As a child, Moira sang and broadcast all over Great Britain with the famous Kirkintilloch Junior Choir.

She won many awards at Music Festivals - both as a singer and pianist, and it was, therefore, no surprise that on leaving school she went on to the Royal Scottish Academy of Music in Glasgow, where she was a distinguished student.

After graduating, she taught in schools in Ayrshire until a successful BBC audition changed the course of her career.

Moira was offered her own BBC radio programme called "Can't Help Singing", which she presented and sang with guests from the world of opera and stage musicals. This led to appearances on the hugely popular TV show "The White Heather Club" hosted by Andy Stewart (the only showcase for young singers coming out of Scotland). Moira was a regular guest on this show and Kenneth McKellar recognised her talent and invited her to join him on a concert tour of Canada and America then, later in the year, a tour of Australia and New Zealand followed by South Africa.

Attractive with a fine voice together with a winning personality, it was not long before she was offered her own TV series "Moira Anderson Sings". It won her a legion of new fans regularly entering the TV top list of programmes for the week.

This series continued for many years and with her "World of Music" TV shows produced by Yvonne Littlewood Moira was rarely off our TV screens. So it was no surprise when she "was surprised" by Eamonn Andrews holding his red book for Moira's "This Is Your Life", which had the top viewing audience of that week.

She was signed up for the Decca Record Company making many albums.

In 1970 she starred at the London Palladium for the first time and undertook many concert appearances in practically every theatre and concert hall in Britain.

It seemed a logical step then to have her as the presenter of "Stars On Sunday" - an innovative semi-religious concept that presented popular stars responding to viewers' requests for them to sing either inspirational ballads and songs, or read extracts from religious texts. This series ran from 1969-1977 with huge audiences. Moira brought to it charm, elegance, conviction and her own natural warmth.

As an unusually versatile artiste, many of her admirers consider that only in live performance can the full force of her vivid personality be experienced and indeed this is borne out by the enormous success she has achieved in concert and stage engagements in recent years. The beauty of her voice can also be heard in her many recordings which range from hymns to songs from the musicals, ballads, and folksongs to operatic arias.

She has performed in Cabaret at the Savoy Hotel in London on several occasions, the Manadarin Hotel in Hong Kong (twice) and done Guest performances on World Cruises for Cunard and P. & O. Her Concert Tours have taken her to Australia, New Zealand, Canada, America and TV appearances in Holland and Berlin.

Moira has made guest appearances on programmes with Morecambe & Wise, Liberace, Roy Orbison, Stephane Grappelli, Howard Keel, Harry Secombe, Les Dawson, Charles Aznavour.

Moira has also been honoured to appear in several Royal Command Performances.

One of the joys for her has been appearing "in concert" with some of the finest orchestras in Britain - the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the BBC Concert Orchestra.

Charity Work

Her services to numerous charities are endless. Over the years Moira has done innumerable concerts for Cancer Research, Blind Charities, The Royal Army Benevolent Fund, Churches, Carers, Children's Charities and various other institutions, and for over 40 years has been a Vice Patron of the British Polio Fellowship (she holds the post to this day).

For 5 years she was invited by the Royal British Legion to sing and the lead the community singing at the Service of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen and all the members of the Royal Family.

Honours

She was awarded the O.B.E. for services to Music and also holds the Gold Badge of Merit from the British Academy of Songwriters and Composers.

In 2001 she was made an Honorary Life Member of the Salvation Army Advisory Board in recognition of outstanding service. More recently, in 2002 she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Paisley.

Moira - Today

Moira has been married to Dr Stuart Macdonald (Consultant Anaesthetist) for 37 years and still enjoys singing and entertaining whenever she is invited to do so.