Testimonials

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.

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 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 was held on the 7^th 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“.

Lewis & Harris Youth Pipe Band aspire to continue our group’s development aims by competing at and representing the Western Isles and North of Scotland at as many pipe band competitions and events as possible. As an island-based band, the costs of travel and subsistence for band players and supporters is significantly higher than for other bands that are based on the mainland. All of the costs associated with running and developing the pipe band for our youth members, including travel and subsistence, are covered through fundraising and donations to the group from our many valued supporters.

We were delighted when The Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust agreed to award us £1000 to help with costs of travel to and from the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow this year. Without this support we simply would not be able to travel and take part in competitions like the Worlds, and the players would miss out on the experience, learning and enjoyment of taking part.

The band did us all proud, narrowly missing out on qualifying for the final on the day. But they all played so well and will take the experience they gained at the Worlds forward into the next competitions.

Thank you, Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust!