Pianist

Anita MacDonald

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About Anita MacDonald

Wedding/function pianist, keyboard player, and ceilidh caller. Professional Opera and Scottish singer, numerous tv and radio performances.
Pianist
Uxbridge
Public liability insurance of £10 million

Hi I'm Anita and I'd love to make your event as memorable as I can, for all the right reasons!. I have included a few recordings as I am asked to do three or four distinct styles by clients. 1. Classical singing/piano for functions. I am fortunate to be able to play and sing opera and light classical styles for high end corporate events and weddings, all black tie events and grand openings. I have sung and played piano in huge venues over the years on Albert Hall, Usher Hall, various stadia, National TV, radio etc and even appeared in a Hollywood film as an A lister pianist. 2. I also sing and play jazz, on my own or as part of a big band, so those of you looking for background singer/pianist may wish to click on my jazz reel. 3. I do ceilidhs too; being Scottish I can call Ceilidh dances with backing tracks, or provide a band for larger events, with me calling and playing keyboards. We do have much fun! I provide various wedding packages, eg I can sing or play classical for the Ceremony, background for the meal and then a ceilidh later, once you've digested your food! Transport, PA, Travel, instruments, planning meetings on Meteor video, lists of repertoire are all included. We also provide customised arrangements if there is anything else you'd like.

Anita MacDonald
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5 out of 5
6 verified reviews
Satisfaction
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5.0
Professionalism
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5.0
Communication
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5.0
Punctuality
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5.0

Anita MacDonald's Reviews

From Encore customers:

NT
Natasha T
6 months ago
Full starFull starFull starFull starFull star
5 out of 5

Everyone had a wonderful time and were even improved dancers by the end. Anita went above and beyond to make the day special.

Reply from Anita MacDonald
6 months ago

Thanks so much for inviting me, a lovely evening. Best regards Anita

KF
Kathy F
7 months ago
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5 out of 5

Fabulous Fabulous Fabulous everyone had the most wonderful evening which made my 70th birthday party a huge success. Thanks Anita x

Reply from Anita MacDonald
7 months ago

Thanks so much Kathy, was a fun gig!

From other customers:

CG
Conor G
1 year ago, for a Charity event in Winchester
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5 out of 5

We had a wonderful night and had great craic!! You had fantastic energy in getting everyone involved, made the evening very enjoyable and helped create lasting memories. We also managed to raise a good sum for a local charity which is fantastic. Thanks one again. We will do again!!

NC
Natalie C
1 year ago, for a Bar / Club / Venue event in 574 London Rd
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5 out of 5

A superb ceilidh let by Anita, who taught us all the dances and then played the background music too! Would highly recommend

Read all 4 reviews
Encore badges
Lightning fast responses
Average response time under 2 hours
10 gigs
Experienced: 10 bookings through Encore
Saved the day!
Booked for an Encore gig with less than 24 hours’ notice
1st Anniversary
This act has been working with Encore for over a year
Member of the Encore community forum

