Aberdeen Choral

30/06/2026

🎶 A wonderful evening of music and good company!

It was fantastic to come together yesterday for a vocal workshop led by our conductor Allen, with accompaniment from Harry. It was a greatly valuable session - and lots of fun!

We all enjoyed a good catch up afterwards – a great reminder that being part of Aberdeen Choral Society is about friendship as well as music.

We hope everyone has a fantastic summer, and we look forward to singing together again soon! ☀️🎵

28/03/2026

🎶 Tonight’s the night!

A glimpse from our latest rehearsal…
After weeks of preparation, we’re ready to bring The Armed Man to life in St Machar's Cathedral. Join us this evening for what promises to be a powerful concert.

🎟 Tickets available – see the link below.

https://www.aberdeenperformingarts.com/whats-on/the-armed-man/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPNDA5OTYyNjIzMDg1NjA5AAEeaehYzMQfBSga7URbjbSYWeOCySITGmz3ZNOFWDDRnN7Rbz7g2VAe-TyvUyk_aem_bj3M_NRdFBSbtg2I92p3dQ

25/03/2026

🪄 Introducing our new Musical Director, Allen Quinn.

Irish conductor and composer Allen Quinn studied music on the BMus programme at the University of Aberdeen, with a focus on composition. While at Aberdeen, Allen held numerous conducting posts, including Conducting Scholar with the University of Aberdeen Choral Society and Assistant Conductor of the University Chapel Choir under the Duncan Hopkin Conducting Scholarship. He was also appointed Musical Director of the University Opera Society in 2020. During his two-year tenure, he conducted the Society’s 2022 production of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte. As an awardee of the Carlaw Ogston Conducting Bursary, Allen studied conducting at Sherborne Summer School of Music under the tutelage of Denise Ham and the late Rodolfo Saglimbeni.

Allen was appointed Musical Director of Aberdeen Choral Society in 2025 and has most recently assumed the post of Musical Director of Con Anima Chamber Choir. He is also regularly engaged as a freelance conductor for events and at various institutions around Aberdeen, particularly St. Machar’s Cathedral.

Allen has been working with us behind the scenes since September 2025, preparing us for our December performance of Handel’s Messiah and for our upcoming Spring Concert. He is looking forward to making his debut with us for our performance of Jenkins’ The Armed Man!

🎟️ Tickets available now! Online (https://tinyurl.com/2nncadp3), through the APA Box Office or Choral Society Members.

Tickets also available on the door subject to availability!

24/03/2026

We are delighted to be joined again by members of Orchestra Nova for our upcoming concert!

Members of Orchestra Nova are delighted to be performing with Aberdeen Choral Society for their concert on Saturday 28th March at St Machar's Cathedral under their new conductor, Allen Quinn. The Armed Man is a tremendously exciting work written by the Welsh composer Karl Jenkins whose Mass for Peace is written in reflection of the passing of ‘the most war-torn and destructive century in human history’ and as a message of hope that the world of the future would have more peace and fewer wars. As we look on in horror at Ukraine and the Middle East, this is more and more pertinent to our lives.

Aberdeen Choral and Orchestra Nova are joined by a wonderful foursome of vocal soloists, the Verbatim Quartet.

You might like to know that the first performance was conducted by Grant Llewellyn who, some 50 years ago sat next to our cellist, Gareth in the National Youth Orchestra of Wales - a lovely connection to this performance.

23/03/2026

🕊️ Our final soloist is Bass-Baritone, Zak McCullough.

Zak McCullough is a Bass-Baritone from Edinburgh, training under Gordon Wilson in Aberdeen for the last two years. Zak started singing in vocal ensembles at the age of seven, initially with the National Youth Choir of Scotland. During his time at the University of Aberdeen, Zak was a member of the University Chapel Choir for four years, and is currently a member of the University Chamber Choir. Zak has also been a choral scholar at St. Machar’s Cathedral since 2024. In 2025, Zak was named the winner of the Ogston Music Prize and graduated from the University of Aberdeen with First Class Honours in Spanish and Music Studies. Zak is looking to continue his training through an MMus in Vocal Performance at a UK-based Conservatoire. Recently, he has had the opportunity to perform concert solos in works such as Fauré’s Requiem and Tavener’s ‘The Veil of the Temple’, and is looking forward to the chance to perform as a concert soloist alongside the rest of Verbatim. Zak would like to extend his thanks and gratitude to the Aberdeen Choral Society and is delighted to be joining them on stage for this concert.

Just 6 short days left until Verbatim Quartet join us at 7:30pm in St. Machar’s Cathedral for Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man!

