Music in the West Kirk of Helensburgh

Music in the West Kirk of Helensburgh

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This fine building in Victorian Gothic style, delicate woodwork and excellent stained glass provides a first class auditorium with good acoustics for soloists, choirs and orchestras.

The congregation has a long tradition of offering the best in sacred and secular music.

The church choir led, by Organist and Choirmaster Walter Blair, provides a high quality and joyful lead for weekly worship. If you enjoy choral singing, there are always vacancies for good voices and The West Kirk Choir would welcome and like to hear from experienced choral singers who would be willing to commit themselves to Thursday evening rehearsals and Sunday morning services on a regular basis, but also those who can sing in tune but with little or no experience of choral singing and would be willing to learn and make the time commitments. Initial contact should be made with Mr Blair through the Church Office (see home page).

The church organ is an excellent example of the work of Hill, Norman and Beard (1926, rebuilt 1968, restored 1992). There is also a particularly fine Steinway grand piano.

Sunday at Seven provides a monthly programme of high quality concerts from October to June. The series, devised and arranged by Walter Blair, is now in its 43rd season. The variety of music to be found in these programmes is breathtaking. The quality of international soloists and choirs reflects Walter Blair’s long association with the RSAMD and his outstanding contribution to young musicians in Scotland.

Music by promising young musicians also forms a regular feature of weekly worship and the Sunday at Seven programme sees regular appearances by local schools. This again reflects Mr Blair’s commitment to and support for young musicians.

The programme for Sunday at Seven for the rest of this year is:

Sunday 20 May 7.00 p.m. Djordje Gajic (accordian) playing a wide range of composers and styles including Bach's Toccata & Fugue in D.

Sunday 8 Jun 7.00 p.m. Students from Aberdeen City Music School playing Classical and Scottish Traditional and new pieces.

The Autumn Programme has not yet been finalised but will be listed when available.

The West Kirk is also home to the renowned Helensburgh Oratorio Choir. Rehearsals are held on the Church premises and two concerts each year take place in the church. On these occasions the church is filled to capacity to enjoy a huge variety of sacred music.

The Conductor welcomes singers of all abilities to the choir and a training choir helps to bring on those less expert in their singing.

For more information on the Choir and it's music programme visit their website at www.hoc.uk.net

Young Sounds

Our lively choir for young folk meets on Thursdays at 6.30 p.m. during school term time and is led by a new leader - Robin Versteeg. The choir regularly performs locally and of course in the West Kirk. New members are always welcome (Primary 4 to Secondary 2).

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