Anita MacDonald's Song list

If it isn't on the list, just request it! I can download anything and learn it with a few hours notice, so this is just an example list below. If you are looking for Ceilidh dances, please scroll to the end of this list, or look at my ceilidh band listing, as this is my soloist profile.
Almost Like Being In Love
A Million Dreams
A Nightingale Sang
A Part Of That
A Whole New World
A Woman's Worth
A Thousand Years
Absolute Beginners
After All
Alfie
All I ask Of You
All Of Me
Always
Always Starting over
An Die Nachtigall
Angel Eyes
Any Dream Will Do
Apologise
As If We never Said Goodbye
As Long As He Needs Me
Ascolta
Ascot Gavotte
At The End Of The Day
Auld Lang Syne
Autumn Leaves
Ave Maria
Baby Its Cold Outside
Bach Air on a G String
Back To Black
Bal Masque
Ballade Pour Adeline
Ballet Music
Barcarolle
Beautiful Mistakes
Begin the Beguine
Bella's Lullaby
Berceuse
Berlin. Song
Big Spender
Bizet Minuet
Blue Christmas
Brahms Intermezzo
Bruises
Burn
Cache Cache
Can you Feel The Love Tonight
Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man
Canon in D
Canyon Moon
Chanson Triste
Chasing Pavements
Christmas Waltz
Close To You
Comptine D'Un Autre Ete
Consider Yourself
Crazy In Love
Cristofori's Dream
Crystallize
Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
Dancing With The Devil
Dancing Queen
Daniel
Debussy - Arabesque/ Clair De Lune
Defying Gravity- Wicked
Dietro Casa
Dmitri Shostakovish Waltz
Dont Let the Sun Go Down On Me
Dont Know Why
Down
East At Glendart
Easy On Me
Empire State Of Mind- pop
Europa
Everything I know
Fallin' - Alicia Keys
Falling- Harry Styles - pop
Fascination- 1940s
Fearless- Taylor Swift
Feel Pretty -
Feeling Good
Feels So Good
Feodora
Fly
Fly Me To The Moon - Buble version /other version
Fly Fly Away- Catch Me If you Can- film
For All We Know- Carpenters - pop
For Your Eyes Only- James Bond - film
Forrest Gump
Frank Bridge- Miniatures
From Now On- Greatest Showman
Galway Girl- Irish Folk
Game of Thrones- film
Georgia on my mind - Blues
Get Me to The Church- Wedding
Girl On Fire- Alicia keys
Give Peace A Chance- Beatles
Glasgow- Theme from Love Actually- Film
Gloria in D Major
Golden- Harry Styles
Good Morning Baltimore- Musical theatre
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road- Elton John
Granda- Spanish
Halo- Beyonce- pop
Hang Your Lights- Jamie Cullum, jazz
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
He Was Beautiful
Heaven Is A Place On Earth- Belinda Carlisle
Hello Again- Neil Diamond
Here I am- Musical theatre
Hey Jude
Hit the Road jack
Holding Out for a Hero- Bonnie Tyler
Holly Jolly Christmas
Hopelessly Devoted To You- Grease
Hotel California
How are Things? -1940s
How Could I ever know- Musical theatre
Humoresque
Hungarian Dance
Hymn For The Weekend- Coldplay
I Could Be Happy With You- The Boyfriend
I Could Have Danced All Night
I Dreamed a Dream- Musical Theatre
I Drink Wine- Adele
I Have Nothing- Whitney Houston
I Heard It Through The Grapevine
I Say A Little Prayer For You
I Wanna be Like You
I Want It That Way
I Will Always Love You
I Wont Dance
I Have A Dream
I'd Give My Life For You
I'm Gonna Be a Country Girl Again
I'm Gonna Wash That Man
If the World Turned Upside DownIf I Ain't Got You
If I Were A Boy- Beyonce
Il Postino- film
Imagine- John Lennon
Interstellar
Into The Unknown- Frozen
Irish Blessing
Islands In The Stream
It's Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas
It's Only a Paper Moon
Its Not Unusual- Tom Jones
James Bond Theme- film
Jaws
Jealous Of The Angels
Jealousy
Jessica's Theme
Jesus Loves Me- Whitney Houston
Jurassic Park- Film
Just Can't Get Enough
Just The Way You Are
Just The Two Of Us
Kashmiri Song
Killing Me Softly
