financial part of studying a Master’s degree. Beyond the financial element, the funding has allowed me to fulfil my ambition of studying at the Conservatoire and make the most of the surroundings to collaborate and learn from so many amazing people. The diversity of the Conservatoire means that the potential to learn and make new connections is infinite. Being in this special environment means I can truly focus on honing my skills whilst being surrounded by so many healthy influences.

Through studying at the RCS I have also had the opportunity to study abroad for a semester at the Royal College of Music (Stockholm, Sweden) – an experience which has positively impacted me in my ways. Whilst studying in Glasgow at RCS this last year I have also had many special opportunities to perform internationally in countries including Germany, France, Spain, Slovakia & New Zealand.

Overall, the support from the Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust has allowed me to push forward with my musical studies and career and I appreciate this hugely!

The donation we got from the Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust was used by the Junior section of the band for the hire of four classrooms and hall in Pitlochry High School to teach chanter, drumming on pad, tenor drumming and pipes every Tuesday night. We have a good number attending in each class all making excellent progress and the grant was a great help to us.

Many thanks.

I am the convenor and event organizer for the Kinlochard junior bagpipe solo’s, an annual piping competition in the Trossachs to promote the culture of Great Highland bagpiping for youngsters up to the age of 18yrs. The Trust has been fantastic for attracting competitors from all over Scotland and top judges to the event. The support of the Trust allows us to provide prize money and prizes for entrants. It is a traditional piping competition with a modern twist as one of the rounds includes Gordon Duncan tunes.

The Trust also kindly provides merchandise for all of the competitors. The standard of playing and turnout is very high across all the entrants. Last years winner was piper Bobby Allen from North Lanarkshire.

Thank you to the Trust for their continued support!!

I applied as an individual to the Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust to help me kit out my students with some Bb chanters. I had been teaching a number of piping students as part of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s Junior Programme and the help that the Trust has given me has been invaluable.

It has made my students take more of an interest in how the pipes can been used as part of the folk ensemble and has enabled them to take part in group work with the other musicians on the course.

In the next few months we will start to see the pipers perform more at public events and engage more with both the folk and classical musicians studying at the Royale Conservatoire.

Thank you once again to the Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust for all your help and support.