Nathan MacDonald

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Nathan Bishop MacDonald is a singer/songwriter based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He was a founding member of a popular Canadian Celtic music group, Celtae, and also performs original folk rock music under the stage name Nathan Bishop.

MacDonald was born in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada and raised in Glace Bay on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia. His original music has received considerable attention in Canada. His song "Merchant Marine" was used as the theme song for Paul Ciufo's CBC Television drama, On Convoy. The same song has been included on Avondale Records' 2004 release, Singalongs & Shanties 2. MacDonald is a baritone singer who performs music on guitar, but is also known for his bodhran playing. He has an eclectic musical history. MacDonald has performed at major festivals throughout Canada including the Canadian Tulip Festival, The Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival, The Regina Mosaic Multicultural Festival and more. He has also performed at perstigious venues such as the National Arts Centre, in Ottawa, The Savoy Theatre in Glace Bay, Cape Breton, and Centre Point Theatre in Ottawa.

The Nathan Bishop project has been a sharp departure from his previous Celtic roots. These compositions have been referred to as Acoustic Groove Rock.

[edit] Education

While attending the University of Guelph and the University of Western Ontario, MacDonald was one of Canada's most successful intervarsity debaters. He won consecutive North American Debating Championships in 1998 and 1999, and was the Vice-President of CUSID, the Canadian national debating organization. He was also the fifth-place public speaker in world at the 2000 World Universities Debating Championships in Sydney, Australia.