Organist

This post is jointly carried out by John Anderson and Peter Christie.

St Mary’s Church Choir

There was a choral tradition at St Mary’s from its establishment as a Collegiate Church, and St Mary’s Choir continues that tradition at our 11am Service.  With around 21 singers, the choir performs music in a variety of styles from the Church’s rich heritage – everything from the plainsong which would have been the first music heard in the building in the 14^th century, to modern composers such as Kenneth Leighton and John Rutter and everything in between!  With passion!

Download the choir music list.

The choirmaster, Peter Christie, has wide experience of choir training, mainly in the west of Scotland, most recently with the choirs of St James’s Church of Scotland Paisley, St Bride’s Episcopal Church Glasgow, and Helensburgh Oratorio Choir.

St Mary’s Choir is an active and friendly group, and new members can be assured of a warm welcome.

Choral Scholarships 2010/11

· Enjoy singing?
. Want to learn a new and varied repertoire?
. Want to improve your sight-reading?
. Want to be part of an enthusiastic music making team?
. Aged between 16 and 24?

We have four choral scholarships to offer, to the value of £100 per month, for the period September to May. There is a Thursday night rehearsal and Sunday morning performances with the St Mary’s Choir, in one of Scotland’s finest and largest mediaeval churches. Also some opportunities to use your instrumental skills if you want!

If you are interested then download the flier here, and email organist@stmaryskirk.com to register your interest. Auditions will be held from September, but also at any time when there is a vacant scholarship - please ask if you're interested.

Choristers of St. Mary’s

The choristers are a lively and enthusiastic group of young people who sing once a month in church (usually at the 11 o’clock service on the first Sunday of the month) and perform in one or two concerts during the year. Rehearsals are every Thursday during term-time from 6.30 – 7.30 pm.  As well as developing their voices through an exciting range of music, choristers have the opportunity to take part in the RSCM ‘Voice for Life’ training programme, which involves a few minutes of musical theory during each rehearsal and occasional training days.

If you are a keen singer aged 8 – 14 and would like to join us, contact choristers@stmaryskirk.com

Praise Band

The Praise Band play at the 9.30 Service on Sunday mornings. This service has a relaxed, informal style and song words are projected on to a large screen, providing a clear, visual focus for worshippers.  The Praise Band seek to bring to this service some of the best contemporary worship songs, believing that they can really connect with people today as they seek to move forward in their Christian journey.

Currently, band instruments are piano, guitars, oboe, clarinet and flute, with singers providing a vocal lead.  We are always happy to welcome new players or singers who feel they would like to be involved.

Contact: Robert Lightbody