I received some bad news today. Here is the message as it came over to me from Facebook sent by George Carteris.
Subject: John McDonagh Passing
Word was sent out this morning that John passed away at 5am this morning following his long battle with cancer. He was 86.
It’s impossible to state in a few words what influence he was on the art of fifing. My junior corps in the Bronx, St. Benedict’s, benefited immeasurably from his work there for nearly three decades that began in the late 1940’s. His teaching style and the music he wrote and arranged were incomparable.
There are no arrangements known yet. But, he will be buried in Arlington Cemetery.