Jim Wallace 27th October 1941: Folk singer and radio presenter Alastair McDonald, born, Glasgow. Alastair McDonald is firmly established as Scotlands leading musical minstrel. In addition to Television, Radio & stage appearances world wide, he is a prolific recording artiste & can be heard on a variety of labels. Alastair`s programme is selected from a vast repertoire of traditional, contemporary & original material. Born in Glasgow in 1941, Alastair emigrated to Australia with his family at the age of eight & growing up there, during a period in the outback, developed an interest in home made entertainment. Four years later he returned to Scotland just in time to be excited by the emerging pop scene & in particular, skiffle music, a fusion of American folk song with overlaid jazz influences, spearheaded by Lonnie Donegan. With a variety of local groups, he played in hospitals, old folks` homes, Churches, ceilidhs & even back court concerts for political campaigns & for many of his young years was a leading banjo player in the jazz scene of the period (winner of the award for best banjo player Elgin Jazz Festival 1962). As the years passed, Alastair`s musical horizons extended & in 1973 he was invited to co-host a new TV show of Scottish music entitled Songs of Scotland in the company of baritone Peter Morrison, with whom he has maintained a working relationship to this day. After only a few screenings, the viewing public responded so positively that the series continued year upon year, taking Alastair`s music into variety shows, pantomimes & plays throughout Scotland - and the world. Alastair`s commitment has always been to entertain, but he has fought to do so on terms he believes to be valuable. Give them what they want... is a maxim that he finds quite unacceptable. He strives instead to offer that which he considers to be wholesome, helpful, uplifting, cautionary, loving & entertaining - Filling time for an audience & not just passing it!, he says. cobbler.plus/wbc/federation/fedsupper/entertainers.htm
Posted on: Sun, 27 Oct 2013 17:28:16 +0000
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