The History of Glasgow Chamber Choir

This page is here to collect together information about the formation and development of the Choir over the years. It starts with notes about the initial meetings when it was set up through the various concerts, trips and events and, obviously, the people who have made it all happen.

This is mostly for the interest of members, past and present, and our friends and supporters; we don't have any illusions about it being of huge musical or historical interest - but we do hope that it is interesting to some and that it might spark off some memories!

"The Glasgow Chamber Choir was formed in January 1994 under the directorship of Robert Marshall. The choir members are drawn from a wide spectrum of backgrounds from tax inspector to drugs project worker, further education lecturer to vet, all different but all brought together with one common passion, that of music and beer. From small beginnings with a choir 18 strong, to the performance of Bach's St John Passion with 35 singers and full orchestra performing to an audience filling Glasgow Cathedral in a little over two years!" - from a newspaper article.

In fact we started in November 1993 after a flyer campaign asking for singers to come to the first rehearsal of a new choir. The idea came from a challenge given to Robert from Gordon Smith after Robert kept going on and on about how there wasn't a chamber choir in Glasgow quite like the ones with which he had been involved in Edinburgh. Gordon basically told him that he should start one himself or shut up about it! The first rehearsal took place in the Chaplaincy Centre of Strathclyde University and there were a reasonable number of singers there. Only one Bass turned up however, but any fears we had were put to flight as soon as he started singing. Theo Stauder had a wonderful big Bass voice! The rehearsal was very ably accompanied by Amanda Morrison who subsequently showed that she was as much at home singing as she was playing the piano. Afterwards most of us went for a meal (and too much alcohol) to a restaurant in the Italian Centre. The first rehearsal convinced Robert that there was at least some potential for a choir of this sort in Glasgow.

The group of singers was:

Sopranos

Shauna Young
Gail Philips

Altos

Dorcas Owen
Victoria Torado-Bligh
Valerie Rodgers

Tenors

Gordon Smith
Gary Young
Andy Mogendorff

Basses

Theo Stauder

The First Concert

Friday 25th March 1994

Music for Lent - St Brides Church, Hyndland Road, GLASGOW

O Nata Lux
Christe Qui lux es et dies
Salvator Mundi
Master Tallis' Testament (organ)
Why fum'th in sight
Nolo mortem peccatoris
The lamentations of Jeremiah*
Mein junges Leben hat' ein end (organ)
Missa Aeterna Christi Munera
* The Edinburgh Scholars: William Forbes-Jones, John Croyle, Robert Marshall, Nigel Brookes, Colin Heggie

The choir:

Tallis
Byrd
Tallis
Howells
Tallis
Morley
Tallis
Sweelinck
Palestrina

Sopranos

Shauna Young
Gail Philips
Agnes Keogh

Altos

Pamela Barrowman
Claire Bennie
Dorcas Owen
Valerie Rodgers

Tenors

Gordon Smith
Gary Young

Bass

Theo Stauder

Friday 3rd June 1994

Messe Solennelle - Glasgow University Chapel

O Nata Lux
Christe, qui lux es et dies
Salvator Mundi
Nolo mortem peccatoris
Clarifica me Pater (organ)
Magnificat of the Second Service
A Voluntarie (organ)
Nunc Dimittis of the Second Service
Teach me O Lord
Rejoice in the Lord
Prelude, Fugue & Variation (organ)
Messe Solennelle

Organ: Peter Backhouse

(The organ at Glasgow University Chapel was not working properly for this concert. The swellbox was inoperative and, since the Messe Solennelle has a big organ accompaniment there were worried faces at the rehearsal. Peter Backhouse proved, however, what a superb organist he is by merely pulling more or less stops as required to imitate the swellbox. He was so good at it that most people didn't even notice the absence of the swellbox!)

The choir:

Tallis
Byrd
Tallis
Morley
Tallis
Byrd
Tomkins
Byrd
Byrd
Anon
Franck
Langlais

Sopranos

Shauna Young
Gail Philips
Agnes Keogh

Altos

Pamela Barrowman
Claire Bennie
Dorcas Owen
Valerie Rodgers

Tenors

Gordon Smith
Gary Young

Bass

Theo Stauder