Sarah MacDonald (musician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sarah MacDonald
MacDonald in 2019
Born	(1968-11-22) 22 November 1968 (age 56) Ottawa, Canada
Alma mater	Royal Conservatory of Music Robinson College, Cambridge
Occupation	Organist and conductor

Sarah Elizabeth Arwen MacDonald (born 22 November 1968) is a talented musician from Canada. She is an organist, a conductor, and a composer. Sarah MacDonald lives in the United Kingdom. She is currently the Director of Music at Selwyn College, Cambridge. She also leads the girl choristers at Ely Cathedral. She has worked at Selwyn College since 1999. She was the first woman to hold such an important music job in a chapel at a famous university like Cambridge. In 2018, she received a special award called Associate of the Royal School of Church Music (ARSCM).

Learning Music

Sarah MacDonald came to the United Kingdom from Canada in 1992. She was an organ scholar at Robinson College, Cambridge. Before that, she studied piano, organ, and conducting in Toronto, Canada. She learned at The Royal Conservatory of Music's Glenn Gould School. While at Cambridge, she studied music and played the organ with David Sanger. She started learning piano at the Victoria Conservatory of Music when she was younger.

Her Music Career

Sarah MacDonald has performed many concerts and led choirs. She has done this in the UK, North America, the Middle East, New Zealand, and Europe. She has made over 35 recordings. On these recordings, she has played piano and organ, conducted, and even produced the music. She often works with Regent Records.

Awards and Teaching

Sarah MacDonald won the Limpus Prize from the Royal College of Organists (RCO). She has also taught organ and conducting to many students. She has led courses for groups like Eton Choral Courses and Oundle for Organists. For ten years, she was a regular director for the Girl Chorister Course in New York City. She also leads international courses for the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM). Sarah MacDonald has a special diploma from the Royal College of Organists (FRCO). She also helps examine students for the RCO and Cambridge University. In 2023, she became the University Organist at Cambridge. She is the first woman to have this special role, which started way back in 1670.

Composing and Writing

Sarah MacDonald also writes her own music. Her compositions have been published by different music companies. In 2020, her own music series, the 'Sarah MacDonald Choral Series,' was launched.

She also writes a popular monthly article. It's for 'The American Organist' magazine, which is for organ players. Her column is called "UK Report." In 2022, a book of these articles was published. It is called "Cathedrals, Chapels, Organs, Choirs". In 2023, she helped create a new book of carols. It includes her own special musical parts for nine popular carols.

In July 2023, it was announced that Sarah MacDonald would become the next President of the Royal College of Organists. She started this important role in July 2024.

Selected Music Recordings

Here are some of the music recordings Sarah MacDonald has been involved with:

• 2025 - Seven Last Words from the Cross, music by Jonathan Bielby (with the Chapel Choir of Selwyn College)
• 2025 - St Francis of Assisi and other works, music by Bryan Kelly (with the Chapel Choir of Selwyn College)
• 2024 - J S Bach Goldberg Variations, her first solo album on the piano
• 2022 – Faces in the mist, choral music by Richard Peat (with the Chapel Choir of Selwyn College and Girl Choristers of Ely Cathedral)
• 2020 – Choral music by Paul Ayres (with the Chapel Choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge)
• 2019 – Christmas Music by Ben Parry (musician) (with the Chapel Choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge & Ely Cathedral Girls' Choir)
• 2019 – The garment of holiness, Choral Music by Iain Quinn (with the Chapel Choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge)
• 2018 – An Ely Christmas (with the Girl Choristers and Layclerks of Ely Cathedral Choir)
• 2018 – Utrumne est ornatum, Choral Music by Mark Gotham (with the Chapel Choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge & Ely Cathedral Girls' Choir)
• 2017 – Marvellous Light, Choral Music by Ben Ponniah (with the Chapel Choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge)
• 2017 – Christmas from Selwyn
• 2016 – Settings of the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis for upper voices (with the Ely Cathedral Girls' Choir)
• 2016 – Choral music by John Hosking (with the Chapel Choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge & Ely Cathedral Girls' Choir)
• 2015 – Choral music for Advent and Christmas by Alan Bullard
• 2015 – "The Eternal Ecstasy" – including music by MacMillan, Cooke, Tavener, Mealor, Whitacre, Lauridsen, and Bullard
• 2014 – Choral music by Phillip Cooke (with the Chapel Choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge)
• 2013 – Wondrous Cross: liturgical choral music by Alan Bullard (with the Chapel Choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge)
• 2013 – Penitence and Redemption: Pergolesi Stabat Mater and other music for Lent and Passiontide (with the Ely Cathedral Girls' Choir)
• 2011 – Choral Music by Gary Higginson (with the Chapel Choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge & Ely Cathedral Girls’ Choir)
• 2010 – Milles Regretz: music for lutes and voices (with members of the Chapel Choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge)
• 2010 – God be in my head: Choral music by Paul Edwards (composer) (with the Chapel Choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge)
• 2009 – Come out, Lazar: the Shorter Choral works of Paul Spicer (musician) (with the Chapel Choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge)
• 2009 – A lover’s complaint: New music for choir and organ (with the Chapel Choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge)
• 2008 – A Candle to the Glorious Sun: Music by Martin Peerson & John Milton Senior (with the Chapel Choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge)
• 2008 – Sing reign of fair maid: Music for Christmas and the New Year (with the Ely Cathedral Girls’ Choir)
• 2007 – Master-Pieces from Selwyn College, Cambridge (music selected for Chapel Choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge)
• 2006 – Christus vincit: Music by Colin Mawby (with the Chapel Choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge)
• 2006 – Songs of Welcome: Music for Women’s Voices (with the Newnham College Chamber Choir, Cambridge)
• 2005 – The Moon of Wintertime: Carols from around the world (with the Chapel Choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge)
• 2004 – One day in thy courts: Settings of the Psalms (with the Chapel Choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge)
• 2003 – Complete New English Hymnal Vol. XIV (with the Chapel Choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge)
• 2000 – Herbert Howells: Evening Canticles (with the Chapel Choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge)

Selected Published Works

Here are some of the musical pieces Sarah MacDonald has had published:

• 2024 Funeral Sentences for SATB choir
• 2024 O sacrum convivium for SATB choir
• 2023 Carols of our Time, an edited collection of carols, including her own new parts for nine carols
• 2022 Love has come, a carol for SATB choir and organ
• 2021 Wondrous Cross and Now the green blade riseth, arrangements for upper voices
• 2021 MacDonald in A flat, evening canticles for mixed voices (published by RSCM)
• 2020 Several works in the 'Sarah MacDonald Choral Series'
• 2020 Tomorrow shall be my dancing day, arrangement for ATB voices
• 2019 Gaudete, arrangement for mixed voices
• 2019 Take delight in the Lord, an anthem for mixed voices
• 2019 Keep me as the apple of an eye, an anthem for upper voices and organ
• 2018 Huron Carol, arrangement for mixed voices (published by RSCM)
• 2018 This joyful Eastertide, carol arrangement for ATB voices
• 2017 Advent Responsories, Matin & Vesper Responsories for mixed voices
• 2016 The holly and the ivy, arrangement for upper voices and organ
• 2015 Cherry Tree Carol, arrangement for upper voices and organ
• 2014 Andrew's Song, an anthem for upper voices and organ
• 2013 Miserere mei, Deus, an anthem for upper voices
• 2012 MacDonald in A flat, evening canticles for upper voices and organ
• 2012 Evening canticles (two sets) for upper voices (published by RSCM)
• 2009 Preces & Responses for upper voices