What, you missed it? Never knew they were singing that weekend? What a pity, you missed a great occasion. For the second time, Strathaven Choral Society invited a visiting choir from Europe, to present a programme of Scottish, English and this time, Swedish music. It was a delight! The audience was treated over the weekend of 19th/20th May to two performances, one on Saturday evening in St. Mary’s Cathedral, Glasgow, and one the following afternoon in the Scout and Guide Centre, Strathaven.

The visitors, Tumba Church Choir, from outside Stockholm, led off with a delightful selection of Swedish Folk Songs and Jewish Klezmer music. Sometimes they sang unaccompanied or with their conductor Elisabeth Edstrom at the piano. For two items, a selection from a Swedish Folk Mass, which had wonderful tunes that made you want to dance in the aisle, and the three Klezmer songs, they were joined by members of the home team: Aidan Broadbridge on violin, Nicolas Broadbridge on accordion, and Mike Cunningham at the keyboard. We did not need to understand the words, although we had been given a translation, the lyrical tunes and harmonies were enough in themselves.

As they enjoyed the visitors’ performance, Strathaven Choral members muttered to each other ‘How do we follow that?’ They need not have worried. They were in fine voice, under their musical director Aidan Broadbridge.

The choir had prepared a programme of short songs, which included ‘Adiemus’ from Karl Jenkins’ ‘Songs of Sanctuary’, in which four members of the Junior Choir sang and played recorder beautifully. Other items included two songs from ‘A Fasicle of Songs’ with words by Robert Louis Stevenson, and two songs by Gustav Holst which were followed by ‘Fly me to the Moon’ and ‘ Rivers of Babylon’. Then Strathaven surpassed themselves by singing in Swedish, two Swedish drinking songs, and a beautiful pastoral song, ‘Summerpsalm’. The Junior Choir joined them in these, singing the first verse of the Summerpsalm (in Swedish) on their own.

The audience and both choirs applauded Aidan with enthusiasm after he played some Traditional Scots fiddle music, unaccompanied. The whole concert finished with the joint performance of Richte Mich Gott, by Mendelssohn, in which both musical directors performed, one conducting, the other singing with the two choirs. The sound was enough to raise the hairs on the back of your neck!

These performances by Strathaven Choral Society were from a choir that has confidence in itself, and whose members clearly were having a wonderful time. Their Swedish visitors were in Strathaven all weekend, and the hosts had organised a range of activities, ending in a buffet meal and Ceilidh dance, with traditional Scottish music superbly played by Aidan and Nicolas.

It was great! You should have been there!