View source for Roddy (R.S.) MacDonald

{{Use Australian English|date=January 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name                = R. S. MacDonald
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| background          = non_vocal_instrumentalist
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| alias               = Roddy
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1956|07|27}}
| birth_place         = [[Inverness]], [[Scotland]]
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| genre               =
| occupation          = Piper, composer
| instrument          = [[Bagpipes]]
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<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Scottish bagpiper R S McDonald 2015.jpg|thumb|right|R. S. MacDonald, at [[Toowoomba]], Queensland in October 2015 as part of the Queensland [[Pops Orchestra]]'s ''A Celtic Gathering'' performance]] -->
'''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]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.pipetunes.ca/composers.asp?pg=Details&composerID=93 | title=R. S. MacDonald (1955 -   ) | publisher=McGillivray Piping | accessdate=10 September 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120821135006/http://pipetunes.ca/composers.asp?pg=Details&composerID=93 | archive-date=21 August 2012 | url-status=dead}}</ref>
He was originally taught by John Hunter, tutor with the Inverness [[Boys' Brigade|Boys Brigade]] Pipe Band, an ex-[[Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders|Cameron Highlander]] and veteran of the [[Battle of the Somme|Somme]]. He was also influenced by [[George Gershwin]] through his school's music teacher.<ref name=Curnow>{{cite web|last1=Curnow|first1=Stuart|title=RS Macdonald: The Return of the King...|url=http://stuart-curnow.squarespace.com/blog/2014/5/18/rs-macdonald-the-return-of-the-king|accessdate=4 January 2016|date=18 May 2014}}</ref> He later played with the Inverness British Legion, [[Invergordon Distillery Pipe Band|Invergordon Distillery]] and [[British Caledonian Airways]] pipe bands. He also played for many years with the Balmoral Highlanders showband in London and toured extensively with them under the direction of his lifelong friend and pipe major, Willie Cochrane. In 1978, [[UK Singles Chart|UK Top 20]] single ''Scotch Machine'' by [[Voyage (band)|Voyage]] featured MacDonald's piping.
MacDonald's compositions have featured in over fifty recordings to date, including those of [[The Vale of Atholl Pipe Band]], the [[Black Watch]], [[The 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band]], [[Royal Scots Dragoon Guards#Pipes and Drums|The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards]], [[Band of the Scots Guards|The Scots Guards]], [[Simon Fraser University Pipe Band]], [[Shooglenifty]], [[The Tannahill Weavers]], MacUmba, Ceolbeg, [[Slainte Mhath]], [[Martyn Bennett]], [[Gordon Duncan (piper)|Gordon Duncan]], [[The Finlay MacDonald Band]], the [[Band of the Coldstream Guards|Coldstream Guards]] and the [[Red Hot Chilli Pipers]].  In 1986 he published the ''Clanranald Collection'' of bagpipe music and in 2003 released his debut album ''Good Drying'' which has received a considerable number of rave reviews in the international music press.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.musicscotland.com/cd/Roddy-R-S-Macdonald-Good-Drying.html | title=Roddy 'R S' MacDonald - Good Drying | publisher=Music Scotland | accessdate=10 September 2012}}</ref>
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 ''[[Piper and Drummer]]'' magazine and GHB Communications of Toronto to compose a modern [[piobaireachd]]. The piece was entitled ''Lament for Kenneth Alexander MacLennan of Connon Bridge'' and was published later that year.
He commenced employment in February 2003 as the pipe major and music director of the [[Queensland Police Service|Queensland Police Pipes and Drums]],<ref name=LinkedIn>{{cite web|title=Roddy S Macdonald|url=https://au.linkedin.com/in/roddy-s-macdonald-8365511a|website=LinkedIn|accessdate=4 January 2016}}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and went on to compose the tune named for the organisation's motto, ''With Honour We Serve''.<ref name=Curnow /> On 15 March 2006 at [[Government House, Brisbane|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.<ref>{{cite web|first=Malcolm |last=MacDonald|title=Pipe Major Roddy MacDonald Appointed as Piper to the Governor of Queensland|url=http://clandonald.org.uk/cdm00/cdm00a13.htm |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070806224246/http://clandonald.org.uk/cdm00/cdm00a13.htm|work=clandonald.org.uk|publisher=Clan Donald Magazine Online|year=2007|archivedate=6 August 2007|accessdate=10 September 2012}}</ref>
As part of [[Homecoming Scotland 2009]], two compositions were commissioned for the [[Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo|Edinburgh Military Tattoo]].  ''Salute to Australia'' by MacDonald was also played at the Tattoo's 2010 Australian tour.<ref>{{cite web|title=Tattoo celebrates Homecoming|url=http://www.gov.scot/News/Releases/2009/07/01121105|website=The Scottish Government|accessdate=23 January 2016|date=1 July 2009}}</ref> 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''.<ref>{{cite web|title=RS MacDonald – The Collection|url=http://kingdomthistle.com/product/rs-macdonald-the-collection/|website=Kingdom Thistle Pipe Band Supplies|accessdate=23 January 2016|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160119042834/http://kingdomthistle.com/product/rs-macdonald-the-collection/|archivedate=19 January 2016}}</ref>
In 2016 the [[Red Hot Chilli Pipers]] recorded MacDonald's composition ''The Fallen'' for charity.<ref>{{cite news |last1=BROWN |first1=Phil |title=Culture Club: Queensland music, arts and theatre news |url=https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/culture-club-queensland-music-arts-and-theatre-news/news-story/43a2e36d7e9113c788385d2c590191da |accessdate=1 January 2019 |agency=Courier-Mail (Brisbane) |date=28 December 2016}}</ref> The accompanying video had in excess of two million views of the BBC.{{clarify|date=January 2019}}
MacDonald is a [[Captain (armed forces)|captain]] in the [[Australian Army]] and part of their [[Australian Army Reserve|reserve army]] band and the [[Royal Australian Artillery|1 RAA]] Pipes and Drums in [[Brisbane]], Queensland.<ref name=LinkedIn />
== References ==
<references />
== External links ==
* [http://stuart-curnow.squarespace.com/blog/2014/5/18/rs-macdonald-the-return-of-the-king RS MacDonald – The Return of the King], article by Stuart Curnow, May 2014
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[[Category:Great Highland bagpipe players]]
[[Category:People from Inverness]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1956 births]]