Allister MacGillivray was born January 17,1948, in the coal-mining and fishing town of Glace Bay.
10 Facts About Allister MacGillivray
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Allister MacGillivray began performing at the age of seven, later became a boy chorister and, as a teen, sang in local folk bands.
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Since leaving the road, MacGillivray has lived close to the village of Marion Bridge, known as Drochaid Mhira which remains strongly Canadian Gaelic-speaking.
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Allister MacGillivray is best known for a composition called "Song for the Mira" that provided the theme as well as the sound track for an Atlantic Canadian film, Marion Bridge.
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Allister MacGillivray's songs are often performed by choral groups, with over 1000 choirs throughout the world performing his works in classical contexts.
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Allister MacGillivray is one of the few composers to have a commercially produced alcoholic beverage named after one of his songs.
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Allister MacGillivray continues to write and arrange music, has released a compilation CD, and is involved in the operation of Sea-Cape Music Ltd.
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Allister MacGillivray has a Bachelor of Arts degree, has been awarded an honorary doctorate by The University College of Cape Breton, and has been designated The Official Bard of Clan MacGillivray Canada.
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Allister MacGillivray's compositions are popular with both professional and amateur choirs, notably his "Song for the Mira", considered a classic and translated into several languages.
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On November 15,2022, at Province House in Halifax, NS, Allister MacGillivray was presented with the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Medal in a ceremony conducted by Lieutenant-Governor LeBlanc.