Shelagh Mcdonald

Shelagh McDonald

Shelagh McDonald is a Scottish folk singer, songwriter and guitarist from Edinburgh, born in 1948. She moves from Scotland to London in the late 1960s and becomes part of the folk music scene there.

Recording career

McDonald releases two albums in the early 1970s. Her debut, Shelagh McDonald Album, appears in 1970 and sells poorly. Stargazer follows in 1971, sells better and receives critical acclaim. After that release, she disappears from public view.

Style and collaborators

Her music is associated with British folk and is often placed near the work of contemporaries such as Sandy Denny, Nick Drake and Duncan Browne. Her voice is described as a clear soprano, with qualities between Joni Mitchell and Sandy Denny. On her albums she works with Richard Thompson of Fairport Convention, Danny Thompson of The Pentangle and arranger Robert Kirby, known for his work on Nick Drake recordings.

Later appearances

After more than 40 years away from public performance, McDonald makes an official appearance as a guest of The False Beards at the Green Note in Camden, London in January 2013. She performs previously unrecorded material as well as her version of the traditional song “Let No Man Steal Your Thyme”. Further low-key appearances follow in 2014, mainly in Scottish venues, and she later undertakes a longer tour in 2017 with Nigel H. Seymour, including dates in England.