Welcome to Helensburgh Dorian Choir website

Be Our Guest

Whether you're looking for a good choir to join, would like to attend our next performance, or simply want to find out more about us, please be our guest, and read on...

Choir

We're a friendly, mixed choir, about 60 strong. We rehearse and perform in and around Helensburgh & Lomond on the west coast of Scotland. We have stunning views across the 3-mile wide Firth of Clyde, and 8 miles the other way, over the Black Hill, are the bonny, bonny banks of Loch Lomond.

Generally we sing in 4-parts although from time to time we have performed as two choirs, in six parts. The Choir has a professional musical director who also conducts, and a professional accompanist. We're run by a strong management committee made up of members.

What's Included in the Site?

The site includes info. about Concerts and Tickets, Pics & Clips, Who's Who, Joining the Choir, Music for Hire, Choral Singing, Useful Links and our Gift Shop. Please surf at your leisure... and if you'd like us to include info. on other topics or you have comments about any aspect of the site, we'd be pleased to hear from you. You can contact us here.

Repertoire

Dorian has a broad-ranging repertoire which suits most tastes. We sing quality choral music which embraces a wide range, from short and excerpts of oratorios to Jazz, from mediaeval ballads and classical songs to folk and popular music.

There are opportunities for members to sing solo and in small groups from time to time. We include fun and experimental pieces.

Supporting this exciting repertoire is our developmental approach to music making - we aim to improve our ability and quality in manageable steps - continuously becoming the very best we can be.

Concerts

Each year we perform two major concerts in May and December, and from time to time make appearances at fund-raising and charity events.

Our next major Concert is a Royal Jubilee "Celebration Spring Concert", which will take place on 5th May 2012 at the Victoria Halls, Helensburgh.

Please see the Concert page. Here you will find details about this Jubilee Concert together with box office information; and you might like to read the section on past concerts.

Critiques

"The Choir are go-ahead and adventurous and should be applauded for gaining a BBC Choral Ambition Award and commissioning a piece for the concert. The daring paid off - 'Music of the Hill' (is) a stunning work."

"I was Impressed...so impressed I had to write to you.... Your continuity of vowel production and 'listening balance' brought forth such a beautiful choral tone...(it) blew me away...."

You'll find more comments, crits., and reports here.

Who's Who?

Included here are details about how the Choir is run, the Management Committee, the Conductor and the Accompanist.

Pics & Clips

If you'd like to put a face to two to our name, have a look at our 'Pics' page. We've included shots of the Choir enjoying themselves and some shots of individual members (enjoying themselves too). We've even included photos of Helensburgh - we love it despite the rain.
Also you can hear Audio Clips of us singing. Hope you've got good speakers!

Grants

Dorian is a member of Making Music, The National Federation of Music Societies.

In May 2010 we performed the World Premiere of 'Music of the Hill' & 'Mountains I love' funded by a Choral Ambition Grant from the BBC Performing Arts Fund in association with Making Music.

In 2009 Argyll & Bute Council awarded us a generous grant under the Home Coming Scheme towards our Diamond Jubilee Spring Concert.

In 2005 the Council also granted us and other users of Helensburgh Victoria Halls, 50% of the cost of new portable staging which can accommodate 75 singers.

The Choir is a charity registered in Scotland and aims to offer membership and ticket prices at the most reasonable levels possible.

Socials

We normally have several social events each year. A Members' and guests party after our Spring Concert in May and an open Christmas party after our December concert.

In March 2010 we organised a Scottish Evening social which was a great success.

At the end of our year, in June, we have a posh dinner at a local hotel or club which often ends on a choral note around a piano.

Informally we have a break at each of our weekly rehearsals to give an opportunity for members to get to know each other and socialise. Some of us retire to a local pub after rehearsals to sooth our larynxes.
Although we have social events because members like them, they also contribute to our musical rapport on the concert platform.

History

The Dorian is the oldest choir in Helensburgh having been set up in 1949 by James MacTaggart. He was a remarkable man who was blinded as the result of a childhood injury but went on to become an organist, a teacher of piano and singing and a choral conductor and arranger.

At its beginning the Choir's repertoire consisted, in the main, of Scot's songs, sacred music and part-songs. Later it extended its repertoire to include classical works with accompanying musicians and soloists.

For some time now the Choir has 'specialised' in an extensive and broad-ranging repertoire. This results in the Choir being the main attraction at most of its engagements, which contributes in turn to a high standard of performance and a high level of personal satisfaction of members.

Joining the Choir

If you think we might be the kind of Choir you would like to sing in, come and try us out for a week or two, then make up your mind. You'll be very welcome.

Here you'll find the contact details you need and some notes about the practise CDs we produce, singing tips and frequently asked questions.