Member News
2022 Annual General Meeting
At the 2022 Annual General Meeting held by Zoom online on Tuesday 23 August 2022, John Owen was elected as Treasurer in place of Jim Hardy, Alyson Smith as Stage Manager and Pam Hoy as Publicity Officer, taking over from Hazel Wilkins and Janet Hoper respectively. Jim Hardy and Jane Kirk were elected as Ordinary Members of the Management Committee. Subscriptions were held at £60 full, £45 concession and free for students.
Rehearsals Autumn Term 2022-23
Choir rehearsals for our December concert under our new Musical Director Paul Tierney recommenced after our summer break on Tuesday 30th August 2022 at High Hilton Parish Church. Rehearsals take place on Tuesdays from 7:30 to 9:30pm (Aug-Dec & Jan-Apr), and they include a short tea/coffee break (bring your own tea or coffee, biscuits provided). There is a break during the school October holidays (18 and 25 October). From Tuesday 8 November onwards, all rehearsals will be in St Machar's Cathedral.
Appointment of Musical Director
We were delighted at the end of August 2022 to announce the appointment of Dr Paul Tierney as Musical Director. Paul's acquaintance with Aberdeen Bach Choir stretches back to 2006, when he was the winner of the Ellie Pirie Scholarship for 2005-6.
December 2021 Video Recording
In place of our normal public December concert in St Machar's Cathedral, Aberdeen Bach Choir, accompanied by Christopher Cromar on the organ and conducted by Peter Parfitt, performed a short programme of works in the Cathedral, published on YouTube:
I was glad - Parry
Ave verum corpus - Mozart
How lovely are Thy dwellings (German Requiem) - Brahms
Ach Herr, lass dein lieb Engelein (St John Passion) - J.S. Bach
2021-22 Ellie Pirie Scholarship
For the second year in succession, the winner of the 2021-22 Ellie Pirie Scholarship is Eve Begg, who is about to begin her second year of a Music degree at the University of Aberdeen. The Scholarship, established in memory of the Choir's accompanist from 1956 to 1988, funds lessons arranged through the North East of Scotland Music School, and Eve has already benefited from the previous year's award by achieving a Distinction in Grade 8 Singing with a score of 142 out of 150.
Eve Begg
20 December 2020
With no sign of a relaxation in the Covid-19 emergency measures, the planned December 2020 public performance was cancelled. Choir members took part in a virtual Celebration of Christmas on Sunday 20 December 2020 at 7:45 p.m. (for members only). The event included lessons read by committee members and an audio recording of members singing The Shepherds' Farewell by Berlioz.
The poster was created by Janet Hoper – thank you Janet! This was an invite-only event exclusively for members and family who may be with them and it took place via a Zoom video conference. Details for joining were sent out approximately one week prior to the event, including a phone-in option for inclusivity.
A special e-programme for the Christmas Celebration was distributed in advance of the event. Everyone was asked to remain muted on the night in order for it to work seamlessly.
Christmas Party Sunday 6 December 2020 @ Zoom 7:45 p.m.
As an opportunity for everyone to meet for a lighter social event, our “Christmas Party” took place on Sunday 6th December (in place of our concert) at 7.45pm., in the form of a Zoom video conference. Joining details were sent out by email on Sunday 29 November. A short quiz as an opener was followed by moving participants into smaller, more manageable “rooms”, for some jovial conversation with their drink of choice. There was some freedom as to which room to enter and some “mingling” , with the facility to move rooms and mix with different people, took place during the evening. members were told to feel free to dress in all their festive finery for this!
Annual General Meeting
Our online 2020 AGM took place on Tuesday 15 September at 7:30 p.m. The following office bearers and ordinary members were elected:
Chair: Angela Slater
Secretary: Kate Graham
Librarian: Isabella Cook
Ordinary Members: Karen Smith and Kirsten Kröger
Subscriptions were set at £30 (£22.50 concession, students free) for each half year, with the fee waived if there are fewer than seven rehearsals in the half year).
At the conclusion of the meeting, outgoing Chair Leofric Studd presented Peter Parfitt with a gift to mark the tenth anniversary as Musical Director of Aberdeen Bach Choir.
Online Reconnect Meeting
The virtual Reconnect Meeting using Zoom on Tuesday 18 August at 7:30 p.m. attracted 62 participants.
July 2020
Peter Parfitt produced a second musical quiz, based largely on recent Aberdeen Bach Choir activities.
May 2020
Musical Director Peter Parfitt wrote to all current and recent choir members to suggest ways of making up for the lack of rehearsals and the postponement of our April concert, including information about singing lessons and a musical quiz. read it here
17 March 2020
As a result of the current emergency measures being taken to slow the spread of the Covid-19 virus, the committee has regretfully taken the decision to postpone the performance of St Matthew Passion due to take place on 26 April 2020 until the corresponding date in April 2022. In the hope that the situation will have improved by August, when rehearsals are due to start for the December performance, the plan remains to hold our next concert on Sunday 6 December, performing the Bruckner Mass in E minor and Bruckner motets - this will be kept under review.
27 August 2019
The death is announced of Graham Wiseman, conductor of Aberdeen Bach Choir between 1960 and 1967, who passed away on 25 August. Graham stepped in as guest conductor in the 50th anniversary performance of St Matthew Passion in April 2005. His funeral will take place at Perth Crematorium on Monday 2 September at 2:00 p.m.
There was a social event during the second half of the rehearsal on Tuesday 17 September in High Church, Hilton.
