RICHARD McDonald is God’s gift to music; music that soothes your soul, takes away your headache, raises the hair on your skin and keeps making you want more. Most of all, for some people, he can even bring tears to their eyes when the instrument touches his lips and he blows so lustfully, so passionately and so surreal. Making this publicly known every time he visits Linden is President David Granger. It would now be remiss if President Granger visits Linden, even on the most official visit, and Reverend Richard Mc Donald is not rendering a national song; most popular, My Guyana Eldorado, which in a blink of an eye, makes one embrace patriotism and shun disparity.
Reverend Richard McDonald is Linden’s renowned saxophonist, and one of the best in

Guyana and by extension the Caribbean. One would think that a man with such musical finesse, who has perfected his skills over the years and is now in demand for an overwhelming number of events is well schooled in music. Surprisingly, however, what one experiences emotionally when they listen to McDonald play, is raw talent, everything self-taught. “I didn’t go to a school; I don’t know music; I don’t know to read music. Whatever I do with music was given to me by God; it was gifted when I was in my mother’s womb; it was God’s doing, I can’t take any credit for it, I have to give him the glory,” he said.
Reflecting on how his love for music started, McDonald shared that he was just 12 years old when he started playing the guitar, which is actually his favourite instrument, but as he grew older, he gravitated to the saxophone. He literally taught himself to play all of the musical instruments and has realised his amazing talent in handling all. “I just naturally gravitated towards it. Whenever I saw an instrument- when I saw a guitar, I felt the instant connection. Every instrument that I played was self-taught, it was inborn,” he noted.

NEWFOUND LOVE

In was only in his late 20s however, when he was already a titled guitarist in his church band that he picked up a saxophone for the first time. As the story goes, the original saxophonist for the band had migrated and McDonald one day just sat and stared at the instrument which belonged to the church, wondering what next was to become of it. “Must it go to waste?” he asked himself and he decided to give it a try. He never put it back down since, in fact, his beloved guitar became second fiddle. Persons now had to embrace the rapid change McDonald made as he was now the beloved saxophonist.

The Reverend could not find words to fittingly describe what music means to him. The same effect his renditions have on his audiences is the same effect it has on him as well. Who would have thought so? “Any time I felt depressed or anything, I turn to the music. If I felt happy, I turn to the music; music balances off every emotion that I feel, so it is that emotion to me. Even though I am pastoring a church, I just cannot stop playing the music, because I have been playing the music since before I turned a Pastor. It is such an integral part of my life, it will be there with me until I can’t play anymore,” he noted.

The humble McDonald, who was never bold enough to accept how good he is during the interview with the Pepperpot Magazine, has over the years recorded and produced two CDs which have seen overwhelming response. The two CDs is his repertoire of gospels, national songs and Christmas songs. He is currently working on a vintage gospel CD which will include hymns of yesteryear.

PASSING ON THE TALENT
Playing a saxophone calls for a lot of stamina; an energy base that goes hand in hand with youth. As the Reverend gets down in age, though, he will always be young in spirit. He is cognisant that he will not be able to play the saxophone forever. He, however, does not want to take such rare and special talent to his grave and has made time and effort to teach the youths- those willing to learn- how to continue creating that impact in the lives of people through music. While confessing, that not many have shown the dedication and determination to learn, he is always willing to teach.

The saxophone, however, is a very personal instrument and, therefore, anyone willing to learn has to bring their own. “It calls for dedication, it calls for love. You must really want to play music. A lot of people want to play music. They would like to see themselves playing, but they don’t want to pay the price. The price is practising, practising, practising- whether your fingers hurt; whether you are in pain.”

Richard reminisced on having his fingers bleed while practising just to perfect the skill and believes that millennials do not want to possess that kind of determination. Until his time on earth has ended, however; until his fingers are not flexible enough to pull the strings of the saxophone and until his windpipe can no longer take it, he will be playing and will be making those tears roll down, not only from the eyes of the President but of all Guyanese.