Photo contributed by Pentland Singers

On 4 May an audience of nearly 300 heard a special performance of Brahms Requiem by the combined forces of the Dalkeith Singers and Pentland Singers at Greyfriars Kirk, under the direction of Michael Ferguson.

The Dalkeith Singers had not attempted such a work before – and so all are to be congratulated on a very impressive performance. The skill of the respective conductors, the husband and wife team of Jessica Leary (Dalkeith Singers) and Michael Ferguson (Pentland Singers) shone through. So also did the dedication of the members of both choirs.

The soprano soloist was Monica Toll, a chorus member of Scottish Opera. The baritone soloist was Arthur Bruce, a graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music, currently in his final year at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s, Alexander Gibson Opera School.

The attentive audience showed their appreciation with prolonged rapturous applause.

The two choirs had generously agreed to support Greyfriars’ own Social Enterprise Initiative, the Grassmarket Community Project (GCP). A team of woodworkers from GCP had been invited to travel to Zambia later in the year to help build a secondary school for vulnerable girls. The retiring collection raised £900 to help support this venture.

Article contributed by R & K Munro