Kiss The Rain
Knockin' On Heaven's Door
Lake Erie Rainfall- background
Lara's Theme
Last Carnival
Lay All Your Love On me
Lazy
Lean on Me
Levitating
Libertango
Light My Fire
Listen
Lost Cause
Love Of My Life
Love On The Brain
Lovin' You
Lush Life
Mambo Inn
Mamma Mia
March from Dr Finlay
Marie Elena
Marilyn Monroe
Married Life
Melodies of Life
Melody in F
Memory
Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence
Metamorphosis 2
Minecraft
Misty- Ella Fitzgerald
Moog City
Moonlight Sonata
Mozart pieces (various)
Mrs Robinson- Simon & Garfunkel
My Favourite Things
My heart and I
My Heart Will Go On
My Girl
My Guy
Nadia's
Naughty
Never Enough
Never Gonna Give You Up
Newton's Cradle
No-one -Alicia Keys
Northern Sky
Now the Dancing Sunbeams Play
Nuvole Bianche
Ob-La-Di
Oblivion
Old Shep
On The Steps Of The Palace
Once You Lose Your Heart
One Love
One Moment In Time
One For My Baby
Over The Rainbow
Overpass- Ed Sheeran
Papillons
Paradise- Coldplay
Part Of Your World- Disney
Part Time Lover- Stevie Wonder
People Will Say We're In Love
Perfect Way To Die
Perhaps, Perhaps,
Piano Man
Pie Jesu
Pink Flamingoes
Popular- Wicked
Price Tag- Jessie j
Primavera- Einaudi
Raiders of the Lost Ark- film
Red Roses
Rewrite The Starts- Greatest Showman
River Flows In You
Rocket Man- Elton John
Romance
Sadness and Sorrow
Say you, Say me- Lionel Richie
Schindler's List
Senorita
Shallow- Lady gaga
Sign of The Times- Harry Styles
Singin In The Rain
Single Ladies- Beyonce
Sixteen Going On Seventeen
Skinny Love- Birdy
Skyfall- Adele
Slipping Through My Fingers- Abba
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
So Far Away- Dire Straits
Someone Like You- Adele
Someone To Watch Over Me- Ella Fitzgerald
Somewhere In Time
Somewhere Thats Green
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Song For Guy- Elton John
Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
Stand By Me
Star Wars- film
Stars and the Moon- Songs For A New World
Step Inside Love
Stop The Rain
Succession theme tune
Superstition
Sweden- Minecraft
Sweet Child O Mine
Sweet Creature- Harry Styles
Sweet Lorraine
Take me Home, Country Roads
Take a Chance On me
Take Five
Take Me To The Church
Tango
Tears In Heaven
Tell Me On A Sunday
Thank-you For The Music- Abba
That Don't Impress Me much- Shania Twain
The Closest Thing To Crazy
The Cradle
The Dark Island- Scottish
The Godfather- film
The John Dunbar theme- film
The Lady Is a Tramp
The Perfect Nanny
The Pink Panther
The Rosary
The Water Diviner
The Girl I Mean To Be
The Sound Of Silence
Theme From Sabrina
Three Times a Lady
Tides
Time Lapse
Time To Say Goodbye
Tiny Dancer
Tomorrow
Tonight
Too Beautiful For Words
Top Of The World
Try A Little Tenderness
Turkey In The Straw
Una Mattina
Underdog
Vivaldi variations
Volare
Wake Me up Before You Go Go
Walk
Watermark
Watermelon Sugar
We've Only Just begun
We'll Keep a Welcome
Wet hands- gaming
What I did For Love
What More Do I need
Whatever Lola Wants
When We were young
When I Grow Up
When I was Your Man
Where Did The Rock Go?
White Christmas
Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again
With Joy In My heart
With You
Writings On The Wall- Sam Smith
Ye Banks And Braes O Bonnie Doon
Yesterday Once More- Carpenters
You Are My Sunshine
You Belong To Me
You Learn To Live Without
You Raise me Up
You Are The Sunshine Of My Life
Your Song- Elton John
Zip A Dee Doo Dah
Ceilidh Dances: takes ten minutes to teach steps, then another 10 to dance it, so if you are pushed for time, we can choose large two group dances and three smaller)
GayGordons
Strip the Willow (trad & Orcadian versions)
Virginia Reel
Dashing White Sergeant
St Bernards Waltz
Military Two- Step
Canadian Barn Dance
Paul Jones

