Alastair McDonald is firmly established as Scotland's leading musical minstrel. In addition to television, radio and stage appearances world wide, he is a prolific recording artiste and can be heard on a variety of labels, most notably Corban Recordings situated in his native Scotland. Alastair’s programme is selected from a vast repertoire of traditional, contemporary and original material. Born in Glasgow in 1941, Alastair emigrated to Australia at the age of 8, where, during a period in the outback, he 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 and, 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, at ceilidhs and even back court concerts for political campaigns. For many of his early years he 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 and 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 and 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. “Filling time for an audience and not just passing it!” he says.

His concert programme can vary from a Scottish historical ballad to a humorous music hall ditty – from a Gaelic lament to a hand clapping American Negro Gospel song – not mere versatility for its own sake, but rather a genuine desire to share some of the very best at an entertaining and contextual level.

Alastair McDonald is equally at home in a jazz club, folk club, variety show, theatre, concert hall or church – not because he tailors his performance to the venue of the moment, but rather believes that a solid, entertaining, wholesome, uncompromising, thought-provoking repertoire should know no bounds nor require an apology wherever it may be performed. Alastair has the rare ability of lifting a song directly from the written page and into the hearts and minds of the listening public.

Alastair is available for a variety of venues and events, from theatres to festivals, both home and abroad. For more details of fees and availability please contact us.

www.corbanrecordings.co.uk