Сидней Мэкуэн: Шотландиялық тенордың өмірі мен шығармашылығы

Canon Sydney Alfred MacEwan (19 October 190825 September 1991) was a Scottish tenor, who sang traditional Scottish and Irish songs. His name has also been recorded as Alfred Sydney Marley McEwan. (Marley was his mother's maiden name). TOC

Sydney McEwan was born and brought up in the Springburn area of Glasgow by his mother after his parents separated. Sydney was the younger of two brothers. His mother was Irish, from the Portadown area, County Armagh, and his father was born in Partick. The family were poor but Sydney's mother managed to pay for music lessons for both her sons and both won bursaries to good schools. Sydney attended St Aloysius' College in Garnethill from 1919 to 1924, before transferring to Hillhead Academy. He also commenced his singing career. In 1938 McEwan retired from concert work, and during World War II was an ambulance driver and an RAF chaplain. He was ordained in 1944.

While at university, his vocal talents were noticed and he began a singing career on the advice of Sir Compton Mackenzie and Irish tenor John McCormack. At this time he came to the attention of the Scottish region of the British Broadcasting Company, and became heavily involved in many broadcasts, specifically the Children's Hour programme. and the tour was repeated in 1938. Still performing as a priest, McEwan nonetheless continued to record and tour. Further trips to North America and Australia took place until as late as 1956. At one time he indicated a liking for the style of American crooner Bing Crosby. Arriving in Australia by flying boat, he took the mail train firstly to Melbourne as part of the Centenary of the Catholic Church celebrations. delivering a benediction to a large congregation there. It was considered he would be unable to fulfil any singing obligations for the ABC. The money of 'thousands of pounds' raised was going to build the memorial chapel at the Oban Catholic Cathedral, 'be dedicated to the Scottish and Australian soldiers who fell in the Second World War'. At the time his Melbourne attendance with the ABC was also the highest paid fee for a visiting singer.

He was featured on the BBC's This Is Your Life programme in October 1962 and his autobiography, On the High C's, was published in 1973. MacEwan died in September 1991, aged 82. His funeral was held in St Andrew's Cathedral, the church where he was ordained. He was survived by a brother. In Ireland on the first day of May each year, the popular hymn ‘'Bring flowers of the rarest, also known as ‘'Queen of the May, sung by MacEwan is played over the radio.

McEwan's tenor voice was captured in 39 record albums, singles, and EPs. It includes:

Songs of Scotland and Ireland, sung by Father Sydney McEwan with orchestra conducted by Philip Green. The Columbia record (330S 1073) was recorded in Australia circ 1950. The rear cover note was written by Mervyn Douglas. Side 1 songs were Scotland the brave, My ain folk, Bonnie Mary of Argylle, The road to the Isles, and Loch Lomond. Side 2 songs were The star of County Down, Mother Machree, Killarney in the Spring, The youth of the heart, and Rose of Killarney. In 1956 57 Columbia released his LP "Christmas Carols" (CL 924). Neither the organist nor the choir who accompany him are identified in the liner notes. The album includes a rendition of Michael Head's "The Three Mummers" (a modern carol recently recorded by Anne Sofie von Otter and Bengt Forsberg).