Donald Mackey

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Donald Mackey (* 1920 in Brockville / Ontario ; † February 9, 1993 in Montreal ) was a Canadian organist , choir director and music teacher .

Mackey attended school in Ontario and studied music with Alfred Whitehead . During World War II , he served in the Royal Canadian Air Force . From 1947 to 1965 he was organist and music director of the Church of the Messiah in Montreal. From 1953 to 1960 he was music at Westmount High School . At Trinity College of the University of Toronto he studied with Healy Willan and received in 1954 the Bachelor of Music .

In 1956, Mackey founded the Renaissance Singers of Montreal , with whom he made more than a hundred radio appearances by 1976 and gave numerous concerts that were recorded. From 1960 to 1990 he worked at McGill University as organist, secretary and choir director of the music faculty and supervisor of the Conservatorium of Music . In 1966 he founded the McGill University Summer School for Organ and Harpsichord , which he directed until 1971, and from 1973 to 1975 he directed the McGill Summer Music Camp . In 1981 he organized a symposium on the occasion of the inauguration of an organ by Helmuth Wolff in the University's Redpath Hall ; In 1982 he published a documentation of the symposium.

In 1981 Mackey became music director of the Church of St. John the Evangelist . Between 1984 and 1986 he was President of the Royal Canadian College of Organists . In June 1987 he was appointed University Organist Emeritus at McGill University. From 1987 until before his death he was President of the Montreal Chapter of the Prayer Book Society of Canada .

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