Chance to sing in Gloria X

The West End’s annual feast of choral and organ music – GLORIA – this year celebrates its tenth anniversary. Singers are invited for the choir, assembled especially for the event, which will perform in Glasgow Cathedral on Wednesday 13 June and in Wellington Church on Wednesday 20 June.

The programme of choral music to be sung will include Parry’s great anthem “I was Glad”. This being Jubilee year, Handel’s coronation anthem “ Zadok the Priest” will be included as well as a number of shorter pieces by composers past and present.

Two of the city’s most experienced choral conductors – Ian Anderson and Iain Galbraith – will conduct the concerts in, respectively, the Cathedral and in Wellington Church. The organ will be played at both concerts by Alan Kitchen

All singers interested in rehearsing for these powerful evenings should attend the first rehearsal in Wellington Church on Wednesday 9 May at 7.30 or at the latest, the second rehearsal on Wednesday 16 May at 7.30m in Wellington Church, Southpark Avenue, G12 8 LE.

Dance promotes patron saint’s festival

The story of Glasgow is stopping shoppers in their tracks at St Enoch’s Centre. And Saturday 14 January between 12 noon and 4pm is the final chance to catch the beautifully choreographed promenade performance by dancers from Visual Statement. They are re-telling the tale of the city’s coat of arms – the Bird, the Bell, the Fish and the Tree. The inspirational performance by Nicola Gilmour, Brian McIntyre, Pauline McGlinchey and Cheree Thompson as the respective symbols, along with a dozen other dancers aged from 10, is a modern symphonic piece by Danny Dobbie assisted by Brian McIntyre and Wendie Reid. A movable sculpture commissioned by Visual Statement and designed by Andy Scott will add an extra dimension as the dancers move in and out and on to it. The music is the tranquil ‘A Little Scottish Fantasy’ by Vanessa Mae and ‘For Unto Us A Child Is Born’ by Handel. This is one of the many events during a week long celebration of St Mungo, Glasgow’s patron saint. Also known as St Kentigern, the medieval monk’s miracles involved, at different times, a bird, a tree and a fish. On Friday 13 January, around 350 young people will see a performance of the tales by five Glasgow schools with a senior pupil from Lourdes Secondary being the compere in the City Chambers. That afternoon the third Molendinar Awards will be presented to celebrate Glasgow’s local history and archaeology as seen by school children through their own local links. More than 30 schools have entered with the final 12 schools being showcased at the awards presentation in the city’s Banqueting Hall. Molendinar is the name of the burn that runs into the Clyde and it was alongside it, near what is now the High Street area, that St Mungo (St Kentigern) is thought to have settled. Framed certificates will be presented for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each of the three categories – Pre 5: Primary 3; Primary 4: Primary 7 and Secondary. Winners will also receive a plaque to display in their school. The Molendinar Awards project brings to the community an awareness of Glasgow’s rich cultural heritage and is designed to support schools in the work they do linked to the local and wider community. Topics schools work on include local history, local family, local developments, school history, the community, tourist Glasgow, modern life and festivals in the city. Entries range from posters, power point presentations and DVD animations to songs and poems. Bailie Jean McFadden, Executive Member for Education, is delighted by the enthusiasm shown by pupils and hopes to see more schools participating next year. She said: ‘The Molendinar Awards are a tremendous opportunity for our schools. We have some very creative and talented young people as shown by the standard of entries this year. I know the judges had some very hard decisions to make. I hope the enthusiasm continues and that we will see more and more young people participating in the Molendinar Awards over the next few years.’ Glasgow City Council Leader, Councillor Gordon Matheson, will join Bailie McFadden in presenting the winning pupils with their framed certificates on Friday. He said: ‘The pupils have enjoyed all aspects of this competition and I’m sure that they will be very excited to find out who the winners are.’

Glorious choir tunes up for Malawi

Five centuries of choral music will be celebrated on Thursday 23 June to raise funds for Malawi. The concert will be free, but donations offered at the door of Wellington Church, 77 Southpark Avenue Glasgow G12 8LE will go to Christian Aid. The event is one organised by the West End Churches through their Christian Aid Malawi Partnership Project. Each pound raised will be matched 9 times by the Scottish Government’s Development Fund. The money will advance educational work in Malawi on Aids and HIV.

A host of composers from Tallis, Byrd, Bach, Handel, Mozart, Haydn, Mendelssohn and Elgar to Rutter will have their work sung by the famous ‘Gloria’ West End Choir conducted by Ian Anderson. Margaret Milton is the soprano soloist and Alan Kitchen will be the organist. In addition, organ solos will be performed by Malcolm Sim and Jonathan Salmond with Rosemary Guerrier as percussionist and Andrew Gordon as timpanist. A glorious evening of music again beckons.

Glorious invite

Singers who want to be part of the West End Festival’s musical extravaganza, Gloria IX, are invited to join the rehearsals starting on Thursday 5 May – voting day!

In its ninth year, Gloria will be performed in Glasgow Cathedral on Thursday 16 June and in Wellington Church, University Avenue, on Thursday 23 June.

‘We welcome as many choir singers as possible,’ said Alan Kitchen who will accompany the choir on the organ and who has provided three brand new hymn arrangements for choir, organ and percussion. ‘They can take part in either or both concerts and should be able to attend at least MOST of the rehearsals.’

Organ solos will be provided by local organists Malcolm Sim and Jonathan Salmond.

Directed by Ian Anderson, the choir will explore five centuries of choral music. The programme will range from 16^th century masters such as Byrd and Tallis, through Bach, Handel, Mozart and Haydn and via 19^th century masters Mendelssohn and Stanford into 20^th century music by John Rutter and Bob Chilcott.

Rehearsals will be held in Wellington Church starting at 7.45pm on Thursdays 5, 12,19 and 26 May and 2 and 9 June as well as final rehearsals in both venue.

Interested audiences are invited to rehearsals as well as the concerts where ‘audience participation’ is promised on the night. Contact:Alan Kitchen via Wellington Church email:wellingtonchurch@btinternet.com or Tel: 0141 339 0454. ‘Or simply turn up at the first rehearsal on Thursday 5 May,’ said Alan.