🎟️ Tickets still available! Get yours online (https://tinyurl.com/2nncadp3) or through the Aberdeen Performing Arts Box Office. Tickets also available on the door subject to availability!

22/03/2026

Meet our lovely Mezzo soloist, Connie McLean.

22-year-old Scottish Mezzo-Soprano Connie McLean originates from Dumfries and Galloway, having moved to Aberdeen to study music in 2021. She studies voice under renowned soprano Judith Howarth, and has done for 5 years. Whilst at university, Connie was very involved in the singing community, being part of the universities’ Choral Society, Chapel Choir, Chamber Choir, and Opera Society, where she was president during her 4th year. She also began singing with St Machar’s Cathedral as a choral scholar during this time. Upon graduating in 2025, Connie works as a Support Musician at Big Noise Torry, and continues to sing with the University Chamber Choir and retains her scholarship with St Machar’s Cathedral, as well as her full scholarship with the North East of Scotland Music School. As well as this, Connie sings Soprano with the National Youth Choir of Scotland. Currently, Connie is working towards continuing her studies in vocal performance in 2027. Connie is incredibly excited about this concert and to have been asked to sing as a soloist is something which she is incredibly grateful for, extending her thanks to the Aberdeen Choral Society for having Verbatim for this concert.

Come hear Connie and the rest of the Verbatim Quartet this Saturday, 28th March at 7:30pm in St. Machar’s Cathedral singing Karl Jenkins’ deeply moving The Armed Man!

🎟️ Tickets still available! Get yours online (https://tinyurl.com/2nncadp3) or through the Aberdeen Performing Arts Box Office. Tickets also available on the door subject to availability!

21/03/2026

Our next Verbatim Quartet artist is Michael Muoneke, a 21-year-old tenor, raised and currently based in Aberdeen.

He is presently completing his Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Aberdeen, where he has developed extensive solo and choral experience both within and beyond the university. Michael is an active vocalist, having collaborated with the University of Aberdeen Chamber and Chapel Choirs since his matriculation, as well as with organizations such as the National Youth Choir of Scotland (NYCOS). Recently, Michael performed with Cumbria Opera Group, portraying Porgy in their adapted production of Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess." Additionally, Michael has benefited from the tutelage of VOCES8 over the past year and is looking forward to auditioning for further study in voice later this year. Michael is looking forward to performing alongside the Aberdeen Choral Society and is grateful to them for inviting the quartet to sing in this concert.

Follow us to find out more about our wonderful soloists, our musical director, our upcoming concert and more!

20/03/2026

🕊️ Introducing the first of our soloists for our performance of Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man in St. Machar’s Cathedral on Saturday 28th March 2026 at 7:30pm.

Eve Begg is a 24-year-old Soprano from Aberdeen, who is taught by Gillian Taylor Jack. From 2018-2020, Eve was a pupil at Aberdeen City Music School and has been heavily involved in the North East of Scotland Music Festival since a young age. Eve has been the recipient of the NESMs Bach Choir Scholarship over the past number of years and sang with the Bach Choir as a soloist for their Ceremony of Carols (Britten) in 2022. In April 2024, Eve won the Ogston Prize awarded by the University of Aberdeen and graduated with a First-Class Honours degree in the summer of 2024 and is currently continuing her studies with a Masters degree at Aberdeen. Eve is delighted to be singing alongside her peers from the University of Aberdeen Chamber Choir, and is grateful for the opportunity to sing with the Aberdeen Choral Society.

Follow us to find out more about our soloists, our musical director, our upcoming concert and more!

15/03/2026

The countdown begins!

There’s just under 2 weeks until Aberdeen Choral Society’s performs Karl Jenkins’ ‘The Armed Man’!

🎟️ Tickets 🎟️

Tickets are now available for purchase:

Online on the Aberdeen Performing Arts Website: https://tinyurl.com/2nncadp3

Through the Aberdeen Performing Arts Box Office Tel: 01224641122

Through Choral Society Members

Tickets will also be available on the door subject to availability.

Stay tuned to find out more about our conductor and soloists as we approach the day! We hope to see you there!

05/03/2026

🕊️ Aberdeen Choral Society presents Karl Jenkins’ ‘The Armed Man’ 🕊️

🎟️ TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE

GENERAL ADMISSION: £15

STUDENTS: £10

Tickets are now available for purchase through:

The Aberdeen Performance Arts Box Office Telephone (01224641122)

Choral Society Members

Tickets will soon be available for purchase online. Follow us to keep up to date on this release!

We hope to see you there!