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.

Vale of Atholl Pipe Band

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.

Photo of the Vale of Atholl Pipe Band
Taken after a recent engagement and to congratulate the Vale of Atholl Pipers Association Secretary, Gillie MacNab BEM, for her BEM in this year’s honours list.
Submitted by:Gillean McNab
Year of Award:2018

The Kinlochard Gathering Junior solo bagpipe competition

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!!

Submitted by:Gregor Wood (Event Convenor)
Website:https://www.kinlochard.org
Year of Award:2018

Eddie Seaman

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.

Submitted by:Eddie Seaman
Website:https://www.eddieseaman.com
Year of Award:2018

Andrew Finn Magill & Sean Gray

Finn, Sean and Pete Clark in action at the Royal Dunkeld Hotel on 2 February 2018

The musical activities in Dunkeld and Birnam, sponsored by the GDMT, were a great success.  Andrew Finn Magill and Seán Gray performed for a whole school assembly at the Royal School of Dunkeld on their Founder’s Day.  They got a rapturous welcome from the children and the Trust was thanked publicly by Julie Menzies, the Headteacher, who also gratefully acknowledged the support provided by the GDMT for music in the school last year.  At Rivendell Care Home, residents and carers all loved the music. When I mentioned the Trust, one of the residents who hadn’t said anything up to that point, remarked “oh he was a great piper from Pitlochry.” Lovely! Tea and home-made cake were gratefully received by the musicians!

At the evening concert in the Royal Dunkeld Hotel, Finn and Seán were joined by Dave Amos, Jamie Jauncey and Pete Clark. Fiddler Andrew Finn Magill and Sean Gráy (guitar, flute) presented a special concert to celebrate transatlantic musical connections. The Trust was thanked during welcoming and closing remarks. I had two GDMT t-shirts left which I presented to the lads.

Thank you again for supporting this initiative to take traditional music into the heart of the community, especially to those who aren’t often able to attend concerts.  I can assure you that there is a great deal of appreciation for the GDMT in Dunkeld and Birnam.

Year of Award:2018

Bobby Allen

This year 2018 has been a wonderful year regarding piping and my attainment in exams and performance.  From my familiar surroundings in ‘North Lanarkshire’ I have travelled all over Scotland, north, south, east & west, even as far as the ‘Outer Hebrides’ & London.  I have had a very successful year in competing UK wide, also in international competitions at the highest level in piping, winning over thirty events.

‘The Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust’ has contributed towards my success, attainment and experiences in piping in 2018.  With the grant I received from them, this provided me with a positive foundation towards my achievements and achieving my goals as a composer and piping teacher.

I have met Prince Charles twice, firstly, at Buckingham Palace where I played at his seventieth birthday party with ‘the Scottish National Youth Pipe Band’, and secondly at ‘The Braemar Gathering’ along with ‘HM the Queen’ who presented me with the winner’s medal, in the under 18 international piping competition. I have also claimed my own new record in winning twelve different highland games in a row, along with many other titles.  On the pipe band front I have been a member of ‘The Island of Islay Pipe Band’ (grade two).  Late on this year, I was approached and asked if I would consider to join the famous, Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia, Pipe Band (grade one).  I have now taken up this opportunity and am currently a piper with this famous pipe band.

Finally, in conjunction with all this experience and success gained, I have completed and passed my piping exams at SQA National Five.  I am currently working towards my achievement at SQA National six at the college of piping in Glasgow, prior to gaining my teachers certificate.

Looking forward to another great year in 2019.

2018 H & I young piper of the year champion, Benbecula
2018 H & I young piper of the year champion, Benbecula

After getting prize from Queen at Braemar
After getting prize from Queen at Braemar

Bobby Allen, North Uist Games winner 2018
North Uist Games winner 2018
Year of Award:2018