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).

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.