Dollar Academy Christmas Carol Concert

On Wednesday 13 December 2006, while the endless rain beat down outside, five Dollar Academy choirs and two orchestras came together at the magnificent new Perth Concert Hall for the annual Carol Concert. This was a change of venue from St Michael’s, Linlithgow, used in recent years, with a very different acoustic and a much larger audience capacity. Director of Music John McGonigle was thrilled to have the Prep School back singing, for the first time in ten years, with the Junior and Senior Schools. The only downside was that with well over 300 performers the almost 1100 tickets sold out so quickly.

The new venue with its dramatic lighting created an expectant atmosphere in the audience and they were not disappointed. The programme, described by the Rector as “fantastically varied”, ranged from Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” to “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”, and included an entertaining “Twelve Days of Christmas” delivered with style by Catriona Basquill (IV). Soloists Kate Reynolds (V) and Stewart Agnew (VI) both sang with excellent composure, and Alex Fletcher (VI) conducted the Chamber Choir with quiet intensity. The huge applause for Rowan McGirr’s almost balletic violin solos was testimony to the extraordinarily virtuoso quality of her performance.

The audience were entertained in the foyer by the Chamber Choir and the Jazz Orchestra before and after the concert itself. This was a splendid evening, and the performers were delighted that the months of hard work and practice had produced such a memorable event, so thoroughly appreciated by all who were there.

Click on pictures below for larger images.