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Diary of Events 2009

APRIL
Friday 24th - Variety Concert, Town Hall, Dingwall (Charity this year is Multiple Sclerosis)

MAY
Saturday 9th - Sale @ Cross (10-12)
Saturday 16th - Workshop, Castle Street Church, Dingwall
Thursday 21st - Concert with Kenny Ross @ Strathpeffer Pavillion. Tickets, costing £10, are available from the Pavilion box office 01997 420124 and also online at www.thebooth.co.uk

JUNE
Saturday 6th - Sale @ Cross (10-12)
Friday 12th - Concert @ Alness Academy with Zulu Choir from South Africa
Saturday 21st - Inverness Provincial MOD

AUGUST
Sunday 23rd - Centenary Concert @ Castle Street Church, Dingwall (6:30pm)
Saturday 29th - Sponsored Walk

SEPTEMBER
Thursday 10th - Blas Concert @ Dingwall Academy
Saturday 12th - Workshop @ Castle Street Church, Dingwall
Thursday 24th - Pre-Mod Ceilidh @ National Hotel, Dingwall
Friday 25th - Phoenix Choir @ Strathpeffer Pavilion

OCTOBER
Thursday 15th to Saturday 17th - National MOD, Oban

NOVEMBER
Saturday 28th - Dinner Dance @ National Hotel, Dingwall

DECEMBER
Thursday 17th - Carol Singing @ Tescos


Robbie Burns - Scottish PoetUpcoming 2009 Burns Supper

16 January, 2009

The following speakers/singers have now been confirmed:

We are excited to learn that the evening will in fact be recorded by BBC1 for transmission on The One Show, on the 23rd January - the producer/director will be Paul Murton, who recently presented Scotland's Clans on BBC2.

Tickets, costing £15, are available from choir members or by phoning 01349 864559 - but hurry, as numbers will be limited!

Kirsteen with Lovat and Tullibardine ShieldGlory week for Kirsteen and her choir

By Lynne Bradshaw, Ross-shire Journal, 24 October, 2008

HER first appearance at the Royal National Mod as the official conductor for the Dingwall Gaelic Choir proved to be a nail-biting and triumphant occasion for Kirsteen Menzies who picked up the prestigious Lovat and Tullibardine Shield at the dramatic conclusion of the competitions in Falkirk.

They tied neck and neck with the Inverness Gaelic Choir for the premier choral prize with 372 points each, but Dingwall had received one more point for Gaelic, which meant that they were crowned the winners.

It was a glorious end to a very successful week for the choir members, as Kerrie Finlay, originally from Muir of Ord, also won the women's Gold Medal for solo singing on Thursday.

And Kirsteen's father Hamish also conducted the ladies of the Dingwall Gaelic Choir to a resounding win on the last day of competition.

Kirsteen took over the baton from her father in January when he retired as the choir's conductor after 35 years.

She told the Journal, "I am just over the moon and I am exceptionally proud of the choir. They all worked exceptionally hard this year, as they do every year, particularly considering the changeover between myself and my father.

"They really pulled out all the stops and gave it their all. "It was very, very close, too close for comfort. "And we knew the Inverness choir were the choir to beat along with the Glasgow Gaelic Musical Association."

Kirsteen also praised the high standard of teaching from the choir's Gaelic tutor Uisdean MacRae which helped give them the edge.

It is the eighth time the Dingwall choir have won the Lovat and Tullibardine Shield — seven times under Kirsteen and her father Hamish.

"He was there in the audience and he was sitting on the edge of his seat," said Kirsteen.

She explained that it had also been a successful day for her father who conducted the ladies of the Dingwall Gaelic Choir — which includes Kirsteen — to a win with eight clear points in an earlier competition.

The trophies won by the choir will be on show at their annual dance, to be held at the Royal British Legion in Dingwall on November 28.

Fund Raising 2008

1 October, 2008

The choir have been busy fund raising over the last few months, in order to assist with the cost of attending the National Mod in Falkirk.

Edith Robertson was the first choir member to get the ball rolling back in January with a Guess the Name of The Doll competition. This was followed by Fiona Fraser who organised a Quiz with a TV theme! We then held our Annual Variety Concert at the Dingwall Town Hall in April. Over the last few years, the choir have donated 50% of the proceeds from this concert to local charities or worth while causes - among those who have benefited are the:

We have also held a sale of work in North Kessock and a sponsored walk along the Caledonian canal, together with our usual "sale at the cross" mornings in Dingwall High Street.

We are also grateful to Jean Maclean (founder member) who took the time to organise another quiz - this time with a horticulural theme!

John Vass (see gallery for picture) raised money for the choir by completing the ascent of 284 Munro's by August 2008

Our pre-mod ceilidh at the end of September was well attended - David Boag, Fear an Tighe, introduced 2 gold medallists (Norman MacArthur and Jean Mackay) together with other singers from Ross-shire who will be competing in Falkirk. The choir sang this year Lovat & Tullibardine set piece "Blar na h-Eaglaise Brice" in public for the first time.

Fiona Fraser (again!) then arranged a Candle Party in Munlochy Hall which was very well attended. We also had a successful "stovies" dance at the British Legion in Dingwall at the end of November, with the Jock Fraser Trio.

Our final event in December was carol singing at Tesco's and then everyone was allowed a few weeks holiday for all their hard work.

We are grateful to everyone who supported the choir throughout 2008!

hamishHamish retires but is now a Freeman

15 May, 2008

On his recent retirement in 2007, Hamish Menzies held the distinction of having being the longest serving Gaelic choir conductor in Scotland.

Having dedicated much of his life to choral and Gaelic music, he is best known for his work with the Dingwall Gaelic Choir, with whom he was conductor for almost 35 years.

Hamish helped the choir to national acclaim and several top awards down the years before handing over the baton recently to his daughter, Kirsteen. Born in Sutherland and brought up in Brora, he showed a musical talent from a young age when he started playing the piano at eight.

In 1973 he took over as conductor and led the choir to many distinguished successes, progressing to the premier competition for choral singing in 1977 and winning the much coveted Lovat and Tullibardine Shield at the first attempt. Under his leadership the choir has won the premier trophy on many occasions along with first prizes in other major choral competitions. In 2003 at the Royal National MOD in Oban the choir won almost every competition entered, culminating in top marks for music.

On being told of the Freeman honour, “I’m absolutely stunned and flabbergasted. It’s a very great privilege as I understand there are very few people who have been given this honour. It came out of the blue. Little did I think a boy from Sutherland would become a Freeman of Ross and Cromarty!” He described the Gaelic choir as “a super bunch of people” and “great ambassadors for Dingwall”.

Local authorities can confer the honour “on persons of distinction and any persons who have rendered eminent service to their area”.

The choir has shown it's esteem in many ways, marking his 25th anniversary as Conductor by presenting him with an inscribed silver baton.


E-mail: info@dingwallgaelicchoir.co.uk
Conductor: Kirsteen Menzies, Tel 01349 864286
Secretary: Phemie Cameron, Tel 01349 862877