Anita MacDonald's Prices

Note: prices may vary based on travel distance. For an exact quote, click “Check availability”.

Standard Prices
Performance durationPrice
Short performance (up to 15 min)£100
Up to 1 hour£150
Up to 2 hours£200
Up to 3 hours£250
Packages
Drinks reception
Two performances of up to 45 mins each during your drinks reception
£200
Wedding ceremony + Drinks reception + Dinner
- Music before the service begins, music during the signing of the register, and music as guests leave. - 2 x 45 min performances at the drinks reception. - 2 x 45 min performances as dinner is being served.
£400
WEDDING PACK
I play Classical/requested pieces for your journey up and down the aisle, background music through the meal, then round off the evening with a ceilidh, where I teach you the dances! Saves you the hassle of booking more than one musician! These are really popular so do message me if interested
£500
Customer questions

What if my timings change after I've booked you?

Just message me and I will try to accommodate as much as possible. As long as I have somewhere to sit and read, I can wait to start!

Can you provide an iPod/DJ service before and between your sets?

Yes, I just put a playlist on, in whatever style you'd like. If I am doing a wedding I will do a bespoke list for you.

How much time do you need to set up?

It really depends which service- if it is ceilidh calling, around 30 min min to set up PA and soundcheck it. If piano and there is one there, then just ten minutes. I do tend to get there early though, as I like to feel relaxed when we start, and chat to you about any last minute alterations

If I have a piano at my venue, are you happy to perform on that?

Yes, just send me a quick video to check if it is in tune, I wouldn't want to spoil your big day with a honky tonk piano- if in doubt, I will bring one.

Can I pick the songs you play from the set list?

Of course, but these are examples, I can play most things, so please feel free to request something special to you

Are you able to bring your own piano or keyboard?

Yes, I have a piano, keyboard and silent generator for outdoor gigs, or places with no electricity. I have my own PA system. I have a larger clavinova for more classical music. Or I have a white grand piano which can be transported in a van with more time, for high-end weddings and functions where you'd like maximum classy shots!

Can you learn song requests before the event?

Yes, easily, usually takes ten minutes, sometimes 20 if tricky, so please just let me know what you'd like.
Musicianship
Genres:
Classical, Christmas, Traditional church music, Contemporary Christian, Military, Baroque, Classical crossover, Contemporary classical, Early music, Fanfare, Opera, Musical theatre, Medieval music, Film / TV music, Renaissance, Electronic, Ambient, 1920s era music, 1930s era music, 1940s era music, 1950s era music, 1960s era music, 1970s era music, 1980s era music, 1990s era music, Folk, Bluegrass, Ceilidh, Country, Folk rock, Irish rock, Traditional Irish folk, Traditional Scottish folk, Traditional English folk, Jazz, Cabaret, Blues, Swing, Gospel, Ragtime, Easy listening, Light music, Originals, Avant garde, Marching, Pop, Acoustic, Covers, Karaoke, Top 40, Tribute, Vintage, R&B, Motown, Funk rock, Disco, Rock, Alternative rock, Britpop, Classic rock, Glam rock, Pop rock, Post rock, Synth rock, Rock 'n' Roll, Progressive rock, World music, Scottish music
See all genres
Instruments:
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Event types:
Wedding, Virtual event, Wedding proposal, Funeral / Memorial service, Church service, Hotel / Restaurant event, Bar / Club / Venue event, Cruise, Theatre / Show, Recording session, Concert, Charity event, Corporate event, Private event, Burns night, Birthday party, Christmas party, New Year's Eve
See all event types
Other skills:
Arranger, Transcription, Songwriter, Musical comedy, Accompanist, Repetiteur, Perfect pitch, Instrumental teaching, Theory teaching, Singing teaching, Examiner, Composition teaching
See all skills