Such sad news. I didn't know him personally but play loads of his tunes. What a Piper, what a composer, what a genius. Sadly missed.

Very sad news. He was a gem in the crown of modren Scottish music. His music has touched and inspired many and he will be desperately missed.

Play one for us up there.

Matheu

Here is a tribute from Ian Green.

15th December, 2005.

Gordon Duncan - Piper and Composer Extraordinaire!
I was devastated to learn today that Gordon Duncan had died on the 14th December at his home in Edradour, Pitlochry, Perthshire. Gordon was 41 years
of age.

Gordon was of course one of the most talented and innovative pipers in Scotland in present times. He was also a remarkable composer and did me the
great honour of composing a tune titled - "Ian Green of Greentrax". I am very, very proud of that tune.

Gordon recorded three wonderful albums for Greentrax, the first in 1994, and in the intervening years Gordon and myself became good friends. He referred to me in his pawkie way as "Greenie" and 'The Boss".

Hamish Moore wrote of Gordon in a sleeve note on the "Just For Seumas" album:
"This man is precious and should be one of Scotland's living national
treasures".

I endorse that statement and would add that Gordon was a very rare talent indeed - and is a sad loss to the Scottish traditional music scene. He will be sorely missed by his family and friends.

Gordon's funeral is at 12.45p.m. on Wednesday, 21st December, at the Church of Scotland, Pitlochry, Perthshire.

Very sad news.

Was only yesterday that i was looking at SQA's new repertoire list for music exams...the High Drive is one of the only contemporary tunes on the fiddle list.

His music will surely go on a long time yet.

I heard Iain Anderson's tribute on his show last night and couldn't believe someone with such a carefree spirit and immense talent can have his life cut so tragically short. The bar I enjoy most, for the craic and the music, has a compilation CD called Every Pub Should Have One, which is a bit of an understatement. There's a track near the end called Just For Seamus which is everyone's favourite to have a jump around to when Friday night draws to a close. I think we should all organise a collection and see if between us, we can raise enough money for a monument to Gordon in his home town.

Very sad news indeed.

Had played with him a number of times in the Taybank. The first time I played music with him he walked in quite inebriated and sat down next to the musicians and fell fast asleep sitting up. One of his apparent students, sitting in his wake, started to play a tune, with which Gordon, with unexpected, extraordinary, sudden and total sobriety (given the contrary unbalanced rambling nature of his entrance) proceeded to correct the poor fellows drones which were clearly not up to his standard of tuning!!!!

He then sat down and was asleep within a few seconds. A half hour later, with Gordons torso now 45degrees sideways to the wooden seat, yet still sat quite squarely on his bum and clearly still fast asleep, the lad gives up on the tunes and thrusts his pipes into Gordon's lap. Again, with sudden sobriety, the pipes are taken, re-tuned immaculately and so started an awesome set of tunes.

1st class bloke, piper and composer of tunes.

j

I am truely shocked and saddened to hear this news. Although I never met the man, I have heard many a tall tale about him and absolutely love playing his tunes. A true tune-smith sadly lost.

From Argentina. Totally shocked. He was my reference, I use to play his solos and I was expecting to met Gordon one day to thank him for the music he composed and the way of his unique playing. He added swing to pipe music, he had something different from the rest of the pipers. Great lost to piping world, great lost for me. Rest in peace.

Gordon,

I said a wee prayer for you today,
Gordon I lit a wee candle for you.
Gordon lots of musicians,
will write wee tunes in your memory,
You will be missed and remembered
just like John Lennon.

Check out Stuart Cassells "My Thoughts on Gordon Duncan" post.

http://www.footstompin.com/forum?forumid=3&threadid=45199&action=post

Having read Stuart's thoughts everyone will have an even greater admiration for Gordon Duncan's contribution. I hope there will be as fitting an obituary in the national Press.

From Donald MacLeod:

Having read Stuart's post, it was a nice tribute and just makes me want to remember some good times too.

I am really shocked about what has happened - it's really unbelievable that Gordon has gone.

I remember when Gordon was competing a bit in the mid-90's - it was pretty awe-inspiring as an aspiring young piper to play against him, but the main thing that struck me then was his total humility and down to earth style. He was up competing in South Uist and that remains one of the best, most enjoyable games I've ever been to. It pissed it down and they held the piping indoors and Gordon won everything against a pretty strong field. We then went to the Borodale Hotel where Gordon sat, eyes shut on a barstool and played tune after tune after tune - absolutely amazing.
The next day, I was playing at Benbecula and was rough as a dog, and Gordon, who wasn't playing because it was an under 30 event, waved me over in the canteen at 9am to offer me a hair of the dog from his hipflask to help steel me for the day ahead. Then on the ferry back home at the end of the week, the pipes were straight out in the bar for the duration of the journey home.

