Choir’s 20th birthday show

Jun 5 2009 by Our Correspondent, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

THE Fair City Singers, Perth’s highly successful youth choir for 10-18 year-olds, will take the stage in St Matthew’s Church on Sunday, June 14, at 7.30pm to celebrate ‘20 Years of Song’.

The 60-strong youth choir has never looked back since the first meeting on hard benches in Caledonian Road School in 1989. Started voluntarily by Marion Neilson, neither she nor her husband Martin, who has been the choir accompanist and arranger of music for the last 20 years, could have foreseen the amazing experiences this group of young Perthshire singers would go on to experience.

They represented Scotland at the Millenium Dome at Hogmanay 2000, were selected UK representatives at the International Incorporated Society of Music Educators Conferences in Norway (2002) and Bologna, Italy in 2008. The choir has appeared on television on many occasions and toured extensively in Europe, as well as in Canada and USA. The youngsters have been successful in national competitions and raised thousands of pounds for charities too numerous to mention.

On June 14 in St Matthew’s Church, Perth’s own Lesley Mackie will be guest soloist and compere for the Fair City Singers ‘20 Years of Song’.

Lesley's theatre credits are extensive: she won a Laurence Olivier award in 1986 for her portrayal of Judy Garland in the musical Judy and was also considerably acclaimed in the role of Piaf. Lesley has toured Scotland in Born To Sing, her own show about the legendary singers Piaf and Garland. She also appeared as Daisy in the film The Wicker Man, for which she sang the title song.

Lesley Mackie will be joined by talented former Fair City Singer members Coleen Nicoll (soprano), originally from Dunkeld and now studying music at Edinburgh, and Catriona Steele (viola) accompanied on piano by her cousin Rosanna Young. Catriona and Rosanna are currently studying at the RSAMD in Glasgow.

The Fair City Junior Singers for seven-10 year-olds and Perth Barbershop Singers directed by Martin Neilson will also feature in the programme.

Former members of the Fair City Singers are invited to come along and share in this special concert. They should arrive by 6.45pm for a rehearsal, dress code black or gold, and are invited to the Royal George Hotel after the concert.

Tickets priced £10 for adults and £5 for children, including refreshments, are now available at Concorde Music Shop (01738 :621818) or at the door on the night.