1877 – 1933

The Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology (https://hymnology.hymnsam.co.uk/d/duncan-mcneil) writes:

McNeil was a travelling Scottish evangelist, based in Glasgow. He continued to live there, apart from a visit to the USA in 1927-30, where he was associated with Kimball Avenue United Evangelical Church, Chicago (1928-30). McNeil published Duncan McNeil’s Hymn Book (London and Glasgow: Pickering and Inglis, n.d., but dated 1923 in British Library Catalogue). It is said to include ‘Song Testimonies’ and ‘Pilgrim Songs’, which were presumably earlier productions by him.

The singer recorded over 30 sides for Beltona in the late 1920s and early 30s.

It is suggested that he started life as a comedian when he was a colleague and friends of Harry Lauder – also that he published an autobiography called “From Stage to Pulpit”.

Concertinist James Lindsay of Glasgow wrote in a personal communication in 1986: “The man… had a book of his pieces, about seventy years ago. He was a wonderful tenor singer. A minister in the Baptist Church in Orr Street off Bridgeton Cross. He was called “The Scottish Skylark” because of his voice. He had two sons who accompanied him in singing, one played the piano, the other a 56 key concertina.”

A Dugald McNeill also recorded sacred songs for Beltona and may be the same person.