Bothwell history lesson

Yesterday we visited the wonderfully historic Bothwell Parish Church where we sang Choral Evensong directed by Frikki Walker and accompanied by Richard Walmsley.

The music included Bairstow's Save us, O Lord, Howells' Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis in G, William Smith Responses, and the introit Hear my prayer, O Lord which we were slightly naughty with after the rehearsal had finished.  Bothwell Parish Church has a mediaeval quire which has been closed for renovation for over four years but which was due to reopen a couple of weeks ago, that was partly why we arranged this date to go and sing there, but inevitably the works have been delayed by a short few weeks and although it's basically finished it hasn't yet been cleaned up, signed off as safe, and reopened so is still shuttered off from the main church.  But, and don't tell anyone this, access can be gained to it via an emergency exit door, so with copies in hand, and some trepidation lest the roof fell in on top of us, we briefly filed into the old part of the church and performed Purcell's hauntingly beautiful anthem with its soaring, climactic, eargasmic conclusion in the glorious acoustic of the mediaeval quire.  Just for fun.

Singing in the mediaeval quire

A splendid day was had by all the choir, we had a fair number of people not only in the congregation during the service but wandering in and out during the afternoon's rehearsals since the church doors were open in connection with Bothwell's Scarecrow Festival, and the welcome we received from the minister, assistant minister, and everyone at the church was lovely.

The minister, Rev Jim Gibson who is Chaplain in Ordinary to Her Majesty the Queen as well as being a Member of the Chapel Royal in Scotland, led the service (along with Assistant Minister Rev Hanna Ranking), and started by welcoming everyone and giving a brief history lesson on the church in Bothwell which although now firmly a Presbyterian Church of Scotland was originally Roman Catholic and following the Reformation was Anglican for thirty years.  With members from many traditions we are very firmly a multi-denominational choir, the RSCM has something to offer all Christian denominations, and we were glad to be singing in a building that has hosted many flavours of Christianity over the years.

Our thoughts now turn to our next meeting, on Saturday 8th October when at 4pm we will sing Choral Evensong in St Cuthbert's Parish Church, Lothian Road, Edinburgh, for which the music list will be announced soon.

2017 season announced

The venues for our 2017 season have just been finalised, so including the last half of our 2016 season from this point forward our plans are listed below.  Other than our rehearsal weekend when there is no public access we'd be delighted to see you at one or more of our services, which generally start at 4pm, last under an hour, and contain glorious music!

10th September 2016
Bothwell Parish Church
Choral Evensong at 4pm

8th October 2016
St Cuthbert's Parish Church, Lothian Rd, Edinburgh
Choral Evensong at 4pm

12th November 2016
Culross Abbey
Choral Evensong at 4pm

14th January 2017
St Michael's Parish Church, Linlithgow
Choral Evensong at 4pm

4th March 2017
Church of the Holy Rude, Stirling
Choral Evensong at 4pm

20th May 2017
Peebles Old Parish Church
Choral Evensong at 4pm

11th to 13th August 2017
Scottish Police College, Tulliallan Castle, Kincardine on Forth
Annual Residential Rehearsal Weekend (NB: No public access or performance)

9th September 2017
St John's Episcopal Church, Dumfries
Choral Evensong at 4pm

7th October 2017
St Machar's Cathedral, Aberdeen
Choral Evensong at 4pm

11th November 2017
St Paul's Episcopal Cathedral, Dundee
Choral Evensong at 4pm

Dunblane 2016

Psalm rehearsal

Yesterday saw the first half of our 2016 season draw to a close with Choral Evensong in Dunblane Cathedral, directed by Frikki Walker and accompanied by Steven McIntyre, including music by Peter Hurford, Richard Seal, Herbert Murrill, and Malcolm Archer.

Unfortunately the Rev Colin Renwick is ill at the moment, we wish him a speedy recovery, so the service was led by Richard Finch, the readings were done by Nigel Hart and Neil Parker, and the cantor was David James, all choir members.

Dunblane had been hosting a training day for the Scottish Churches Organist Training Scheme (SCOTS), which we gather went very well, and this meant that the congregation was boosted by many of the organists who had been enjoying their own music making earlier in the day.  Some of them joined various choir members in the Tappit Hen across the road from the Cathedral for a post-service refreshment, and it was nice to chat to them.

