Fair City Singers appear on BBC Christmas Celebration programe

Dec 18 2009 by Alison Anderson, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

SIXTY Perthshire young singers had a fantastic time at Scone Palace recently welcoming the festive season.

The Fair City Singers were selected by the BBC to sing three Christmas songs for the Christmas Celebration programme which will be shown on BBC One Scotland at 11.45pm on Christmas Eve. Wearing Santa hats the Perth youngsters were in relaxed mood after filming two songs outside a beautifully lit Scone Palace.

The were also part of the BBC’s filming inside St John’s Kirk in Perth.

Through the magic of television the children are seen to be singing at both venues, wearing their formal choir dresses in St John's and in less formal mode outside Scone Palace.

As this year marks the 20th anniversary of this well-known Perthshire children’s choir Marion Neilson, the musical director and founder of the Fair City Singers, decided to perform for BBC1 the first song the choir ever sang at Christmas 1989 in Perth City Hall.

Marion said: “It is the ‘Angel’s Carol’ by John Rutter which in 1989 it was a brand new song for Christmas and has since become a choral favourite. It was one of the two songs I bought for my newly formed children’s choir with a £50 donation from Ioin Bennett, then adviser in music for Perthshire. I still remember the thrill and joy when we sang for the first time in the City Hall!”

The current choir will be seen performing the Angels’ Carol in St John’s Kirk wearing smart black outfits with Royal Stewart trimmings. The younger choir, the Fair City Junior Singers also perform a favourite carol.