SCOTTISH CHAMBER CHOIR

Saturday, 24th March 2012 at 7:30pm in Peebles Old Parish Church

It is not often that Music in Peebles has the opportunity to present choral music alongside our regular chamber music fare. We are therefore delighted to welcome the Scottish Chamber Choir who will bring a varied and exciting concert to the splendid surroundings of Peebles Old Parish Church. Their a capella programme features Easter music from the late Renaissance, including Allegri's timeless 'Miserere', followed by secular songs that illustrate the range of the choir's repertoire.
This concert marks almost to the day the 125th anniversary of the dedication of the Old Parish Church of Peebles, on 29th March 1887.

Scottish Chamber Choir
Music Director: Roderick Bryce

About the Scottish Chamber Choir

Since its formation in 1968, the Scottish Chamber Choir has performed throughout Scotland to great acclaim. Each season the choir presents four concerts in Edinburgh, climaxing with an appearance at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In addition, the choir also performs for Music Societies, charity events and carol concerts outside Edinburgh in order to build our profile and reputation beyond the city limits!

We are a mixed-voice choir of around 30 singers and are regarded as one of the leading amateur chamber choirs in Edinburgh. We take pride in having a very broad repertoire; ancient to contemporary, sacred and secular, accompanied and a cappella, and often in eight parts. Over the years the Choir has commissioned works from John McLeod (Hebridean Prayers), James MacMillan (Cantos Segrados), Edward Harper (And Winds, Austere and Pure) and for our 40th Anniversary from Kenneth Dempster (Father and Son).

Roderick Bryce is a native of Edinburgh. He is in much demand as singer, teacher, vocal coach and choral director.

He started his musical life as a chorister at St. Mary's Metropolitan Cathedral and went on to study percussion and timpani before graduating in Vocal Studies from the Ian Tomlin School of Music, Napier University. In addition he studied singing and conducting at the University of Washington, Seattle.

He can be heard regularly on BBC Radio 4 with St Andrew Camerata and often sings with the Dunedin Consort, with whom he has recorded ‘Judas’ and sung live ‘Christus’ in Bach’s Mattheus-Passion. Other work with Dunedin Consort has included Bach’s Mass in B-minor at the Belfast International Festival, Bach’s Actus Tragicus and Cantatas by Buxdehude; Handel’s Messiah in Edinburgh and France; Dixit Dominus and Bach’s Motets. Past engagements include Bach Cantatas with Masaaki Suzuki’s Bach Collegium Japan at the Edinburgh International Festival, Faure’s Requiem at the Edinburgh Fringe and Vaughan William’s Sea Symphony with Edinburgh Academy.

He is former Director of Music at St Mary’s Metropolitan Cathedral; St Michael and All Saints Episcopal Church and Deputy Choirmaster for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. He stepped down as Musical Director of Edinburgh Symphony Baroque to start Sospiro, an ensemble specialising in baroque music. As well as recently being appointed Music Director for the Scottish Chamber Choir, he has just been appointed Chorusmaster of the Erskine Stewart’s Melville Schools Community Choir.

Roderick teaches singing for City of Edinburgh Council, Stewart’s Melville College and Fettes College.

This concert is subsidised by Enterprise Music Scotland supported by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland.