Dr. Macpherson was the eldest son of Charles Macpherson, MICE, burgh architect to the City of Edinburgh. He came to London as a boy to enter the St Paul's Choir School and then went to the Royal Academy of Music where he won the Charles Lucas Medal for composition. He was first the organist at St David's Church, Weem, Aberfeldy, then organist at the private chapel at Luton Hoo, seat of Madame de Falbe. In 1895 he was appointed sub-organist at St Paul's Cathedral, London, under Sir George Martin whom he succeeded as organist in 1916.

He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music and was its Professor of Composition. He was also a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists and its President 1920-22. He re-pointed the Cathedral Psalter. He was an honorary member of the American Guild of Organists, an Examiner for the Associated Board of the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal College of Music, also a Director of the Royal Philharmonic Society and a member of the Worshipful Company of Musicians. He was a well known player of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach and he composed a number of orchestral works. He was a dedicated member of the Clan.

His son, Alasdair, was a scholar of Uppingham when this picture was taken. He became a Scholar of Trinity College, Cambridge, and gained a Double First in Classics and Divinity. He became a Fellow of Trinity and in 1939 he was elected to the Chair of Divinity at Toronto University, Canada. When war broke out he gave up the post and joined the RAF, training as a navigator. He was shot down over Rotterdam Harbour in a Blenheim of 2 Group during a low level attack on enemy shipping. As with his Father he had an Obituary Notice in the Times in which notice was drawn particularly to his brilliant published work on St Paul's Epistle to the Romans.