These are the things that I'll remember when I'm old and past it, not some bland games somewhere in the central belt or another faceless pipe band major championship.

The last time I really spent any time in his company was one of these days a couple of years ago that just happened out of the blue. Sunday afternoon, popped into the Hebrides bar in Edinburgh, having had a pint or two watching a Scotland rugby match elsewhere. I don't remember exactly who was there, but anyway the pipes were floating about, and having been there for a while in strolls Gordon, who had been putting the finishing touches to the production of Thunderstruck that weekend. I ended up blethering to him for ages and he was really excited about this track he had finished up which had the Battle of the Pass of Crieff transposed to the Duthart Drum salute. It sounded like a crazy idea but there you go, no surprises to hear the finished product working so well. I listened to Thunderstruck last night - I suppose I'm not a bad player in the grand scale of things but what he does on that album just makes me want to hold my hands up and appreciate what it is without any need to try and emulate it because it is genius, pure and simple.

As competitors in the piping scene, I suppose we can all realistically try to match the good players, playing well on a good set of pipes, but there are a handful of people who are just on a different level, in terms of playing and musicality - pure viruosity - Gordon was at the top of that list.

A lot of memories might revolve around the pub, but that was where the music was getting played. I just remember being so amazed as a young player that someone with so much talent to burn was such a down to earth guy, almost apologetic for being that good but always willing to share time and give encouragement to punters like me. It kind of instilled a sense of belief in me, when sometimes it's easy to lose faith in your own abilities.

I didn't know Gordon particularly well, but I'm glad our paths crossed when they did and from that point on he always took time to say hello and that mattered a great deal to me. I suppose we were lucky to play on the same boards as him, share a tune or two on his pipes and have a dram or two in the process.

To me, the enjoyment has always been in the craic, living for the moment. If going to the games dance or playing at the impromptu ceilidh in the pub til the wee hours meant a sore head and a dodgy tune the next day, so be it.
There was always the next time. Too many people nowadays are so obsessed with winning prizes, they don't actually understand what is really important in life and the fact it can be gone forever in a flash.

continued................

Donald MacLeod's post continued.............

He will be sorely missed and I'm forever grateful that I had the chance to experience what I did, when I did. I'm sure I'm not alone in feeling this way.

Cheers,

Donald Macleod
P/S Boghall and Bathgate PB

Just got the news about Gordon Duncan. We are all very sad to hear of his passing. His tunes are very popular here in Cape Breton and we will be sure to keep playing them for years to come.

Wendy, Mairi, Patrick, Ryan and Mac of Beolach

Musicians the world over will miss this crazy genious, his tunes are immortal - lets play them with vigour to fuel his memory. My thoughts are with his family.

I am very sad;
From Cantabria (Spain), condolences to his family and friends.
His tunes are immortal and will be play and feeling in many differents places and cultures of the world.

Thank you very much for your genius.

God Rest his soul.

Santiago Sánchez.

Devastating news.

When I lived in Pitlochry I used to look forward to seeing Gordon every Friday morning in the execution of his day job , and we always had a wee chat about the music.

Strange thing , my cocker spaniel was normally very apprehensive about strangers, but took to Gordon immediately, and absolutely adored him. When he left she would always whine for ten minutes. We always thought he had some kind of special rapport there ...

I was fortunate enough to play with him a couple of times in informal settings, and his musicianship was absolutely breathtaking.

May he now find the peace he sought ...

ive had the priveledge to see Gordon playing at competitions and recitals and its a shame that new kids to piping will never see this magician of piping
a piper who fought hard for Freedom of piping as did William Wallace and i hope many generations of musicians will remember this for years to come
im sure his legend will be kept alive for future generations to come

Norman Chalmers writing in Scotland on Sunday 18th December:

"....And just a few days ago word came from Pitlochry that Gordon Duncan had died. Still in his early 40s, the son of the great bothy ballad singer Jock was supernaturally gifted on the pipes. He leaves some brilliant studio albums, but his live playing was astonishing.
Perhaps, like bluesman Robert Johnson, he met the devil at a Perthshire crossroads, for his imagination, dexterity and improvisational skills were breathtaking. There are few geniuses, and he was one."

Although I have only met Gordon Duncan once when I was 13 years old at the William Kennedy piping festival, he himself and the music he wrote has always inspired me and will continue to do so!......so here is to the greatest piper and musician I have ever known! your music will continue to inspire musicians and pipers alike world wide! conall.