Welcome to the Garleton Singers Website
The Garleton Singers choir is based in East Lothian and was founded in 1970 by Catherine Welsh. In 1995, Stephen Doughty replaced Catherine as Musical Director, and he recently celebrated his thirteenth year guiding us to the musical heights (and, occasionally, depths). Our main venue is the beautifully-restored medieval Church of St Mary in Haddington, but the choir enjoys touring further afield. We gave concerts in Germany in 2004, and in Italy in 2007, and have sung throughout Scotland in collaboration with other choirs and orchestras, including the St Andrews Chorus and Edinburgh Philomusica. We enjoy singing a varied repertoire of major choral works, ranging from Vivaldi to Karl Jenkins, and on the lighter side, carols, operatic choruses and modern popular classics. The Garleton Singers hold three main concerts a year (our Christmas Carol Concert a firm favourite for our Haddington audience), with occasional special performances such as our 2008 Edinburgh Festival concert and our Remembrance Sunday performance of The Armed Man.
2008 Programme
In May the Garleton Singers explored The Italian Collection - a glorious programme of Vivaldi, Monterverdi and Gabrielli, with sterling support from the Philomusica of Edinburgh, led by Lawrence Dunn. One audience member commented that it was excellent to hear so many of the Garleton Singers themselves singing solo parts to such a high standard. Vivaldi's Gloria, echoing through St Mary's on a clear summer's evening, left the audience enchanted.
Singing with the Philomusica as part of the August Edinburgh Fringe Festival was a fantastic experience for all those who took part. A CD of the Gloria, recorded by the kind and most excellent Kenneth Hare, is available for choir and orchestra members from the Library. Contact Sadie Maskery for further details. You can listen to a sample mp3 of it here (right click and "Save Target As..." to download).
Our November 9th concert is reported below. We hope to provide further reviews, and details of the funds raised by the evening, as soon as possible.
We are now rehearsing for our Christmas concert. Choir members, please note that an extra rehearsal has been arranged for Sunday 30th November 2-4pm at Macmerry Village Hall. Although it is a little late to join the choir for carols, any tenors or basses who are interested in singing with us for our March concerts should contact us in the next few weeks, as spring is sooner than you think!
Latest News
On Sunday the 9th November, the Garleton Singers performed The Armed Man, a mass for peace, by Karl Jenkins.
The choir sang to a packed audience after the excellent publicity generated by our Publicity Officer and our partners, St Mary's Church and Poppyscotland. One audience member has written to say "Your performance of the Armed Man was superb. Awesome and terrible, in the best possible sense, and extremely moving. Well done to all."
Our special thanks go to the members of the orchestra: Katherine Wake, Flute/Piccolo; Dianne Waugh and Gordon Lehany, Trumpets; Malcom Garden, Cello; Agnes Drysdale and Chris Overton, Percussion; Chick Lyall, Piano; and David Goodenough, Organ.
