St Andrews Renaissance Singers (The Renaissance Group)

By Gillian Craig, Director

I am privileged to be the current Director of this very special Choir. Founded in 1955 by Douglas Gifford with his wife Hazel, it is still going strong today, giving University students, staff, and members of the community a musical home, wonderful fellowship and the opportunity to sing some of the most beautiful choral music ever written.

The Choir gives regular performances in St Andrews, as well as in cathedrals and churches around Scotland, making regular concert tours, including throughout Europe, even South America. We are always looking for new recruits (especially tenors), so if you are a keen singer, have some choral experience, with an interest in singing this amazing music, please contact me at: gc5@st-andrews.ac.uk

For students, the Choir offers up to three bursaries per year that cover the cost of vocal tuition in the Music Centre.

2020 sees the 65th anniversary of the Renaissance Singers (Renaissance Group). While our in-person events are postponed to 2021 because of global events, we have prepared a virtual celebration: a series of short films will be released one per day between 23-27 September, featuring contributions about the Choir’s history and activities, from members and alumni, as well as archive material and recordings.

The virtual celebrations culminate on Sunday, 27 September, with an invitation to sing with the Choir for a ‘virtual’ performance of Palestrina’s ‘Alma Redemptoris Mater’. We hope you will join us for this.

We also love to hear from former members, so if you are one, please sign up on the website and we will keep in touch.