Slightly O/T for an Uilleann Pipes forum, but many of you are highland pipers as well and will be saddened and shocked at the news that Gordon Duncan was found dead at his home yesterday morning. He was a highly respected and innovative piper and composer- a leader of his generation.
this is really bad news,first martin bennet,now gordon ,ill check the piper and drummer website,for the story on this.he was an very good piper,one of the best.
All gone this year: Bennett, John Burgess, Duncan. Three very different pipers of different generations. I’m not much of a Bennett fan but the latter two are stalwarts of mid- to late 20thC piping. Gordon’s playing was just amazing…
That is very saddening news indeed.
That is terrible news Becky. Gordon Duncan was a fantastic piper.
Thanks for passing it on though.
15 December 2005
Perthshire world-famous piper dies
Gordon Duncan, right, pictured with his brother Ian.
The world of Scottish music was today stunned to hear of the death of Perthshire’s Gordon Duncan. One of the nation’s foremost pipers, the Pitlochry-born musician was just 41.
Described as “one of the most stunning and innovative pipers of his generation” he was also a composer whose work received world renown.
He played with many top folk groups including Capercaillie, Wolfstone and Ceolbeg, as well as several notable pipe bands, including The Vale of Atholl.
Through his CDs his music became known throughout the world, exposing a wide audience to his contemporary leanings to and his folk band experience, while also paying tribute to bagpipe tradition.
Today, Ian Green, of Greentrax Recordings, paid tribute to him and said he and studio felt as if they had lost a member of their family.
He described Gordon as an amazing composer and said he was one of the most innovative pipers Scotland had seen. “He could play in competition style, but saw no restrictions as far as the bagpipes were concerned,” Ian explained.
“He had the most amazing fast fingers and it was that combination of a great tunesmith and innovative piping that meant he was in a different class.
“When his first album came out another renowned Scottish piper Hamish Moore said, ‘This man is precious and should be one of Scotland’s living national treasures.’ That for me just sums him up.
“He should have been recognised as a class musician, but unfortunately outstanding traditional musicians often don’t get the attention they deserve.”
Gordon hails from a family steeped in Scottish music and song, with father Jock a famous balladeer, known for his singing of bothy ballads.
Brother Ian is also a well-known piper. Having previously been pipe major with The Vale of Atholl, he is currently pipe major of The Atholl Highlanders and teaches piping in Dundee schools.
Gordon released three albums, with his debut coming to world attention in 1994 and his latest released in 2002.
Among his most popular and memorably titled tracks is Andy Renwick’s Ferret. The tune has gained international renown, being recorded over 100 times around the world on every conceivable instrument.
He was just starting work on his fourth studio album.
Ian Green said it was hard to take the loss of a genius who was also “just a wonderful wee man.
“It was difficult to get him out of his shell in the beginning, but once you got to know him you found a genuine, nice fellow without a bad word to say about anyone,” he said.
So sad ,so sad.
this is totally shocking… 
I’m totally shocked and saddened to hear of Gordon Duncan’s death. I have a few of his CD’s including a 7-8 minute piobaracht which is performed most excellently.
We will miss him..God bless him and his family…
upiper71
Montreal
That truly is terrible, terrible news.
I think it can be said without exaggeration that you’d be hard pressed to find any talented piper in Scotland under thirty who hasn’t been profoundly influenced by Gordon Duncan’s playing. His first album, “Just For Seumas” is quite simply one of the most spellbinding albums of piping from any musical tradition period. I remember the first time hearing it when I was 16 and being blown away like nothing else I’ve ever heard–not even the first time I heard Paddy Keenan or the first time I heard Talking Heads or the Bach Cello Suites or whatever. It was maddening, freakish, beautiful virtuosity of the highest order. I wouldn’t say he was my favorite Scottish piper in terms of musicality, but technically, there was probably hardly anyone else who could touch him (and given the tremendously high technical standard in Scottish piping these days, that’s saying a lot).
Martyn Bennett’s death last year was a huge loss for Scottish music and this is every bit as bad. I think Martyn and the music he made were often misunderstood–a lot of people didn’t seem to know what he was on about, which is a shame because had he lived, he could have contributed so much more. Hopefully, people will be a little more aware of what a terrible loss Gordon’s death is. I never met him, but I heard loads of stories about him from Scottish musicians–he was clearly a larger than life figure for many.
He was such a tremendously talented player and a brilliant composer. Particularly in Ireland, a lot of his tunes are played and are assumed to be traditional. I remember hearing a CD by a very talented fiddle player and he did a version of “Andy Renwick’s Ferret” but it was marked “gan ainm (trad.)” in the liner notes. A bit unfortunate that more people didn’t know who he was, but also an indication of just how pervasive his influence was.
http://www.bobdunsire.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=44;t=000543;p=1
There is an excellent article on the Dunsire pages written by Stuart Cassells.
Glasgow Herald obituary at
http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/52983.html