Past concerts

Follow the Star...

The usual mix of traditional, rare and fun music from the choir with readings. Guest soloist: Baritone, Sean Webster. Featuring:  The Crown of Roses (Tchaikovsky), Christus (Mendelsson),            Quelle est cette odeur agreeable? (Willcocks), L’Adieu des bergers  (Berlioz), The Three King      (Peter Cornelius), Nazareth (Charles Gounod) Quem Pastores (Arr RVW), Bethlehem Down 

(Peter Warlock),  Videntes  stellam (Francis Poulenc), O Magnum Mysterium (Victoria), 

Dark the Night (arr Burnside), Suo Gân (Arr VCWW),  Silent Night (Malcolm Sargent),  O Holy Night     (Adolphe Adam), Little Donkey (Arr VCWW),  Santa Baby (Arr Tom Paton )

Jamie Turnbull : piano/organ.

Saturday 21 December 2019 in Canongate Kirk at 7:30pm.

Sacred Choral Music in Peebles 

A tea-time recital of sacred choral repertoire in aid of Mary's Meals with £312.60 raised for a worthy cause! 

Gregorian Chant: Salve Mater, Ludovico da Viadana: Exsultate Justi, Jacob Handl: Ave Maria, G. P. da Palestrina: Alma Redemptoris Mater, William Byrd: Ave Verum, Sergei Rachmaninov: Bogorodyitse Dyevo, Anton Bruckner: Locus Iste, Robert Lucas Pearsall: Tu es Petrus, Arthur Oldham: Summer in Winter, Charles Villiers Stanford : Three Motets, (Op 38), Alessandro Scarlatti:  Exultate Deo, Tomas Luis de Victoria (attrib.): Jesu Dulcis Memoria

Saturday 16 February, Peebles Old Parish Church at 6:00pm 

Stillness - Sacred Choral Moments

A fund-raising concert  in aid of the Runciman Apse Trust . A contemplative programme of unaccompanied sacred choral works to reflect the Runciman paintings and the features of the building. Salve Mater (Plainsong), Viadana :  Exultate Justi, Bruckner: Locus Iste,Victoria: Ave Maria, Palestrina:  Alma Redemptoris Mater, Byrd:  Ave Verum, Rossini: Cantemus Domino, Schubert: Salve Regina, Rachmaninov: Bogorodyitse Dyevo, Pearsall: Tu es Petrus Bruckner: Ave Maria, Górecki: Totus Tuus, Cardoso: Aquam quam ego dabo, Soriano: Regina Coeli, Scarlatti:  Exultate Deo, Lotti:  Crucifixus, Palestrina :Ascendit Deus, Victoria: Jesu Dulcis Memoria

 Saturday 17 November, St Patrick's, Cowgate, Edinburgh at 7:30pm

Sacred Choral Music for The Rosary Shrine

An a cappella programme of Marian themed music at the magnificent church of Our Lady of the Rosary & St Dominic, Haverstock Hill, London on Friday 12 October 2018 at 7:30pm. The programme included:

Gregorian Chant: Salve Mater, Anton Bruckner : Locus Iste, Jacob Handl : Ave Maria, 

G. P. da Palestrina : Alma Redemptoris Mater Edvard Grieg: Ave Maris Stella, 

Sergei Rachmaninov: Bogorodyitse Dyevo, Franz Schubert: Salve Regina, Gregor Aichinger: Regina Coeli, 

Anton Bruckner: Ave Maria, Sicilian Mariner’s Hymn, Henryk Górecki: Totus Tuus, 

Francesco Soriano:  Regina Coeli, Jacques Arcadelt: Ave Maria, Tomas Luis de Victoria: Jesu Dulcis Memoria

Johannes Brahms ~ Ein deutsches Requiem

Ein deutsches Requiem (Op 45) comprises seven movements; Brahms's longest composition. Performed in Brahms' arrangement for piano duet with Calum Robertson and Morley Whitehead. Soprano soloist, Gillian Robertson with the baritone Sean Webster.  

A Baltic Christmas

In the historic setting of the Canongate Kirk with music mostly drawn from the countries with a coast on the Baltic Sea(from composers including; Rihards Dubra (b1964), Dimitri Bortniansky (1751-1825), Ēriks Ešenvalds (b1977), Mikołaj Zieleński (1550-1616).  'Lighter' items included Frosty the Snowman and Mary's Boy Child. Evening included Christmas readings and, as always, rounded off with our traditionally over-the-top rendering of Adeste Fideles.  

