Jock Duncan

Jock Duncan (1925 – 25 March 2021) was a Scottish singer from Gelliebrae near New Deer in Aberdeenshire, known for singing many songs and bothy ballads from Aberdeenshire. He had performed at bothy ballad competitions since 1975 and made recordings of his music since 1996. In recognition of his work for furthering Scots singing, Duncan was inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame in 2006.[1] In 2000, Duncan was given a Herald Angel award from the Edinburgh Festival for his long work with ballad singing.[2]

Jock Duncan
Born1925
Gellibrae, New Deer, Aberdeenshire
Died25 March 2021(2021-03-25) (aged 95–96)
Dundee
GenresBothy ballad
Occupation(s)Farmer
Instrument(s)Voice
Years active1930s–2021

Early life

Duncan was born on the farm of Gelliebrae, New Deer, Aberdeenshire in 1925. In 1928, the family moved to South Faddenhill, to a farm owned by Duncan's grandfather that his father had taken over. Duncan left school at 14 years old to work on the farm as an orra loon or apprentice.[3]

Family

He was the husband of Frances Duncan and father of Gordon Duncan and Ian Duncan,[4] both well known for piping,[2] as well as Moria and Frances Duncan.[3] He learnt bothy ballads from his uncle Charlie Duncan.[5] Jock's mother was a pianist and his sister Marion was a singer.[6] His brother Jimmy was a fiddler.[3]

Both of his sons as well as his grandson, Alex Duncan, were pipers.[7]

Work

Duncan joined the Royal Air Force when he turned 18 in 1943, spending two years in France during World War II. After the war, he returned to farming. In the 1960s, Duncan worked for the Hydro Board, moving first to Thurso then to Pitlochry.[3][4]

Music

In 1960, Duncan featured on the Grampian TV programme Bothy Nichts, as a member of the Fyvie Loons and Quines.[8]

In 1975, Duncan entered and won his first bothy ballad singing contest in Kinross,[3] while in 2004 he came fourth in a contest in Moray.[8] In 2000, he was awarded the Herald Angel award for services to ballad singing,[9][3] and was inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame in 2006.[7]

Iona Fyfe credits Duncan as an influence on her own singing, describing him as an "uncle". They met while Duncan was judging the Turra Bothy Ballad competition.[10]

Other

Over fifty years, from the 1930s, Duncan interviewed Scottish soldiers that fought in World War I, recording all they could remember about country life in the Northeast of Scotland before the war. The 59 soldiers were mostly Scots speakers and Duncan transcribed the soldiers' stories in Scots. After giving all his recordings and transcripts to the University of Edinburgh, an edited book Jock's Jocks: Voices of Scottish Soldiers from the First World War was published in 2019.[11] In April 2019, Jock's Jocks was made into a single-act play and a Scots-language radio programme.[12]

Death

Duncan died on 25 March 2021 in Dundee at the age of 95.[13][14]

Discography

1996: Ye Shine Whaur Ye Stan!
2001: Tae The Green Woods Gaen[15]

References
  1. "Jock Duncan". Scottish Culture Online. Hands Up For Trad. Archived from the original on 2021-01-29. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  2. "Jock Duncan". Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame. 1 November 2012. Archived from the original on 2021-03-25. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  3. West, Gary (1 June 2021). "Jock Duncan - 1925-2021". www.livingtradition.co.uk. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  4. Gilchrist, Jim (20 December 2005). "Obituary: Gordon Duncan". The Scotsman. p. 33. Archived from the original on 2018-07-09. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  5. The singer and the scribe : European ballad traditions and European ballad cultures. Amsterdam: Rodopi. p. 198. ISBN 9789042018518. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  6. Shepheard, Peter. "About Jock Duncan". Electric Scotland. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  7. Bonn, Melanie (12 April 2021). "Tributes paid to Scottish cultural icon Jock Duncan after death at the age of 95". Daily Record. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  8. Russell, Ian (2007). "Competing with Ballads (And Whisky?): The Construction, Celebration, and Commercialization of North-East Scottish Identity". Folk Music Journal. 9 (2): 170–191. ISSN 0531-9684. JSTOR 4522806. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  9. "Angels speed the plough From Doric song to Das Rheingold, The Herald salutes the outstanding artists of the Festival". HeraldScotland. 28 August 2000. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  10. "Guise of Tough by Iona Fyfe". FolkWaves. 10 April 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  11. Robertson, James. "Scottish Review: Essential Reads". www.scottishreview.net.
  12. "Jock's Jocks". The Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  13. Drysdale, Neil (29 March 2021). "Folk music legend Jock Duncan ensured the voices of Great War troops will never be forgotten". Press and Journal. Aberdeen Journals Ltd. DC Thomson Media. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  14. Letford, Stuart (26 March 2021). "Jock Duncan, 1925-2021". Bagpipe News. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  15. Brown, Alan McIntosh. "Living Tradition CD review of Jock Duncan, Tae the Greenwoods Gaen". www.livingtradition.co.uk. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
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