Glasgow 2014: Commonwealth Games choir on song

The Glasgow Chamber Choir will hope to replicate the RSNO by playing at Glasgow Airport, among other unusual venues, to celebrate this year's Commonwealth Games. Picture: TSPL

The Glasgow Chamber Choir, one of Scotland’s leading amateur musical ensembles, will perform the “Commonwealth Choral Marathon” in locations including Glasgow International airport, the Tall Ship on the River Clyde and the Kibble Palace in the city’s Botanic Gardens.

Thirty singers will perform the new works over two days on 7 and 8 June in a series of free concerts.

The music, which will reflect Glasgow’s history as a gateway to the world and its place in the Commonwealth, is being funded by a £7,000 award from the National Lottery’s Celebrate fund.

The new choral works will be composed by five prominent Scottish composers, including British Composer Award winners Professor Rory Boyle and Eddie McGuire, a member of The Whistlebinkies folk group.

Michael Bawtree, musical director of the choir which celebrates its twentieth anniversary season this year, said: “I am delighted that some of Scotland’s most distinguished composers have agreed to write works for our Commonwealth Choral Marathon - a unique celebration of both our city and our choir.”

“With these twin festivities in mind, we have looked beyond our usual church concert venues and sought out places to perform in early June which represent our city’s international outlook, including Glasgow airport and the Tall Ship, a reminder of the proud history of the Clydeside shipping industry.

“We tend to perform in church halls so we made a conscious decision to go to places choirs are not normally found. We’ll be at the check-in and arrivals area of Glasgow airport and we just don’t know who will turn up at the airport.”

Other venues being used are the Glad café a popular community venue in the Shawlands area of the city, and St Margaret’s Episcopal Church in Newlands.

Professor Rory Boyle said: “I am delighted to have been asked to contribute a work to this interesting venture. It provides a perfect opportunity to write something both for concert use but also, as this project envisages, for several more unusual locations to celebrate Glasgow, a city with such a wonderful creative energy.”

The newly commissioned works from Scottish composers involved in the project will be published in a “Glasgow Song Book’”.

Helen Cais, a member of the choir, said: “To be involved in performing newly written works for Glasgow and our 20th anniversary is really exciting.”