Some of us will get together with the choir of St Mary's Cathedral in Glasgow to celebrate RSCM Music Sunday on 12th June, then some of us are singing at the wedding of two of our members in August in Ayrshire (them having met in the choir) and in late August we have our residential rehearsal weekend when we'll start to learn repertoire for the next 12 months and of course we'll socialise hard!

The next time we shall sing as a choir together though is on Saturday 10th September when we'll be in Bothwell Parish Church (where one of our members is the organist) singing Choral Evensong at our customary time of 4pm.

There will soon be the annual meeting to plan our next year's activities, so that hopefully all the dates and confirmed venues can be announced to the choir at the rehearsal weekend (this is BY FAR the busiest time of the year for the choir administrator), so watch this space because they'll be announced here soon after the choir members get to know.

Wind and Fire of Pentecost

Join us at 4pm on Saturday 14th May 2016 in Dunblane Cathedral, when on the eve of Pentecost we sing Choral Evensong, directed by Frikki Walker.


Introit:         Litany to the Holy Spirit (Peter Hurford)
Responses:  Richard Seal
Canticles:     Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis in E (Herbert Murrill)
Anthem:       Rejoice, the Lord is King (Malcolm Archer)

Happy Easter

Happy Easter from all members of RSCM Scottish Voices.  We hope all your singing commitments during Holy Week and over the Easter weekend have been successful, rewarding, and spiritually uplifting.

Glasgow 2016

It was a day different to the usual one we enjoy, but enjoyable nonetheless.  Originally scheduled as Choral Evensong, we were asked by the Right Reverend Dr Gregor Duncan, Bishop of the Diocese of Glasgow & Galloway of the Scottish Episcopal Church, to instead provide the music for a Chrism Mass when priests from all over the diocese gather to renew their ordination vows and to bless various oils used in their ministry.

The Bishop delivered a homily, and made the choir feel particularly welcome and an integral part of the service during it, which was commented on afterwards by several choir members.

Directed by Frikki Walker and accompanied by Steven McIntyre the setting was Harold E Darke's rather nice Communion Service in F, with the soprano soloist Ruth Elder, tenor and baritone soloist Ian Gibson, and solo quartet made up of Ruth Elder, Pam Barrowman, Ian Gibson and Stewart Macrae.  Well done to all of them!

The anthem was a little gem by New York based Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo, called Ubi Caritas which if you haven't heard it before is well worth a listen.  A recording during which you can look at the sheet music too can be seen on YouTube here, and the sheet music is available to purchase from the RSCM here.

The next outing is for 20 of our singers who are making the journey south to Peterborough Cathedral on 9th April to join forces with our counterparts from the rest of the country as we celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the founding of RSCM Cathedral Singers by Martin How, in what promises to be a splendid Choral Evensong which includes O praise the Lord, a new introit written by Martin How for the occasion, Ayleward Responses, Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis in D by George Dyson, and Surrexit a mortuis by Charles Marie Widor (written not only for double choir but for two organs!).

The next time the full choir meets is on 14th May when we close the first half of our 2016 season with Choral Evensong in Dunblane Cathedral.  Originally planned as a joint service with RSCM Young Scottish Voices, for various reasons the youngsters aren't now available to join us for that service which will include Litany to the Holy Spirit (Peter Hurford), Richard Seal Responses, Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis in E (Herbert Murrill), and Rejoice the Lord is King (Malcolm Archer).

Chrism Mass

Join us at 4pm on Saturday 19th March 2016 in St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral, 300 Great Western Road, Glasgow, as we provide the music for the Chrism Mass when priests from all over the diocese of Glasgow & Galloway meet to receive Chrism Oils.

Directed by Frikki Walker, and on this occasion accompanied by Steven McIntyre, we will sing the Communion Service in F Major by Harold Darke, and the anthem Ubi Caritas by Ola Gjeilo

Carlisle

Our visit to Carlisle Cathedral got off to a wonderful start with our first rehearsal being in the Fratry, which used to be the dining hall for the monks of the mediaeval Priory.  How fantastic is this for a rehearsal venue!

