Testimonials

With the award I have had Highland Bagpipe tutoring with Fraser Fifield, which has helped me further develop my style, technique, embellishments and improvisation. I was lucky to get some lessons from such an inspiring person. The award has been really useful as I wouldn’t have been able to get this progressive one to one tutoring locally. I have had a lot of musical commitments to date and up and coming until April/May with my school (Aberdeen City Music School, our annual concert), my National 5 exams and performances with my bands I’m in so I haven’t used all of the award yet.  The plan is to have more lessons with Fraser (including some Skype lessons which will save on travel) and I have asked Ross Ainslie as well.

Thank you once again for the award.

Bobby has had a very successful year. It’s all been with your help.

He has been overall Best piper in many competitions in his age group. A first place MSR at the Northern Meeting. A first place at the MOD. Young piper of the year Piobaireachd champion at Benbecula. Chosen to play in Pipe Idol one of the 16 pipers throughout the world. A fourth place in the Argyllshire Gathering under 22 yrs at 13 years of age. Winner of all events at the North Uist Highland games and the Brechin RSPB event in Dundee. Champion piper at the Highlands and Islands piping championships. Many more to follow in more detail.

We have been able to play all over Scotland and the Islands with your help this year and to continue with regular lessons with his tutor Willie Morrison at the College of Piping in Glasgow.

Our Band is relatively new and therefore incurred many one off start up costs, i.e. uniforms instruments etc. The Kind donation from the Gordon Duncan trust was most gratefully received at a time when we were to say the least nearly skint. We have continued to recruit 16 pipers,10 drummers and took several prizes in grade 4b this season plus played at several highland games and other high profile events. Next year we plan to compete at grade 4a and 4b in some competitions and also putting together a full engagement list.

I am really thankful for the Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust funding which I got the offer earlier this year. I have been studying at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow for the traditional music piping degree course.

The fund from the Trust allowed me to do some extra travelling for competitions and also I went to a piobaireachd workshop in Brittany which is called “Pibroch by the Sea” in Cancale. It was a great opportunity because one of my piobaireachd heroes Jimmy McIntosh came from the US to teach that weekend, he is 93 years old and I got to hear him playing two full piobs on the pipes live too, a great experience!

This December, I and 3 friends have formed a piping quartet to compete at the quartet contest in Kemper. We were very pleased with the performance and happy to get 3rd place out of 9 groups. The trips to Brittany for me have been fantastic. It made me wanting to learn much more about traditional Breton music which Gordon also loved.

Thank you so much once again.

Thank you so much for your email, it was a great way to start our day and your support is so very, very appreciated.  We are at the start of a very long journey and getting off the ground is the hardest part.  I’m so happy that the Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust is supporting us at this crucial stage.  Your fantastic contribution will go towards the cost of books and allow us to deliver what we intend to be an amazing programme.  I assure you that all our students as they progress through the learning journey will learn about Gordon and his music and I know it will be an inspiration to them as it has been to so many young pipers.