Case studies

Lives changed by music

Eilidh Harris

Age: 17

Career Path/Course of Study:

Organ and piano student, (currently at the Music School of Douglas Academy)

How long have you been in the choir?

10 years

What brought you to St Mary’s choir?

My mother has always loved the music at St Mary's Cathedral and joining the children’s choir was an excellent opportunity for developing musical ability and making friends.

How has membership of the choir/cathedral community benefitted you?

Recently I accepted a place to study organ at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, something I would've never been able to achieve if not for the fantastic playing and accompaniment opportunities I have had at St Mary's through the Bernard Porter Memorial Scholarship. St Mary's has been a place for me to develop my aural and accompaniment skills by singing and playing with the choir during services, as well as draw inspiration from the cathedral organists and high standard of music. As well as overseeing the majority of my musical achievements, St Mary's has also been a place for me to form long standing friendships and gain valuable experience that I will carry forward for the foreseeable future.

Jennifer Taylor

Age: 29

Career path/Course of Study:
BMus (voice) and MMus (vocal composition) at Aberdeen University then working as the music department administrator at Chetham's School of Music and some freelance singing. Currently working for the National Trust and studying for a Master’s degree in Heritage Studies.

How long have you been in the choir? 18 years (I always come back to sing when at home).

What brought you to St Mary's choir?
My parents encouraged me to join when the children's choir was re-established. I was also already a member of the congregation. I loved music but didn't enjoy school music lessons or school choir; my parents hoped it would be a good education and help me express musicality in a different way.

How has membership of the choir/cathedral community benefitted you?
Without St Mary's choir, I doubt I would be the person I am today. I found friends there and discovered a love of singing, which helped me grow into myself. This helped me progress as a musician and led me to apply to the music department at Aberdeen University. The training from St Mary's allowed me to gain my place at university and also helped me apply successfully for scholarships during my course. When I moved to a new city, where I knew no-one, I was able to join the cathedral choir and quickly find a community, making firm friends who are my support network today.

Samual Macdonald

Age: 26

Career Path

Musical theatre composer/musical director

How long have I been in the choir?

3 years

What brought you to St Mary’s choir?

Having sung in a chapel choir whilst at Cambridge university, when I moved to Glasgow I was looking for somewhere that would be musically fulfilling but also friendly, as well as a church community which suited me spiritually. Within 24 hours of arriving in Glasgow, I found St Mary’s!

How has membership of the choir/cathedral community benefitted you?

Singing regularly in a group is useful for any musician, especially when sight reading is involved, as singing requires you to really listen to the sounds you’re making. At St Mary’s we work through a wide range of repertoire, so it’s great to become familiar with the different approaches needed for different music. As a musical director, I am often working with actors less confident in singing in a group, and my experience at St Mary’s gives me many of the tools I need to help them. Frikki and the choir have been very supportive of my composition work and I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to write for the choir a few times