The Musical Glory of St Laurence Church concert in Forres on June 3 to feature Nairn Gaelic Choir, conductor Nina MacKellar, cellist Katy Bell and organist Roger Lander
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A CONCERT will offer an opportunity to enjoy live music in a local church before it is permanently closed.
‘The Musical Glory of St Laurence Church’ is on from 7.30pm on Monday, June 3 during Forres Scottish Week.
Churchgoer Norman Thomson hopes as many others attend as possible.
He said: “It will be a variety concert with sets of short items with a strong Scottish theme, illustrating how common roots in early folk music have diverged in Gaeldom and mainland Europe.
“This makes it very appropriate for Scottish Week!”
The bill includes Nairn Gaelic Choir, conductor Nina MacKellar, cellist Katy Bell and organist Roger Lander.
“The choir is well known,” said Norman. “It will bracket the concert with pieces from their extensive repertoire of Gaelic traditional songs which have featured in two concerts in St Laurence in recent years.
“Katy is classically trained and worked in the Netherlands and the Scottish Highlands before moving to Glasgow where she joined Live Music Now Scotland as an emerging artist. She loves playing the Bach Cello suites, one of which will feature in the concert, and is equally passionate about new music.
“Roger will be performing two Bach items for organ. Before retiring to Forres six years ago, he was organist at St Mary’s Woburn in Bedfordshire and All Saints Church Leighton Buzzard. He is a trustee of the Cambridge Academy of Organ Studies and was finance director of the International Organ Festival at St Albans.”
The concert has special significance as the future of the host church is in the hands of the Church of Scotland, who plan to dispose of it by the end of this year.
Norman finished: “This concert and a further one as part of the Findhorn Bay Arts Festival in late September may be rare and last opportunities to hear great music in the beautifully acoustic setting which has host numerous such concerts in the past.
“Past performers such as Julie Fowlis, Duncan Chisholm and classical musicians such as the Culbin Singers praise it as excellent.”
Admission is £10 (children and students pay £2) at the door.
