Buckie Choral Union was formed in 1970 following a BBC "Songs of Praise" which brought together members of local church choirs. Following the broadcast, a number of the participants had so enjoyed the experience of singing together that they decided to form a Choral Union. Amongst these were John Fraser, who became the choir's first conductor, and Sandy Silbergh, who went on to be its Chairman for twenty-five years, and is now Honorary President.

Handel's Messiah was performed on the 17th December 1970 in the North Church. It was followed by Bach's Christmas Oratorio in 1972. A year later, Donald Barr took over the baton.  A year after that, the hugely fruitful relationship with Peter Zanre's Moray Chamber Orchestra began.  After more than thirty-one years, Donald decided to hang up his baton and become an "ordinary" member of the choir. 

Donald Barr shows off the painting which the choir presented to him after his final concert as conductor in the Fishermen's Hall on Saturday, 23^rd April 2005. (Photo by courtesy of the Banffshire Advertiser.) 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Ann Corbet was then voted Musical Director and took over the reins after the AGM in 2005, with Gay Cadenhead as Deputy Musical Director and the choir's Accompanist.  Which brings us up to the present.

Major works have included Messiah, Creation, The Seasons, the Requiems of Mozart, Fauré and Verdi and Britten's Ceremony of Carols.

The choir has enjoyed over the years wonderful support from the people of Buckie and this, combined with its own fund raising, support from the local council (the Arts Council for Moray) and Making Music (The National Federation of Music Societies) has enabled it to employ professional players and soloists of the highest calibre.

See Forthcoming Events for more information.