The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall was full of energy, with very healthy audience numbers on January 17, 2026, as the Gordon Duncan Tribute Pipe Band took to the Celtic Connections spotlight for Live ‘N’ Well @ 30. Marking thirty years since the groundbreaking Live ‘N’ Well album by the Vale of Atholl Pipe Band – where Gordon Duncan served as Pipe Sergeant under his brother Ian – this was a fitting tribute.
The first half unfolded as a captivating showcase of individual talents, setting a reflective and innovative tone before the band took over. Pipe Major Stuart Liddell delivered a masterful solo performance, followed by Ross Ainslie and Ali Hutton with a dynamic duet that embodied the cutting-edge piping inherited from their mentor.
Finlay MacDonald then joined forces with Ian’s daughter, Tina Duncan, on fiddle, creating a poignant moment where pipes and strings intertwined.
The half culminated in a mesmerising close with fiddler Greg Lawson performing his arrangement of Gordon Duncan’s haunting The Sleeping Tune, accompanied by Donald Shaw on piano – a beautiful version that left the audience in awe.
Capturing the afternoon’s up-tempo vibe, the band delivered a second-half performance that felt both nostalgic and forward-looking, honouring the importance of the music Ian and Gordon Duncan created for the Live ‘N’ Well concert and album 30 years ago.
