Stirling City Choir

Stirling City Choir was formed in 1951 as Stirling Choral Union. It is a large mixed voice choir based in Stirling, Scotland, which has performed a variety of mainstream choral works as well as original compositions by members of the choir.

History

On 12 September 1951, Derrick Cantrell addressed a meeting of singers in the Fellowship Hall, Craigs, Stirling. He said that "A number of singers had been tested and there was a potential membership of over eighty." A draft constitution was adopted and the first chairman was appointed: Col. John Logan.

The first concert was a performance of ‘Messiah’ on 26 December 1951, with Derrick Cantrell conducting an orchestra of 18 players from Glasgow and a choir of "100 voices". Soloists were Joan Packer, Ruth Morrison, Duncan Robertson and Frederic Westcott.

By 1954 under the baton of Roy Lennox, the choir had become established in the life of Stirling] and has remained so over the years, conducted by Bramwell Cook, Henry Havergal, Stuart Anderson, George Farmer, Richard Halliday, once again George Farmer, Richard Galloway, and currently, Eric Dunlea. A policy of engaging young soloists has been encouraged including Patricia McMahon, Kathleen Livingstone, Neil Mackie and Margaret Anne Marshall all of whom are enjoying successful careers in the music world. The welcome close liaison with professional orchestral players in Central Scotland has always ensured a first class orchestra for the Spring Concerts.

In the year 2002, after celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Stirling and District Choral Union with a performance of the Scottish Premiere of ‘Christus’ by Franz Liszt with Falkirk Festival Chorus, it was decided that the choir chould modernise and become Stirling City Choir in keeping with the new city status of Stirling.

People

Stirling City Choir is currently being led by Musical Director Eric Dunlea, and rehearsals are accompanied by Christopher Baxter.

Dunlea was born in Cork City in the Republic of Ireland. He Studied at the local Municipal School with Frank Lacey and later at University College Cork, before taking a post-graduate course in trumpet at the Royal Academy of Music in London with Sidney Ellison. Dunlea worked with the Radio Telefís Éireann Symphony Orchestra in Dublin and the BBC Northern Ireland Orchestra before coming to Glasgow in 1979 to join the BBC Scottish Symphonic Orchestra.

Dunlea has played with many of the leading British orchestras and under some wonderful conductors, including Gunter Wand, Mariss Jansens, Simenov Sinaisky, Nello Santi, Alexander Gibson, Jerzy Maksymiuk and Ilan Volkov. He enjoys working with some fine young musicians at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama Junior Department, where he studied conducting with Martyn Brabbins. For the past five years Dunlea has conducted for Stirling City Choir and he became conductor of St James Orchestra in in Paisley in 2002.

For the past four years, Baxter has been studying at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, where he is tutored by Aaron Shorr and Graeme McNaught, as well as receiving regular coaching from the renowned pianist Nigel Clayton.

In addition to performing in almost every competition and regular concert appearances within the RSAMD, Baxter has participated in master classes with Roy Howat, Hyoung-Joon Chang, Murray McLachlan, Malcolm Martineau, Martin Katz and Andrew Zolinsky.

Baxter works regularly as a soloist, accompanist and chamber musician, and recent performances include recitals in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Paisley and Carlisle and Kent. Recent competition success includes the Kathleen Ferrier Young Singers Bursary Award (where he was awarded the Accompanist prize), and the Frank Spedding Lieder Competition (with Soprano, Natalie Montakhab).

Baxter is a regular performer with the Council for Music in Hospitals and the Flutewise charity.

Previous Concerts

Stirling City Choir perform a number of concerts each season, normally at Christmas, a charity concert in February and the main concert in spring.

The Choir were fortunate to have the opportunity to join a mass choir from across Scotland and perform Karl Jenkins' The Armed Man on 11 September 2005 at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall with the BBC Scottish Symphonic Orchestra, conducted by Karl Jenkins. The choir were invited back again on 12 November 2006, this time to perform the requiem.

The table below lists all the choir's previous spring concert performances:

External links

* [http://www.stirlingcitychoir.org.uk/ Stirling City Choir official homepage]