About Donald

 

Donald was born in Ayrshire (Scotland). In October 1993 he was appointed House Organist of the Odeon Cinema Leicester Square when he was engaged to play the organ for 5 weeks before each performance of the Disney film, ‘Aladdin’. Since then he has appeared regularly at film premieres, special events and organ concerts. He has broadcast from the Odeon on BBC Radios 2, 3, 4 and the World Service. He has been featured on a number of television programmes and Donald has played for numerous Royal Film Performances, including several in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen. 

When he is not playing for concerts Donald specialises in the art of improvised accompaniments to silent films - his first public appearance accompanying films was aged 14, for a special evening screening in Paisley Town Hall. He has now more than twenty feature films ‘under his fingers’ including many of the major classics of the silent screen, as well as many different types of short silent films. These have been acclaimed by the critics and the audience absolutely love it!

His stylish accompaniments have led to numerous engagements (with many repeats) throughout the UK at venues such as The Victoria Hall - Hanley, The Usher Hall - Edinburgh, The Alexandra Palace - London, The Music Hall - Aberdeen, Wolverhampton Civic Hall, St Anne’s Cathedral - Belfast, Clonard Monastery - Belfast, The Musical Museum - Brentford, The Organ Museum - St Albans and also in Europe and the USA. 

His overseas concert appearances have included - in Poland at the Bielsko Biala Bach Festival, in Philadelphia (USA) at the Wanamaker Store and Girard College, in Holland for the Nederland’s Orgel Federation and several times in Germany playing the Moller organ in the music hall of the world famous organ building firm of August Laukhuff. At this venue he has also played for silent film evenings as part of the Hohenloher Cultural Summer Festival. In 2008 he was honoured to become a Patron of the Lancaster Town Hall Organ Restoration Project.

A highlight of Donald’s 2009 concert season was an appearance at the 70th Anniversary Concert for Blackpool Opera House where he accompanied the 1925 silent classic film ‘The Phantom of the Opera’.  Highlights of 2010 saw a capacity crowd enjoying Donald’s accompaniment to ‘Dr Jeckyll & Mr Hyde’ at the Usher Hall Edinburgh and him playing at The Royal Film Performance in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen at the Odeon Leicester Square.

2011 will see Donald return to a number of venues in the UK and Germany for one of his celebrated accompaniments to a classic silent film or a concert of popular music played in his own inimitable style.

Donald still finds time to fulfil his duties as Director of Music at St Mary's Parish Church Aylesbury and outside of his musical work he has an interest in mechanical music, clocks, steam trains and tram cars. He is the editor of the Johann Strauss Society magazine ‘Vienna Music’.

 

Donald's Photo Gallery

Donald's Concert Diary