Recording Choir of St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh Scotland

This video is an introduction to the choristers at St Mary's Music School and the choir of St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland. We see the young choristers and organists as they prepare in June, 2006, for recording sessions for the Pro Organo CD "Hear My Words, Ye People."

The Choir of St Mary's Cathedral (Mother Church of the Diocese of Edinburgh in the Scottish Episcopal Church) has been described by the Sunday Times as "one of the UK's finest cathedral choirs." It is unique in Scotland in maintaining a tradition of daily Anglican choral services. The choristers are educated at St Mary's Music School, Scotland's only specialist music school, which is also the choir school for the cathedral. St Mary's Cathedral became the first in the UK to offer girls scholarships to sing as trebles in 1978, and in 2006, became possibly the first British daily choral foundation to offer alto Choral Scholarships and Lay Clerk positions to women as well as men. St Mary's Cathedral website is: www.cathedral.net . St Mary's Music School website is: www.st-marys-music-school.co.uk

The choir is led in this video by Simon Nieminski www.nieminski.com , who at the time this video and CD were recorded, was Organist and Master of the Music. Mr Nieminski is still active in Edinburgh, but now concentrates upon his work as both a liturgical and concert organist. His new post is that of organist at St Mary's RC Cathedral in Edinburgh.

Also seen in this video is a principal of St Mary's Music School, and Judy Brown, an adult alto in the choir. Organists seen in the video are Organ Scholar Ruaraidh Sutherland and Assistant Organist Duncan Ferguson.

Music heard in the video: At the choir rehearsal, and also the organist's rehearsal, we hear excerpts from the extended anthem entitled "Hear My Words, Ye People" by Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry. In the recording session video in the Cathedral, the choir sings "O for a closer walk with God" by Sir Charles Villiers Stanford. The Stanford anthem can be downloaded as a high-quality MP3 file for only US$1.00 by finding it in the Choral section of the download site: www.mypipes.org

The organ of St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral, seen and heard in this video is a 1870s vintage Father Henry Willis organ, which has been maintained and well cared for over many decades by Harrison & Harrison. Harrison and Harrison's website is: www.harrison-organs.co.uk

The Pro Organo CD "Hear My Words, Ye People" CD 7208, is available from www.zarex.com/bin and at www.proorgano.com , as well as from many other retailers in the USA, UK and Europe, including www.arkivmusic.com .

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