 Saturday 16th December  2017 at 7;30pm

Fauré Requiem by Candlelight

Our 11th successive year at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe; an atmospheric late-night, candlelit performance of Gabriel Faure's much-loved Requiem and Cantique de Jean Racine, with orchestra, for the first time in the lush acoustics of St Patrick’s (an 18th century gem). Soprano Gillian Robertson, Baritone Sean Webster. Saturdays 12th /19th August at 22:00. 

Rachmaninov Vespers (in St Andrews)

At St Andrew’s Episcopal Church, St Andrews, Fife, on Saturday 11 February 2017 we  reprised the first 10 movements from the Rachmaninov All-Night Vigil (Op 37). Our programme also included the 3 Stanford Motets (Op 38), and Bruckner motets; Ave Maria and Locus iste. The Mezzo-Soprano Debora Ruiz-Kordova joined us to sing the solo passage in the Rachmaninov.

Scottish Parliament

On Wednesday 14th December in the Burns Room at the Scottish Parliament, Holyrood we enjoyed performing carols for the centenary celebrations of the Chartered Institute of Housing Scotland hosted by Andy Wightman MSP.

Fauré Requiem by Candlelight

10th year, with nine sell-out years, an atmospheric late-night performances of Gabriel Fauré's much-loved Requiem and Cantique de Jean Racine, with orchestra, in the hauntingly beautiful setting of Old Saint Paul's.  Saturday 13th and Saturday 20th August at 10:00pm  The Pie jesu sung by Gillian Robertson at both concerts. The baritone solos on 13th August by Mark Wood and on 20th August by Sean Webster. Encore pieces: La Nuit (Jean-Philippe Rameau) and Notre Père (Maurice Duruflé)

Ubi Caritas

A lush programme of motets and a cappella pieces in aid of St Patrick's Runciman mural/painting restoration project. On Saturday 2 April 2016 at 7:30pm in St Patrick's Church in the Cowgate, Edinburgh. Settings by Duruflé, Paul Mealor and Ola Gjeilo. The programme included the other Duruflé motets based on Gregorian themes, the sumptuous motets of C V Stanford and music from the Renaissance by Tomás Luis de Victoria, Ludovico da Viadana and William Byrd. Concert reprised  on  tour to Belfast. On Friday 8 April at 7:30 in St Mary Magdalene Parish Church, Donegall Pass and at Clonard Monastery, Clonard Gardens at 4;30 on Saturday 9 April.

Rossini: Petite Messe Solennelle

With piano (played by Morley Whitehead) and harmonium (played by Simon Nieminski) an unusual treat for the listener. A stellar line-up of soloists: Gillian Robertson (Soprano), Debora Ruiz Kordova (Mezzo), Stuart Murray Mitchell (Tenor) and Hugh Hillyard-Parker (Bass). Saturday 7 November at 7:30pm in Canongate Kirk, Edinburgh.

Mozart, Hummel & Bach

On Saturday 20 June 2015 at 7:30pm in Old St Paul's Church, Jeffrey Street, Edinburgh our summer concert featured the barn-storming Exsultate, jubilate (K165), by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, solo motet in three movements (written in 1773) including the ever-popular Alleluia. We were delighted to have soprano Gillian Robertson returning to sing for us. We also performed the Mass in Bb (Op 77) by Johann Nepomuk Hummel with intimate lyricism and moments of surprising dramatic intensity; this continued our tradition of performing the masses of the Viennese School We also included the motet Jesu, meine Freude (BWV227) by Johann Sebastian Bach.

A Choir's Christmas

On Saturday 20 December 2014 at 7:30pm in Canongate Kirk we performed a programme of Christmas music and readings.

In a new departure, we asked the choir and our supporters to choose the programme in advance. With the final cut being made by our musical director, this resulted in a varied and lush programme, featuring well-known festive classics such as "In the Bleak Midwinter" and "O Holy Night", and the sumptuous harmonies of Tchaikovsky's "The Crown of Roses" and Rachmaninoff's "Bogoroditse Devo". In keeping with the interactive theme, we invited our audience to vote for a carol on the night,; they chose "Hark the Herald Angels" which e then performed during the concert.

Fauré Requiem by Candlelight

Another two performances (late night, sell-out) of Faure's Requiem and Cantique de Jean Racine, Saturday 9 and 16 August 2014 at 10:00pm in Old St Paul's. Soloists Sam Carl (Baritone) and Gillian Robertson (Soprano). The performance on Saturday 9 August received a 5* review!

Sacred Music for the Chapel Royal

On Saturday 25th January 2014 the St Andrew Camerata gave a concert of sacred music in the beautiful setting of the Chapel Royal, Falkland. Between 1501 and 1541 Kings James IV and James V of Scotland transformed the old castle into a beautiful royal palace: with Stirling Castle it was one of only two Renaissance palaces in Scotland.