The nice people of Carlisle were very welcoming and friendly, particularly James and John the vergers, and all of the choir thoroughly enjoyed our visit.  If they'll have us, we'll be back!

Our next meeting is on familiar territory when we will take part in a Chrism Mass in St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral in Glasgow on Saturday 19th March at 4pm.  The setting will be the Communion Service in F Major by Harold E Darke, and the anthem will be the rather lovely Ubi Caritas by Ola Gjeilo

Carlisle

Carlisle Cathedral

Our 2016 season gets off to what promises to be a cracking start on Saturday 6th February when we make our first visit as a choir just across the border into England, and sing Choral Evensong at 5.30pm in historic Carlisle Cathedral.

The music list is:

Introit: Peace I leave with you - Frederick Wadeley
Responses: Richard Shephard
Canticles: Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis in F (Collegium Regale) - Charles Wood
Anthem: A song of praise - George Dyson

Please do come to the service if you're in the Carlisle area, we're very much looking forward to our visit and it'd be great to see a few people in the congregation!

Happy Christmas

As all our members toil away at the singing commitments in their home choirs, we'd like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very happy Christmas, and a magnificent year of music-making in 2016!

Old Saint Paul's 2015

After a great sing yesterday in Perth our 2015 season draws to a close with a collaboration between the adults of RSCM Scottish Voices, and the youngsters of our wee sister choir Young Scottish Voices, when at 4pm on Saturday 14th November we will join forces to sing a splendid Choral Evensong in the delightfully atmospheric Old Saint Paul's Episcopal Church in Edinburgh, directed by Frikki Walker and accompanied by Richard Walmsley.

• Introit: Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace (S S Wesley)
• Responses: Richard Seal
• Psalms: 123, 124, 125 (chants by George Thalben-Ball, Samuel Wesley, and Charles H Lloyd)
• Canticles: Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis in A (Herbert Sumsion)
• Anthem: Love Divine (Howard Goodall)

Looking ahead, our 2016 season will kick off on 6th February next year when we are delighted to be making a first foray across Hadrian's Wall to sing Choral Evensong at 5.30pm in Carlisle Cathedral. 

Watch this space for more details, and don't forget to follow us on Twitter @RSCMScotVoices

2016 season announced

Hot off the press, our choir members have just been enjoying our annual residential rehearsal weekend which this year has been at the Scottish Police College, Tulliallan Castle, and during the weekend all of the venues for our 2016 season were announced, so including the remaining three events of 2015 all of our confirmed future activities can now be revealed to the world as:

• 5th Sep 2015, 4pm - St John's Episcopal Cathedral, Oban - Choral Evensong
  
• 3rd Oct 2015, 4pm - St Ninian's Episcopal Cathedral, Perth - Choral Evensong
• 14th Nov 2015, 4pm - Old Saint Paul's Episcopal Church, Edinburgh - Joint Choral Evensong with Young Scottish Voices
• 6th Feb 2016, 5.30pm - Carlisle Cathedral - Choral Evensong
• 19th Mar 2016,  4pm - St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral, Glasgow- Choral Evensong
• 9th Apr 2016 - Peterborough Cathedral - RSCM Cathedral Singers Golden Jubilee Celebration
• 14th May 2016, 4pm - Dunblane Cathedral - Joint Choral Evensong with Young Scottish Voices
• 19th to 21st Aug 2016 - Residential Rehearsal Weekend (no public performance)
• 10th Sep 2016, 4pm - Bothwell Parish Church - Choral Evensong
• 8th Oct 2016, 4pm - St Cuthbert's Parish Church, Edinburgh - Choral Evensong
• 12th Nov 2016, 4pm - Culross Abbey - Joint service with Young Scottish Voices

With so many lovely cathedrals, abbeys, and churches around the country it's sometimes hard paring down our wish-list to something workable, but 2016 looks like it's going to be a great year with a couple of welcome return visits (St Mary's Cathedral, Glasgow and Dunblane Cathedral), and the rest being first visits for us, including of course our first real foray across the border to our friends in England.

Full details of each service will be announced here and on Twitter nearer the time, and of course dates and venues are always published in The Network which is distributed to RSCM members and affiliated churches alongside Church Music Quarterly.