Mary McDonald (composer) facts for kids

Mary McDonald (born in 1956) is an American musician who is a composer, arranger, producer, pianist, and organist. She is known for creating many pieces of music, especially for choirs and churches.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Mary McDonald showed a special talent for music from a very young age. By the time she was five years old, she could play hymns just by listening to them. This means she could play songs on an instrument without needing to read the sheet music!

She attended Carson-Newman College in East Tennessee and graduated in 1978. After college, she started her first job as an organist at Beaver Dam Baptist Church in Knoxville. Even though she was mostly self-taught on the keyboard and didn't read music perfectly, she was very good at making up music as she played.

With help from her husband, Mary wrote down the music from her church services. These pieces were so good that they were published in a magazine called Pedalpoint Magazine. In 1983, encouraged by a music publisher named John Purifoy, she composed her very first song for a choir, called a choral anthem.

A Career in Music

Mary McDonald's career is full of music! Besides writing her own compositions, she travels across the United States. She works as a choral clinician, which means she teaches and guides choirs, helping them improve their singing and performances. She leads many workshops for musicians and singers.

In 1985, she became an accompanist for the Tennessee Men’s Chorale. An accompanist plays an instrument, like a piano or organ, to support the singers. In 2000, Mary made history by becoming the first woman President of the Southern Baptist Church Music Conference. This was a big achievement in the world of church music.

For almost twenty years, Mary worked as an editor for sacred choral music at The Lorenz Corporation, a well-known music publishing company. She still works with them today as a consultant, sharing her expertise. She also continues to serve as the organist for Central Baptist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Mary is a member of important musical groups like the American Guild of Organists (AGO) and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). These organizations support musicians and protect their work. She even won an award from the John Ness Beck Foundation for her beautiful composition, "Yes, My Jesus Loves Me."

Family Life

Mary McDonald lives in Dandridge, Tennessee, with her husband, Brian McDonald, who is an architect. They have two children who are grown up and married, and they are also proud grandparents to seven grandchildren.

Her Musical Creations

Mary McDonald is a very busy and creative composer. She has written and published more than 1,700 musical pieces! These include many choral anthems (songs for choirs), cantatas (longer musical works, often with singing), and collections of music for keyboard instruments.

Here are some of her well-known compositions:

• "Seek First the Kingdom"
• "Yes, My Jesus Loves Me"
• "Then Sings My Soul"
• "Jesus Is the Living Stone"
• "All Because of the Wonderful Cross"
• "Be Still"
• "Immortal, Invisible God"
• "You Alone are God"
• "Only God"
• "America"
• "Hymn of Peace"
• "This Is the Dream" (which premiered at Carnegie Hall, a very famous concert venue)
• "Sing and Be Not Silent"
• "I Will Make All Things New"
• "I Must Tell Jesus with Blessed Assurance"
• "Sing Forth His Glorious Name"