S. Messa Capitolare - Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano

On Sunday 20 October at 10:30 we were guests of the Cappella Guilia singing at the Chapter Mass in the Basilica of St Peter's. Our programme included, before Mass, Bruckner (Locus Iste) and Palestrina (Sicut Cervus). For the entrance procession we sang, Alleluia I heard a Voice (Thomas Weelkes), the mass, sung in en alterance with the Cappella Guilia, was Missa XI (Orbis Factor) and Credo I. At the gospel acclamation we sang the Alleluia by Gabrieli, at the offertory, Exultate iusti in Domino (Viadana), at communion Ave Verum (Byrd). We concluded by singing the Exultate Deo by Alessandro Scarlatti.

Fauré Requiem by Candlelight

Two performances (late night, sell-out) of Faure's Requiem and Cantique de Jean Racine. Performed in a magical candle-lit Old St Paul's Church on Saturdays 10th and 17th August 2013, at 10pm. Soloists for 2013 were baritone and Scottish Opera's rising star Andy McTaggart with soprano Gillian Robertson.

 An Eastern European Christmas

In a continuation of "geographical" Christmas themes on Saturday, 15 December 2012 in Canongate Kirk, Edinburgh at 7:30, a celebration of Eastern European Christmas music with readings. Programme including works by Polish Baroque composer Grzegorz Gerwazy Gorczycki (ca. 1665 to 1667 – 1734) and memorably the Polish carol Bóg zawitał telling of the great joy at the birth of Jesus, with tenors and basses as trumpets and sopranos and altos as violins! As has become our tradition the concert included two arrangements by bass of the choir Graham Burnside and the evening was rounded off as ever by the singing of Adeste Fiddles.

Brahms, Schubert and Bruckner

A concert of Brahms, Schubert & Bruckner performed on Saturday, 10 November 2012 at 7:30. The concert, in St Patrick's, in aid of the restoration appeal for St Patrick's Church. The programme included, Brahms: Neue Liebeslieder Waltzes for vocal quartet & piano, 4 hands, Schubert: Mirjams Siegesgesang, D942 (Soprano solo: Gillian Susan Robertson), the Kleine Hochzeits-Kantate (the little wedding cantata), (WoO 16) by Brahms, Salve Regina (D386) by Schubert and the Bruckner Motets: Locus Iste, Virga Jesse and Christus factus est.

Fauré Requiem by Candlelight

Another sell-out performance by candlelight of Fauré's much-loved Requiem and Cantique de Jean Racine, with orchestra. Saturday 11th August 2012, 10.00pm / Saturday 18th August 2011, 10.00pm Old Saint Paul's Church, Jeffrey Street, Edinburgh.

 Haydn: Nelson Mass & Te Deum

Handel: Zadok the Priest

Haydn's Missa in Angustiis, better known as the 'Nelson Mass', plus the Te Deum of the same composer and Handel's ever-popular Zadok the Priest. In aid of St Patrick's restoration project. Soprano: Judith Gardner Jones, Mezzo: Marcia McDougall, Tenor: Joe Doodey, Bass: David Hall. Saturday 5 November 2011, St Patrick's, Cowgate, Edinburgh, 7.30pm

Zoltán Kodály

Missa Brevis

Programme also including his Hymn to King Stephen and Stanford Motets, Saturday 25 June 2011, Old St Paul's, Edinburgh, 7.30pm.

Fauré Requiem by Candlelight

Fifth Sell-out year! An atmospheric late-night performance by candlelight of Fauré's much-loved Requiem and Cantique de Jean Racine, with orchestra. Saturday 14th August 2010, 10.00pm, Saturday 21st August 2010, 10.00pm Old Saint Paul's Church, Jeffrey Street, Edinburgh

First Mass of Fr. Simon Harkins

- who sang with the choir over a long period. Repertoire is as on Saturday 29th May plus selected other liturgical pieces. Mass celebrated at St Mary's Metropolitan Cathedral Saturday 5th June 2010.

 Haydn: Paukenmesse & Haydn Te Deum, Garcia: Ecce Sacerdos

The St Andrew Camerata are presenting a concert featuring music from the Classical period on May 29th 2010 in Old Saint Paul's, including a little-known motet by Sussmayr (1766 - 1803); and more uniquely, two pieces by Jose Mauricio Nunes Garcia (1767 - 1830). Nunes Garcia, an Afro-Brazilian composer, was heavily influenced by Haydn.

Mozart Requiem & Misericordia Deus

A fund raising performance for the St Patrick’s restoration fund Saturday 6th November 2009, 7.30pm St Patrick’s Church, Cowgate, Edinburgh.

