Testimonials

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.

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.

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.

I write to you to express my gratitude for supporting me financially in 2011/2012 during my studies at Berkeley College of Music, Boston, USA. The venture would not have been possible without your support and I am eternally grateful to you for accepting my funding application.

I have since been appointed tutor in Practical Musicianship, Theory and Composition at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and I am currently recording and performing with leading Scottish musicians such as Duncan Chisholm, Jarlath Henderson, Adam Sutherland, Ross Ainslie and Gary Innes.

I gained a huge amount of knowledge and experience in piano and composition at Berklee, and wanted to thank you properly by providing the Trustees with a copy of my solo album “The River”, a Celtic Connections ‘New Voices’ commission which premiered at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall last year. The album received 5 star reviews in the national press and has been Album of the Week on four BBC Radio Stations. At the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2016 I was nominated for ‘Composer of the Year’ and ‘Album of the Year’. I hope you enjoy the album.

Many thanks indeed and warm regards.

The GDMT already generously covered the fees for Pete Clark and Hannah Fisher to deliver two workshops for the school. These were incredibly well received and had a real impact on the children who were able to participate.  The youth musical thread running through anniversary celebrations also includes:

• New pipe tune “Proceed with Honour” composed for the anniversary was played as HRH the Earl of Wessex enters Dunkeld Cathedral for the 450th anniversary service.
• New fiddle tune composed for the anniversary by Pete Clark.  Pete played three variations of his new tune “The Royal School of Dunkeld” to the children at his workshops and they selected the reel. Pete will debut this in the Cathedral during the anniversary service.
• Vale of Atholl Junior Pipe Band played to welcome HRH to the Royal Garden Party at the school.
• Young fiddlers from the Royal School of Dunkeld played the new tune with Pete Clark at the Royal Garden Party.
• The GDMT being recognised on the Order of Service and publicly from the stage as “Music Sponsor for the 450th anniversary”.