The Chorus of the Gael with Ruairidh Gray

On the 17th of April MMus II Traditional Music student Ruairidh Gray will bring together several of Scotland’s Gaelic choirs along with a series of superb soloists and musicians to bring a night of Gaelic choral singing and Scottish music.

The Stevenson Hall will host award-winning Gaelic choirs which include Cumbernauld, Dundee, Glasgow Islay, Glasgow Gaelic, Govan, Stirling, Perth, and Falkirk Junior Gaelic choirs. Singing together the standard pieces of repertoire and a newly arranged world premier translation!

With guest appearances also from students of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and celebrated musicians including…

John “Ikey” Carmicheal – Legendary Scottish accordionist who has toured the world as a musician in his own right and with Scottish artists such as Kenneth McKellar, Andy Stewart, Jimmy Shand, and Callum Kennedy. A producer, composer, presenter, star of stage and screen, John will bring his natural abilities as a performer and charm to the evening.

Mary McCarthy – Eminent pianist Mary McCarthy, former teacher of piano at the RCS returns to the Conservatoire to perform for us this evening. Mary has performed all over the world, giving concerts, TV and radio broadcasts, and recitals in Europe (including Serbia, Latvia, Sweden, Norway, Spain, the UK, and Ireland), Sri Lanka, the USA, the Caribbean, Latin America, and India.

Marie Fielding & Alasdair McCulloch – Celebrated Scottish fiddlers, Marie and Alasdair have travelled extensively across the world bringing Scottish fiddle music to the masses. They both serve as fiddle tutors at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, bringing their extensive knowledge and skill to the next generation of fiddle music in Scotland. We are delighted that they are able to join us this evening.

Annie Catriona MacDonald – Hailing from the township of Staffin on the Isle of Skye, soprano Annie Catriona MacDonald is a Royal National Mòd Gold Medallist (2022) and graduate of the Vocal Performance course from the Royal College of Music, London (2025). Her singing blends together beautifully the technical dexterity of a highly trained vocalist and the traditional Gaelic style of the Highlands.

Sophie Bysouth – Current MMus II Vocal Performance student at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, soprano Sophie Bysouth of Greenock brings her commanding and colourful voice to this evening’s concert. Sophie is a graduate of RCS Juniors and the BMus Vocal Performance course, studying under Wilma MacDougall. Winner of Ye Cronies Singing Competition this year at the RCS, she performs a selection of Burns songs for us this evening.

Caitlyn Yule – Current Royal National Mòd ladies Gold Medallist and 1st year BMus Vocal Performance student, Caitlyn Yule, also studying under Wilma MacDougall, will bring her classical training into her Gaelic song performance. Caitlyn is a former member of the Falkirk Junior Gaelic Choir and current member of the Cumbernauld Gaelic Choir.

Bebhinn Todd – Current BMus III student, saxophonist Bebhinn Todd of Fife, joins us tonight to close our first half. She studies under saxophonist Andrew Sommerville and makes up one quarter of the mixed instrumental Stillpoint Ensemble.

Inés Aragón Carreño – Spanish bassoonist Inés Aragón Carreño is a graduate of both the BMus (2022) and MMus (2024) Performance (Woodwind Dept) course at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. A seasoned performer she is no stranger to performing Scottish music. In 2024 Inés joined three other bassoonists to make up a bassoon quartet for “Cuirm nam Bonn Òir le Ruairidh Gray” in which 70 former Royal National Mòd Gold Medallists came together to perform. She currently works for Hutchisons Grammer School in Glasgow as a music and bassoon teacher.

Pianists
Max McWhirter
Duncan Williams
Kathryn Callander

Organist
Ronan McQuade