September sees the start of another monthly series of Sunday Lunchtime Concerts in St. Bride’s Church.
As last year, these will be held at 1.00pm. on the first Sunday of each month. Tea and Coffee and biscuits will be available, and the church is open from 12.30.
These concerts were begun to raise funds for the restoration of our historic Hill organ and we are pleased to be able to say that at this stage, we are quietly confident we will reach our target of the £150,000 needed to complete the work.
Fund-raising for the project continues of course, until we reach our target. Thereafter, they will continue as a feature of the musical life of St. Bride’s, and to help support the work of the church financially.
Following our last organ recital (June 24th) given by Dr. George McPhee, Patron of the Restoration Appeal, the organ was taken to Harrison & Harrison in Durham. The loft is now empty, and currently pointing work on the stonework and stone cleaning inside the chamber is in progress.
This means, of course, there can be no organ recitals until the instrument is returned – we hope by January/February 2018 – and we have a varied programme of instrumental and vocal music lined up until its return.
September 3rd – The Rhona MacKay Trio presents a concert of gems from the traditional folk and romantic classical repertoire in aid of the Organ Fund. Rhona was principal harpist with RSNO and her Highland background informs her approach to Scottish music. Cellist Laura Durrant has toured extensively with Celtic Thunder and is an RCS graduate. Flautist Eddie McGuire is well known as a composer and has arranged many of the pieces for the trio. They have played together on several National Trust for Scotland cruises.
October 1st – Scottish Clarinet Quintet – Alex. South and Friends make a welcome return recital.
November 5th. Prof. Graham Hair with ‘Scottish Voices’.
December 3rd – Piano recital – Ivan Penev
January – tbc.
February 11th – Australian pianist Daniel Hersovitch, Bach’s ‘The Art of Fugue’.
SATURDAY APRIL 28th – OPENING ORGAN RECITAL – HENRY FAIRS
