Roddy (R.S.) MacDonald
R. S. MacDonald | |
---|---|
Also known as | Roddy |
Born | Inverness, Scotland | 27 July 1956
Occupation(s) | Piper, composer |
Instrument(s) | Bagpipes |
Roderick 'Roddy' (R.S.) MacDonald (born 1956) is a pipe major, living in Brisbane, Australia, and a composer of tunes for the bagpipes.
MacDonald hails from the Scottish town of Inverness. His father is the renowned player, judge and composer of music, William MacDonald (of Gaelic-speaking Benbecula) and his grandfather, Donald MacDonald, was the pipe major of the 1st Battalion the Highland Light Infantry.[1]
He was originally taught by John Hunter, tutor with the Inverness
MacDonald's compositions have featured in over fifty recordings to date, including those of
In 2001 MacDonald left London after 26-years and currently resides in Australia and Japan, where he is employed as a professional musician.
In 2001 MacDonald was commissioned by the
He commenced employment in February 2003 as the pipe major and music director of the Queensland Police Pipes and Drums,[4] and went on to compose the tune named for the organisation's motto, With Honour We Serve.[2] On 15 March 2006 at Government House, the Governor of Queensland appointed MacDonald as 'The Governor's Piper' and presented him with her personal standard, to be flown from his bagpipes during vice-regal occasions.[5]
As part of Homecoming Scotland 2009, two compositions were commissioned for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Salute to Australia by MacDonald was also played at the Tattoo's 2010 Australian tour.[6] McDonald is the only Australian to have been Lone Piper at the Tattoo in both Scotland and Australia. The year 2009 also saw the publication of sixty tunes, R S MacDonald: The collection.[7]
In 2016 the Red Hot Chilli Pipers recorded MacDonald's composition The Fallen for charity.[8] The accompanying video had in excess of two million views of the BBC.[clarification needed]
MacDonald is a captain in the Australian Army and part of their reserve army band and the 1 RAA Pipes and Drums in Brisbane, Queensland.[4]
References
- ^ "R. S. MacDonald (1955 - )". McGillivray Piping. Archived from the original on 21 August 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
- ^ a b Curnow, Stuart (18 May 2014). "RS Macdonald: The Return of the King..." Retrieved 4 January 2016.
- ^ "Roddy 'R S' MacDonald - Good Drying". Music Scotland. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
- ^ a b "Roddy S Macdonald". LinkedIn. Retrieved 4 January 2016.[permanent dead link]
- ^ MacDonald, Malcolm (2007). "Pipe Major Roddy MacDonald Appointed as Piper to the Governor of Queensland". clandonald.org.uk. Clan Donald Magazine Online. Archived from the original on 6 August 2007. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
- ^ "Tattoo celebrates Homecoming". The Scottish Government. 1 July 2009. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
- ^ "RS MacDonald – The Collection". Kingdom Thistle Pipe Band Supplies. Archived from the original on 19 January 2016. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
- ^ BROWN, Phil (28 December 2016). "Culture Club: Queensland music, arts and theatre news". Courier-Mail (Brisbane). Retrieved 1 January 2019.
External links
- RS MacDonald – The Return of the King, article by Stuart Curnow, May 2014