The Christmas Music of Sarah MacDonald
by R. Rojas
While we are still working on a post on Elizabeth Poston, we
decided to focus on a 21st Century composer and choir director, and
that is Sarah MacDonald (b. 1968).
MacDonald is a Canadian–born organist, conductor, and composer
living in the UK. She currently is at Selwyn College, Cambridge as Fellow and
Director of Music and is also the director of the girl choristers at Ely
Cathedral.
MacDonald has been at Selwyn College more than 20 years,
starting in 1999 and is the first woman to be in that post. In 2018, she received
the award of Associate of the Royal School of Church Music (ARSCM). A more in-depth biography can be found on
Wikipedia and at her website.
Her most recent recordings with Chapel Choir of Selwyn
College, Cambridge was 2020’s Choral Music
by Paul Ayres off Regent Records and the Christmas album Christmas Music by Ben Parry (2019)
which also included the Ely Cathedral
Girls' Choir.
Previous Christmas recordings include:
- An Ely Christmas with the Girl Choristers and Layclerks of Ely Cathedral Choir (Regent 2018)
- Christmas from Selwyn ( Refent 2017) Choral music for Advent and Christmas by Alan Bullard (Regent 2015)
- Sing reign of fair maid: Music for Christmas and the New Year (Ely Cathedral Girls’ Choir)(Regent 2008)
- The Moon of Wintertime: Carols from around the world (Chapel Choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge)( URM Audio 2005)
MacDonald has an arraignment for upper voices and organ of "The Cherry Tree Carol" (2015) (Encore Publications):
Advent Responsories II (SA + Unison Lower Voices)
Hear selection: https://www.rscmshop.com/media/1834/01-advent-responsory-macdonald.mp3
"The Holy and the Ivy" (2016) arrangement for upper voices and organ (Encore Publications):
"O Holy Night" (Adolph Adam) (SS + organ) Selah Publishing:
The Angel Gabriel from heaven came (traditional) (SATB with divisi) Selah Publishing:
Arise, shine! (SATB with divisi) Encore Publications. Selection can be seen in this Selwyn College Chapel: Readings and carols for the First Sunday of Advent:
"The Infant King," (traditional) (SA + Unison Lower Voices) RSCM :
Listen to audio Link: The Infant King
"The Manger Empty," SSAATTBB) Banks Music, with words by R. S. Thomas:
O come Emmanuel (traditional) (SSAATTBB)Encore Publications:
MacDonald does have a Christmas song called "Bethlehem Star" (SATB with organ), but I could not find a video for it. At her website, McDonald provides a link to Sacred Music by Women Composers, Vol. 3 that has this song in it. MacDonald also has a version of "Do You Hear What I Hear (SSAATTBB) forthcoming in 2022. She has a 2019 score of "Guadete" which can be found on Encore Publications. She has much more scared music that can be found at her website, and she also has a setting of Magnificat:
More can be found on Sarah MacDonald at her website and Wikipedia.
Jan. 31, 2021 Correction: Our apologies to the composer. We corrected the spelling of the composer's last name.
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