The Kevock Choir is recognised as one of Scotland’s foremost large choirs, with a singing strength of around 80. Its main concert has been held in May in Edinburgh’s famous Usher Hall, and there are regular engagements in the High Kirk of St Giles and in the Queen’s Hall. Other concerts, which are often presented by smaller groups depending on the size of the venue, are given in aid of charities, for whom the choir has raised over £400,000. The choir has also sung in the Edinburgh Military Tattoo for a number of years.
The Kevock Choir was founded in 1967 in Lasswade, near Edinburgh, from former pupils of Lasswade High School. Its name recalls the adjacent picturesque valley through which the River Esk flows. Nowadays, however, members come from all over the Lothians, and from Renfrewshire.
Concerts take place mainly in central Scotland, but the choir also has an international reputation through visits to Denmark, France, Germany – where it performed in two Berlin Tattoos in 1988 and 1992 – the Netherlands, Ireland, the United States and Canada and Hungary. In 2005 the Kevock Choir were also part of the concert for Live8 at Murrayfield, Edinburgh. In October 2007 the choir travelled to Madrid to undertake a short concert tour as part of their celebrations for their 40th Anniversary.
The choir sings traditional Scottish songs, religious works by composers as diverse as Bach and Tavener, and modern pieces by a wide range of composers, including John Rutter. The aim is to provide something to suit everyone’s taste.
The choir is joined on the Cd With a Voice of Singing CD by three young professionally trained singers, Andee-Louise Hypolite, Miranda Keys and Katherine Wiles, who have been supported by the choir with funding from the Scottish Arts Council through the National Lottery Fund. It has been a superb experience working with these singers as they embark on their solo careers. The same funding also enabled the choir to provide training for 10 of its own young singers over three years and there has been considerable benefit to the choir as a whole from the scheme, not least through close involvement with the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow. It is hoped that a training and development scheme will continue, enabling more choir members to participate.
The choir sings traditional Scottish songs, religious works by composers as diverse as Bach and Tavener, and modern pieces by a wide range of composers, including John Rutter. The aim is to provide something to suit everyone’s taste, and it is hoped that the CD With a Voice of Singing will achieve that.
Following on the Success of With a Voice of Singing Cd . The Kevock Choir brought out a Cd to Celebrate the Choir's 40th Anniversary in 2007 - Thank you for the Music This Cd is also available now to order via this page.
