About Us
Bearsden Choir is one of Scotland’s most prestigious amateur choirs, making its mark on Scotland’s musical landscape for over 55 years. With more than 150 members from Greater Glasgow and beyond, the choir comes together each week in Wellington Church in the West End of Glasgow to rehearse under the inspirational baton of Musical Director Andrew Nunn.
The choir has developed from a small group set up in 1968 by Harry MacGill , then organist at New Kilpatrick Church, Bearsden, for a one-off performance of Handel’s Messiah at the Rio Cinema (which is now a block of flats!), to one with a reputation for high standards of music making and performing in venues across Glasgow and further afield, consistently receiving at least four-star reviews for its performances.
Concerts
Over its 55-year history, the choir has performed all the major works in the classical choral repertoire. In the last ten years alone, this has included the Requiems of Brahms, Duruflé, Fauré, Mozart and Verdi as well as other choral giants such as Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius and The Music Makers, Haydn’s Nelson Mass, Beethoven’s Mass in C, Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s B Minor Mass, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solonnelleand Puccini’s Messa di Gloria, as well as a number of specially commissioned works, including from one of its recent members, the up and coming composer George Swann.
On stage and screen
The choir’s versatility is demonstrated in its many appearances on national television as well as in its regular concert performances. In 2023, the choir recorded with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra for a notable documentary produced for BBC Two entitled Michael Tippett: The Shadow and the Light. This was followed by the choir featuring in BBC 1 Scotland’s Reflections at the Quay series in December 2023 and April 2024. In December 2022, the choir performed for a live screening of ‘Home Alone’ at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.More concerts here.
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Social
We are proud that Bearsden Choir is a friendly and welcoming choir, summed up perfectly by one member’s statement that “the choir is so much more than a choir, it’s a community’’. This reflects our ethos of welcoming everyone who passes the audition process and of promoting the joy of music making across all ages. Our mid-rehearsal breaks are always a buzz of conversation and laughter.
We could tell you more about our achievements and who we are, but the best way of finding out what we are really like is to explore this website and come and hear us perform!
If you’re interested in joining, then find out how below.