Fauré Requiem by Candlelight

Another sell-out year! An atmospheric late-night performance by candlelight of Fauré's much-loved Requiem and Cantique de Jean Racine, with orchestra. Saturday 8th August 2009, 10.00pm / Friday 14th August 2009, 10.00pm Old Saint Paul's Church, Jeffrey Street, Edinburgh

New World Christmas

Music from the “New World” ranging from Cowboy Carol by Cecil Broadhurst and arranged by Malcolm Sargent to the Australian carols The Three Drovers, Silver Stars are in the Sky and Christmas Bush for his Adorning alongside New Zealand’s magical Te Harinui. Old St Paul’s Saturday, 20th December 2008 at 7.30pm.

Fauré Requiem

Atmospheric Late-night performance of Faur third sell-out year: Old Saint Paul's Church. Atmospheric late-nightperformance by candlelight of Fauré Requiem Saturday 9th August 2008/Friday 15th August 2008, 10.00pm

 Saint Saëns – Oratorio de Noël

The St Andrew Camerata with strings, organ & harp performed this Christmas rarity with other familiar repertoire readings. Saturday 22nd December 2007 in Old St Paul’s.

 Fauré Requiem

A sell out concert last year; the St Andrew Camerata present another opportunity to enjoy a much loved choral programme in the candlelight of Old St Paul’s and allow the emotion of the music to transport you. Old St Paul’s, Saturday,18th August 2007 at 10pm

Choral Classics by Candlelight

A selection of choral gems in the delightful setting of Old St Paul’s by candlelight. A beautiful late evening experience on the opening of the official festival; Old St Paul’s, Friday, 10th August 2007 at 10pm

A Celebration of Elgar’s 150th Birthday

Old St Paul’s, Saturday 2nd June 2007, 7:30pm Choral Music by Elgar on the day of his birth; early motets from his time as Organist at St George’s Worceterto late masterpieces composed for The Three Choir’s Festivals. Organist: Ruaraidh Sutherland (who from 2011 he has been Director of Music, Christ's Church, Rye, NY)

Miserere

St Patrick's. Saturday 31 March 2007, 7.30pm Choral Music for Lent & Passiontide featuring music from Rome, Iberia & Austria in the superb acoustics of one one of Edinburgh's hidden gems.

Joyeux Noël

Old Saint Paul’s, Saturday 16th December 2006, 7.30pm An evening of French carols and readings presented in association with L’Institut Français d’Ecosse.

Messiah

St Patrick's RC Church, Saturday 18 November 2006, performed with orchestra as part of the sequicentenary celebration of St Patrick's (1856 - 2006)

Fauré Requiem & Cantique de Jean Racine

An atmospheric late-night Edinburgh Festival Fringe performance by candlelight of Fauré's much-loved Requiem and Cantique de Jean Racine, with orchestra. Old St Paul's Church, Edinburgh, Saturday 12th August 2006.

Mozart 250 Anniversary Concert

Old Saint Paul’s, Saturday 24th June 2006, 7.30pm. In celebration of the 250th anniversary of Mozart’s birth (1756 – 1791); Salieri Te Deum, Mozart Exultate Jubilate (K163), Coronation Mass (K317).

Christmas by Candlelight

Old Saint Paul’s, Saturday 10th Decemeber 2005, 7.30pm. A selection of Christmas music and readings.

Kodaly & Durufle

St Christopher’s Church, Craigentinny, Edinburgh, Saturday 12th November 2005, 7.30pm Kodaly, Missa Brevis and Durufle Motets sur des Themes Gregorien. Organ: Ruaraidh Fergus Sutherland

Psalm by Paul Rooney

A world premier performance of the work by Paul Rooney (coverage of which later featured in Artlink 2003). In June 2003 six singers from the St Andrew Camerata performed the work in St John’s Hospital Livingston and at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary; the work is a collaboration between artist Paul Rooney, Louise Holden and speech and language therapist Gary Withal.

Bruckner & Stanford Motets

St Mary’s Metropolitan Cathedral, Edinburgh. 6 September 1998

Bach: Jesu Meine Freude,

Durufle Motets

Old St Paul’s, Edinburgh, Saturday 23 March 1996.

Music for an Autumn Evening

Dalkeith Arts Guild, Wednesday 5th October 1994.  An eclectic programme featuring part-songs by Parry & Elgar, Brahms Liebeslieder Waltzer plus music by Edward German and Ketèlbey. Piano: Kenneth Taylor and Barrie Mackay.

Second Concert

St Mary’s Metropolitan Cathedral, Edinburgh. Sunday 29 May 1994, Programme including Palestrina Missa “Papae Marcelli” Des Prés, Ave Vera Virginitas, Dupré Alma Redemptoris Mater and Memorare, O Piissima Virgo, Schubert Salve Regina, etc.